Italian slump takes toll on start-ups

Rome

AS a three-year long economic contraction shows little sign of ending, Italians are losing the impulse to take chances.

The number of businesses created in the third quarter was the lowest on record for that period, while the rate of companies collapsing shows no signs of slowing down, reports show. That's the fallout from a recession which has undermined confidence, making banks and venture capitalists reluctant to take risks.