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(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) – The “Berkeley SkyDeck Europe – Milan” project continues to be enriched with new startups. On the occasion of the Demo Day at Mind (Milan innovation district), a further 9 selected startups were presented which receive, in addition to direct contact with Italian and European companies and investors, also a total ticket of 1.3 million euros, after attended the six-month program which took place partly in California and partly in Mind. The Lombardy Region supports this project to accompany the growth of startups while also guaranteeing connections with qualified financial operators, capable of supporting the development of entrepreneurial initiatives through equity investments. With this Demo Day, SkyDeck Europe has reached the conclusion of its fourth edition after having accelerated in the first two and a half years of activity 36 startups selected from 3,335 applications from all over the world, generated 5.2 million euros in direct investments and 4, 3 million euros between external investors and grants. Among the relevant data recorded by the 27 startups of the first three batches is an increase in the workforce of approximately 50%, with a total of 90 jobs created.
Guidesi: «Ideas are transformed into stable companies»
«Skydeck Europe has become one of the major points of reference for global innovation, we receive ideas from all over the world and put them into practice. Ours is a challenge won. Our goal is to transform ideas into stable companies that generate economic spin-offs and new development possibilities. This is the opportunity that we offer from Lombardy to the whole world”, declared the Councilor for Economic Development of the Lombardy Region, Guido Guidesi. The initiative, promoted with Fondazione Cariplo, was launched in 2022 by the University of Berkeley accelerator UC Berkeley SkyDeck, the Italian innovation hub Cariplo Factory and the international real estate group Lendleeasea. The program, lasting six months, gave startups the opportunity to deal with both ecosystems, through an initial month in presence in Berkeley, California, at the headquarters of one of the best accelerators in the world, and a final sprint in the spaces of the Village Pavillon, at the Mind. Furthermore, the program leveraged the activation of the skills, laboratories and networks of the universities selected through the tender promoted by the Cariplo Foundation: Polytechnic of Milan, University of Milan, Free University of Languages and Communication Iulm, University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro, University of Insubria, University Institute of Higher Studies Pavia and University of Bergamo.
Of the nine startups, 4 are Italian
The new 9 startups protagonists of the Demo Day were selected among the many who participated from all over the world (from Canada to Singapore, from Kenya to Armenia, from India to Romania, as well as the United Kingdom, France, Spain… ) to the call launched in July last year. The startups that participated in the acceleration program operate in the EdTech, Sports Tech, GreenTech, HR Tech, Cybersecurity, New Materials and Enterprise Software sectors. In detail, Audemic.io (UK): Positioned in a rapidly growing market of “knowledge workers”, it offers AI-based learning optimization technology. In 2022, the startup has already reached a value of over $169 billion globally, with an annual growth projection of 8.9% until 2027. Distinct (Spain): develops innovative fluorescent inks based on nanotechnology, which can be used to print signs, barcodes or QR codes on any material or object, certifying its authenticity. Distinkt has patented the technology and a reference market (Anti-Counterfeiting Packaging Market) worth $105 billion with a CAGR of 7.8%. Inro (France): is an AI-powered direct marketing tool for digital brands. Inro allows brands to have a conversation with every customer at scale and engage them with personalized messages based on their purchasing history. Kfobix Inc. (USA; Delaware): Kfobix’s patented superhydrophobic coating, lightweight, low-cost, resistant and easily applicable, serves to prevent the formation of ice on wind lines, improving the safety of electricity distribution and the efficiency of renewable energy. Klaaryo (Italy): is the talent intelligence platform that helps HR teams find and engage the best candidates on the market. Mon5 (Italy): offers advanced cybersecurity solutions for the manufacturing sector, anticipating the migration of cyber attacks from the IT department to the OT department. The platform also monitors the performance and power consumption of hardware devices. The startup already collaborates with large companies, including Leonardo. Ouch (France): Developed advanced AI-based technology with a proprietary biomechanics algorithm to help runners run more efficiently to minimize the risk of injury and improve performance. Provides quality running form and posture analysis, from anywhere. Pliny (Italy): Offers an immediate and error-free system for making data-driven strategic business decisions. Powered by Gen-AI, the software integrates all company data, automatically analyzes it and answers any questions in natural language through an intuitive chat interface. I begged (Italy): is a simplified supply management platform for SMEs in the food and beverage industry that easily integrates purchase orders, communications and payments with their suppliers. Being powered by artificial intelligence, Supplai extracts data from files, provides suggestions and creates personalized insights, making procurement activities faster, more efficient and paperless.
