PROJECTS

Architecture of Complex Ecosystems

Partner: Bayes Business School / Bosch

Timeline: 2013 – 2017

Domain: Digital Ecosystem Evolution / Functional Integration Strategy

Intelligence Category: Strategic Intelligence & Systems Thinking

  • Global industrial giants face extreme "complexity risk" when deploying massive innovation budgets across fragmented, fast-moving digital ecosystems. Traditional linear risk models—designed for static supply chains—fail to capture the volatility and non-linear dependencies of decentralized value chains. In short: legacy governance was blind to the risks of the network economy.

  • We moved beyond theoretical decentralization to create a mathematical and structural "Stress Test" for value movement. By applying peer-reviewed research to industrial reality, we developed a methodology to quantify risk within interconnected, autonomous digital nodes.

  • We bridged the gap between academic rigor and industrial execution. Using the research developed at Bayes Business School, we architected a proprietary governance framework. This system was designed to act as a "command and control" layer for innovation, allowing for decentralized experimentation without sacrificing institutional security or financial oversight.

    • Institutional Adoption:

      The framework was adopted by Bosch to architect and govern the risk management protocols for their €2bn innovation budget.

    • Proof of Scale:

      This engagement serves as the ultimate validation of our logic—proving it is robust enough to protect and optimise institutional-grade capital at the highest level of industrial complexity.

    • Core Thesis:

      Established the foundational principle: that decentralization is not a trend, but a fundamental redesign of how value is created, protected, and moved.

Sovereign Innovation Infrastructure

Partner: The Republic of San Marino

Timeline: 2017 – 2020

Domain: Sovereign Innovation & Policy

Intelligence Category: Strategic Intelligence & Government Policy

  • Small sovereign states often possess the agility for rapid change but lack the legal infrastructure and institutional clarity to compete with established global tech hubs. Concurrently, emerging technologies like Blockchain and Web3 faced a global "regulatory void"—there was no robust, safe, and "institutional-grade" home for serious digital asset ventures to operate with legal certainty.

  • We leveraged two decades of strategic rigor to bridge the gap between high-level legislative requirements and the extreme agility of the technological frontier. This required a deep understanding of sovereign law, international compliance (OECD/IMF), and the technical nuances of decentralized systems.

  • As Chairman and CEO of San Marino Innovation, Sergio architected a national-scale innovation ecosystem from the ground up. This involved designing a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive legal framework for blockchain and digital assets. We effectively transformed an entire country into a "National Regulatory Sandbox"—creating the laws, the licensing structures, and the institutional rails required for a digital economy to flourish under sovereign protection.

    • Legislative Landmark:

      The passage of the 2019 Blockchain Decree established San Marino as a leading global jurisdiction for digital assets.

    • Competitive Moat:

      Successfully transformed a sovereign state into a globally competitive innovation hub, attracting international capital, visionary founders, and corporate partners like Cisco and PwC.

    • Core Thesis:

      Proved that Policy is a High-Leverage Design Tool. When architected correctly, regulation does not stifle innovation; it provides the "institutional safety" required for innovation to scale.

The Financialisation of Culture

Partner: Record Labels

Timeline: 2020 – Present

Domain: Financial Assets / Cultural Content / Digital Frontier

Intelligence Category: Creative Mastery & Financial Asset Strategy

  • While music streaming has revitalized industry revenues, the underlying management of Intellectual Property (IP) remains trapped in a "Web2" legacy. Music IP is a highly lucrative asset class, yet it is characterized by paper-based, non-standardized contracts and opaque royalty flows that make it inaccessible to broader capital markets. This "IP rigidity" hinders the development of open markets and prevents artists and labels from realizing the full liquidity of their catalogs.

  • We synthesized 20+ years of creative technology with sophisticated financial engineering to treat music not just as content, but as a Real-World Asset (RWA). This required navigating the multifaceted value chain—from songwriters and labels to distributors—to design a specialised blockchain architecture that integrates seamlessly with existing industry norms.

  • We architected the transition of Music IP from legacy rails to decentralized digital infrastructure. Working with major independent labels (including PIAS and Blue Raincoat), we developed artist-centric policies and technical roadmaps for IP digitisation. This involved creating frameworks for:

    • IP Tokenisation:

      Transforming static catalogs into liquid, fractionalized digital assets.

    • On-Chain Licensing:

      Designing automated royalty and licensing agreements via smart contracts to ensure transparent, real-time revenue distribution.

    • Participative Governance:

      Establishing ecosystem-led governance models that align the interests of creators and investors.

    • Market Transformation:

      Pioneered the blueprint for an open, liquid market for music IP, estimated to reach a $1 trillion asset class valuation by 2030.

    • Business Cycle Acceleration:

      Enabled labels to monetise portions of their catalogs to generate immediate liquidity, speeding up the cycle for scouting and reinvestment in new talent.

    • Core Thesis:

      Proved that Music is a Financial Yield. By treating cultural assets with the same technological rigour as financial instruments, we unlock unprecedented investment avenues and democratise access to the "Future of Culture".

Culture Technology & Brand Resonance

Partner: Diesel / Public Pressure / Polkadot

Timeline: 2022 – 2023

Domain: Creative Technology / Cultural Systems / Web3 Infrastructure

Intelligence Category: Creative Technology & Cultural Resonance.

  • In the early "NFT boom," Web3 was often perceived by luxury and lifestyle brands as either purely speculative or technically sterile. Global brands like Diesel needed to engage a tech-native generation without diluting their cultural "cool" or aesthetic heritage. The friction lay in the "Utility Gap": how to move digital assets beyond mere collectibles into tools that drive real-world loyalty, access, and artistic discovery.

  • We applied Giulia’s deep lineage in fashion (Moncler, Louboutin) to the architecture of the Public Pressure platform. By selecting the Polkadot ecosystem, we prioritized sustainability (low carbon footprint) and interoperability—elements essential for a brand that values both planetary responsibility and long-term scalability.

  • We architected a series of "Discovery Drops" that redefined the relationship between music, fashion, and fans. This was not a standard NFT sale; it was a holistic cultural system:

    • The Phygital Bridge:

      NFTs acted as "keys" to the physical world, granting holders exclusive access to the Diesel Milan Fashion Week show and limited-edition physical apparel.

    • Artist-Centric Curation:

      We used the Diesel platform to promote emerging musical talent, creating a multi-sensory brand experience where the soundtrack was as "wearable" as the collection.

    • Seamless On-Boarding:

      We reduced the technical friction of blockchain, making "Culture Tech" feel like a natural extension of the brand's lifestyle rather than a technical hurdle.

    • Utility Transformation:

      Proved that Web3 is a tool for Identity and Access, successfully migrating thousands of fans into a digital-first loyalty ecosystem.

    • Mainstream Validation:

      Garnered significant coverage in Decrypt and Independent Music Insider, positioning Diesel as the pioneers of the "Phygital" frontier.

    • Core Thesis:

      Established that Technology Scales Through Culture. By infusing blockchain with narrative, desire, and exclusive physical experiences, we transformed a "ledger technology" into a "lifestyle layer."

Cinematic Wellness & IP Ecosystem

Partner: The Place / Chenot Group (Inspiration)

Timeline: 2024 – Present

Domain: Entertainment / Wellness / AI Intelligence

Intelligence Category: Creative Mastery & Meaningful Systems Thinking

  • The global wellness industry is a booming $6.3 trillion market, yet it remains fragmented: industry "practices" often lack deep emotional resonance, while Hollywood "emotions" lack actionable transformation. Audiences are increasingly "hungry" for stories that reveal the true cost of perfection, but they currently have no bridge to transition from passive viewing to active personal healing.

  • We synthesised 20+ years of luxury fashion storytelling (Maresca) with elite wellness heritage (Chenot) and strategic scaling (Mottola) to design a "cinematic wellness universe". We applied "theatre as medicine," using radical rituals—such as firewalks and subconscious reprogramming—as both narrative devices and legitimate healing tools.

  • We architected a high-leverage transmedia ecosystem centered on a prestige scripted dramedy, "The Place," set in a 1990s Italian detox palace. This series serves as a "mass awareness engine" that we scaled through:

    • Doctor AI:

      The world's first character-based healing intelligence tool, designed to offer 24/7 personal "belief rewiring" and rituals born directly from the TV universe.

    • Phygital Collaborations:

      Integrating a major Italian luxury house to design on-screen wardrobes that transition into real-world capsule collections.

    • Hypnotic Soundscapes:

      A music collaboration with iconic artists (Sade & Andrew Hale) to build a global cultural following through sound.

    • New Asset Category:

      Successfully established a new category where entertainment IP is transformed into scalable digital wellness products.

    • Institutional Shift:

      Positioned the TV series not just as content, but as a "crucible moment" for global viewers to experience real-time emotional breakthroughs.

    • Core Thesis:

      Proved that "Healing is Theatre"—when strategy, technology, and soul are unified, the result is a transformational platform that nourishes the mind while creating immense economic value.

Industrialising the Manager Layer

Partner: Hipgnosis Artist Partnerships (HAP)

Timeline: 2025 – Ongoing

Domain: Corporate Strategy / M&A / Financial Asset Architecture

Intelligence Category: Strategic Intelligence / Financial Asset Strategy

  • The music industry is undergoing a structural power shift: while labels are pivoting toward becoming passive IP aggregators, actual value creation has migrated to the "execution layer"—the artist managers. However, this layer is hyper-fragmented. Independent managers are over-stretched and capital-constrained, lacking the scale, data infrastructure, and institutional funding required to compete with global conglomerates.

  • We applied a "Buy-Partner-Build" logic to institutionalize manager excellence. This required designing a dual-entity structure to convert fragmented creative efforts into recurring, auditable EBITDA.

  • We designed the overarching strategic roadmap and financial engine for HAP. Our work involved:

    • Strategy Design:

      Architecting a platform that unites independent management firms under a shared high-leverage infrastructure.

    • Financial Engineering:

      Supporting a disciplined M&A pipeline and forecasting the transition from a commission-only model to a blended yield model including IP co-ownership.

    • AI Integration:

      Positioning AI as a growth engine to optimise pricing, forecasting, and asset management.

    • Acquisition Support:

      Providing the financial rigor and due diligence framework to scale acquisitions.

    • Institutional Scaling: Supported the acquisition and integration of top-tier platforms.

    • Value Realisation:

      Enabled a model where artists retain more ownership while managers participate in platform-wide upside, creating long-term alignment across capital deployment.

    • Core Thesis:

      Proved that Execution is the New Alpha. By industrialising the management layer and treating "Manager Excellence" as an investable asset class, we have redefined how institutional capital interacts with the soul of the creative economy.