Startcup Lombardia, the competition promoted by the Lombardy Region – General Directorate for Economic Development and MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action, in collaboration with the Lombardy Universities and University Incubators, was presented today.
Founded in 2003, on the initiative of the Polytechnic of Milan, Startcup Lombardia reaches its XXII edition this year. Since 2016, thanks also to the support of the Lombardy Region, the competition has awarded grants for over 1.1 million euros.
Startcup Lombardia is part of a broader project ofLombardy innovation ecosystem which, alongside the competition, this year sees two other events: Startcup 4 motori d’Europa and the Matching Day – connected to the 0100 Conference – aimed at matching startups and Venture Capital funds, scheduled for 28 and 29 October respectively at Palazzo Lombardia.
“With Startcup Lombardia, synonymous with success, 41 businesses have already been created with a total regional investment of around 1 million euros and 23 million in equity investments accumulated by new businesses; Given the success achieved in recent years, we wanted to both increase the partners, involving a greater number of universities in the project, and implement concrete initiatives to support innovative ideas, a guarantee granted to the winning startups of the Startcup competition for a maximum guaranteed amount of 250 thousand euros, to partially cover the equity investments made by investors who will participate in equity crowdfunding campaigns through the Opstart platform”, states the councilor for economic development of the Lombardy region, Guido Guidesi.
“Furthermore, in addition to the regional prizes and the possibility for the winners to participate in the National Innovation Award, this year we have decided to organize two other events: Startcup 4 engines of Europe and the Matching Day, connected to the 0100 Conference to be held in Milan, aimed at matching startups and Venture Capital funds; finally, in addition to the 6 regional prizes traditionally assigned, an increase of a further 5 thousand euros will be provided exclusively for projects dedicated to the development of solutions for safety at work, to underline the Lombardy Region’s attention to the topic. Initiatives and commitment aimed at confirming Lombardy as the Home of Ideas”.
“With Startcup Lombardia Musa wants to enhance those innovative ideas and projects that have a positive impact on the urban context, the territory, the environment and in particular on society, contributing to reducing inequalities”, comments the President of MUSA, Giovanna Iannantuoni. “In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, it is essential to promote solutions that are not only technologically advanced, but which also have a real and tangible impact on local communities and the environment. We firmly believe that collaboration between academia, institutions and the private sector can generate significant changes, creating an ecosystem in which innovation serves collective well-being. Our mission is to support these initiatives, offering resources and opportunities to transform ideas into concrete projects that can make a difference”.
Aspiring entrepreneurs, working groups and established companies can apply to Startcup Lombardia.
Categories and awards
For the 2024 edition, the Lombardy Region has renewed its support for the competition with a prize pool that rises to 150 thousand euros for the best projects, nominated in four categories: ICT & Services, Industrial Technologies, Life Science & MedTech and CleanTech & Energy. There will be 4 winning projects, one per category, which will receive a contribution of 25 thousand euros each.
Also confirmed this year, i Special Prizes (possibly cumulative with those of the category) will receive a contribution of 25 thousand euros each: Sustainability – Climate Change, assigned to the project that has a positive impact on a broad level on environmental, social and economic issues, Social Impact, assigned to the project that has a positive impact on society, people and communities, with an increase of a further 5 thousand euros exclusively for projects dedicated to the development of workplace safety solutions.
Seven will also be assigned Special Mentions: one, for Female Entrepreneurship, will go to the best startup with at least 50% female founders, while the other six will go to the four category winners and the two winners of the Special Awards. The winners of the Mentions will receive direct access to the National Innovation Award (PNI). In the event that the special Sustainability – Climate Change and Social Impact awards are combined with a category award, two further mentions will be awarded among the other finalist projects.
In the end, new for 2024, up to four Special Mentions “Startcup 4 engines of Europe”: from 12 April 2024 the Lombardy Region is the rotating president of the Quattro Motori per l’Europa Association which, in addition to Lombardy, brings together Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Baden-Wurttemberg and Catalonia. As part of the work program, each of the “four engines” selects up to four startups in its own competition. The Special Mentions will be awarded together with each of the category prizes and will give the right to access the competition to be held on 28 October at Palazzo Lombardia, in which up to four prizes will be awarded among the winners for a total value of 10 thousand euros.
The phases of the program
The The deadline for submitting applications for Startcup Lombardia is 1 August 2024. The first phase of evaluation and selection of projects will end on September 18th. On September 25, during the semi-final, the Organizing Committee will select the 12 best projects, which will be able to access the Acceleration Days, the entrepreneurial empowerment program focused on business plans and presentation of the business idea.
On October 23, during the final, the Jury will decide the winners who will have access to the National Innovation Award, organized by PNIcube, scheduled for December in Rome.
Startcup Lombardia is promoted by the Lombardy Region and MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action in collaboration with the Polytechnic of Milan, PoliHub, the University of Milan, the UniMi Foundation, the University of Pavia, the University of Brescia, the University of Bergamo, University of Insubria, Luigi Bocconi Commercial University, B4i – Bocconi for innovation, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, IULM – Free University of Languages and Communication and University of Milan – Bicocca.
