Ranking
Italy’s Stars of the South 2026
Italy’s Stars of the South 2026 (Stelle del Sud 2026) recognizes the 200 most dynamic companies in Southern Italy that achieved the strongest performance between 2021 and 2024 in terms of revenue, employee growth and asset growth. The selection was based on extensive research combining an online survey and desk analysis of certified data to identify the companies contributing to the region’s economic development.
- Based on a clear and detailed methodology
- Created in partnership with Il Sole 24 Ore
8
8
regions
> 9000
> 9000
companies evaluated
200
200
companies awarded
Ranking Details
Italy’s Stars of the South 2026
Total:
Total companies:
0 companies
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AWARDING YOUR EXCELLENCE
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Every awardee is contacted by email with instructions on accessing the award portal.
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Project Details
About the project
The third edition of the Stelle del Sud 2026 project highlights the region’s top-performing businesses. Companies were ranked primarily by revenue growth, measured using the compound annual growth rate (CAGR), alongside growth in employees and assets. The ranking is based on data submitted through a registration survey and verified using official sources including financial statements, chamber of commerce records, and signed declarations of accuracy.
To qualify, companies needed to report primarily organic revenue of at least €100,000 in 2021 and at least €1 million by 2024. All participating businesses also had to be independent and headquartered in southern Italy.
The final ranking features 200 of the leading companies in southern Italy, spanning 25 industries across eight regions.
HOW WE CALCULATE CAGR
Calculation of growth rates
Company revenues growth rate is based on revenue figures provided by the evaluated companies. For this, we use the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) calculated as follows. Together with CAGR, employees growth and assets growth contribute to the final score.
Scoring
Identifying Southern Italy's top performing companies
To rank the companies, we used a scoring model based on officially certified data. This data is divided into 3 assessment dimensions with different weightings.
Revenue
Revenue growth (CAGR) between 2021 and 2024.
Employees
Employee growth between 2021 and 2024 - divided in overall growth and u30 growth.
Assets
Assets growth between 2021 and 2024 - divided in tangible asset growth and intangible asset growth.
METHODOLOGY
How we work
Learn about our general approach to creating fastest-growing company rankings. Further details about how the ranking was created can be found in the Italy’s Stars of the South 2026 methodology.
01 Concept
The Stelle del Sud project ranks businesses based on their growth in revenues, employees and assets over three years, focusing on organic growth. The rankings include companies that meet set criteria like location, revenue thresholds, independence and financial performance.
02 Evaluation
In order to evaluate candidates, figures are verified by company management, with additional checks for small or unincorporated companies. Figures are also verified using official sources such as financial statements and chamber of commerce records. Growth rates are then calculated based on the companies’ reported figures. For better comparability, all revenues are standardized to euro.
03 Quality Assurance
Our team of analysts rigorously checks and verifies submissions, researches missing data in public and proprietary sources, conducts press checks to verify that companies operate lawfully and excludes companies that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Partnership
Our media partner
The 24ORE Group is the leading Italian publishing group specialized in economics, finance and professional publications.
Born around the newspaper, the Group is today a reference point at European level for the Italian productive sector. Its products and services are fundamental tools for information and updating for entrepreneurs, managers and professionals.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions below.
Have questions?
Get in touch with us
You can contact us via the phone number or email below for any queries related to this project. We look forward to hearing from you.
Marta D'Angelo
Marta D'Angelo
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Disclaimer - The rankings presented here include only institutions within the defined scope of the respective project. An institution’s inclusion in the ranking reflects positive recognition according to the applied methodology and the data available at the time of compilation. The results reflect the status at the time of data collection and are therefore time-bound. The rankings are not intended to serve as the sole basis for decision-making, and any reliance is at the user’s own risk. They should be considered alongside other sources and, where appropriate, independently verified. No representation is made, and no inference shall be drawn, regarding the quality of institutions not included in the rankings.