The initiative has allowed the creation of 41 new businesses.
Startcup Lombardy 2024
The 2024 edition of Startcup Lombardythe competition for startups supported by the Region which began in 2016 41 companies with a total regional investment of 1.1 million euros and 23 million of investments in ‘equity’ accumulated by new businesses.
Thursday 6 June at Palazzo Lombardia the presentation of the initiative promoted by the regional department for economic development and Musa (Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action) in collaboration with the Lombardy universities and university incubators.
Startcup Lombardia is part of a broader project of the Lombard innovation ecosystem which, alongside the competition, sees two other events this year: ‘Startcup 4 engines of Europe’ and the ‘Matching Day’, connected to the ‘0100 Conference’ is aimed at facilitating the meeting between startups and Venture Capital funds. The two events will be held on 28 and 29 October at Palazzo Lombardia.
The success
“Given the success achieved in recent years – stated the Councilor for Economic Development of the Lombardy Region – we have increased the partners of Starcup Lombardia, involving a greater number of universities in the project, and implemented new concrete initiatives to support the ideas innovative. Among these, a guarantee granted to the winning startups of the ‘Startcup competition’ for a maximum guaranteed amount of 250,000 eurosto partially cover the equity investments made by investors who will participate in equity crowdfunding campaigns through the Opstart platform”.
Lombardy ‘House of ideas’
“In addition to the regional prizes and the possibility for the winners to participate in the ‘National Innovation Award’ – continued the councilor for Economic Development – this year we have decided to organize two other events: ‘Start cup 4 engines of Europe ‘ and the ‘Matching Day’, connected to the ‘0100 Conference’ to be held in Milan, aimed at matching between startups and Venture Capital funds. Finally, in addition to the 6 regional prizes traditionally assigned, an increase of a further 5,000 euros will be provided exclusively for projects dedicated to the development of solutions for safety at work, to underline the Region’s attention to the topic. We want Lombardy to continue to be the ‘House of Ideas’, a land of opportunities for all those who want to take on their own challenge and perhaps, with the help of the Region, win it by creating related industries, innovation, progress and employment”.
Collaboration between institutions
“With Startcup Lombardia – commented the president of Musa, Giovanna Iannantuoni – we want 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. 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.”
The participants
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 150,000 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 25,000 euros each.
Also confirmed this year, i Special Prizes (possibly cumulative with those of the category) will receive a contribution of 25,000 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 an impact positive on society, people and communities, with an increase of a further 5,000 euros exclusively for projects dedicated to the development of solutions for safety at work.
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.
The alliance of the ‘Four Engines of Europe’
Finally, new for 2024, up to four Special Mentions “Startcup 4 motori d’Europa”: 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 10,000 euros.
The phases of the program
The deadline for submitting applications to Startcup Lombardia is 1 August 2024. The first phase of evaluation and selection of projects will end on 18 September. 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.
The subjects involved
Startcup Lombardia is promoted by the Lombardy Region and MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action in collaboration with Politecnico di MilanoPoliHub, University of MilanUniMi Foundation, University of Pavia, University of Brescia, University of Bergamo, University of Insubria, Luigi Bocconi Commercial University, B4i – Bocconi for innovation, Catholic University of Sacred HeartIULM – Free University of Languages and Communication and University of Milan – Bicocca.
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