«For the first time in nine editions we repeat the focus on Artificial Intelligence» explained the creator and founder of DigithON Francesco Boccia in a press conference together with the president of Confindustria Bari and BAT Sergio Fontanawith the participation of Antonio Tarì, marketing and institutional relations manager of Confindustria Bari and BAT.
«Startups present artificial intelligence projects in every area of our life, from healthcare to financial-insurance, through agro-industry, e-commerce and logistics. Artificial intelligence is changing our lives, it is changing it for the better, but there are also new risks that need to be assessed and there is a big discussion in Europe – continued Boccia – We expect the usual level of innovation from DigithON startups: the competition is open and many applications have already arrived. I ask the kids to dare, we are there, the investors are there, the Apulian Universities are excellent and the scientific committee is a guarantor of third party status. Then we hope there will be a strong and united Europe that innovates. If there is one thing we denounce, even with kids, it is that the United States continues to innovate, the Chinese who have often copied us are starting to innovate too, and the Europeans regulate a little too much. We would also like that with a push from Southern Italy, Puglia, and our country in general, the level of innovation would be very high in Italy too. We can do it, but it means, as companies ask us, giving priority to large common investments”
«We reward the human capital that wants to be put into play – declared President Fontana – and we do it concretely. In recent years we have created synergies and positivity, Confindustria is there in a serious and important way, even with the awarding of the first economic prize to the winning company of the marathon. We are very pleased with this collaboration, we participate actively. Thanks to DigithON who make Bisceglie the center of new startups”
Not just a challenge between brilliant minds from all over the country, DigithON is an ideal place to grow the network of opportunities in the startup ecosystem that will be able to strengthen their network of contacts, multiply synergies and opportunities for collaboration with companies, communicating directly with major investorsparticipate in meetings, panels and discussion sessions with industry experts on the many topics that involve the future of digital.
There will also be, in addition to the competition, the core event of the event, major events in the square open to the public: debates and face to face with the protagonists of the world of institutions, culture and businesses Italian and international, to explore issues related to the digital world and the new challenges of innovation, their impact on the economy and society.
As always, DigithON also offers startuppers interesting moments of training with Beer&Codecoding bootcamps created in collaboration with the event’s partners, with high-level teachers and company managers with direct experience in the sector.
Also back this year is the EY Cupthe side competition born from the synergy between DigithON ed EY dedicated to undergraduates and graduates under 30, with a focus on AI: the project involves a 5-week mentorship course in EY, in order to help groups of young people develop innovative prototypes that will be presented and evaluated during the final of the DigithON marathon. To apply via the EY portal you have until 3 July, with a cash prize assigned by DigithON and a dedicated EY recruitment process up for grabs.
To participate in DigithON 2024 just register on the portal digithon.it, a virtual place created to bring together Italian startups and, at the same time, generate a point of contact with investors, incubators and accelerators. Registration is completely free and each user will be able to enter all the details of their startup: from the description to the video pitch, slides and more technical evaluation metrics such as idea status, number of employees and turnover. As in a social network, each member will be able to publish their own updates to inform potential investors of the new milestones achieved. Those who have already participated in DigithON will be able to reapply their application by logging in with the credentials previously used.
Among all the projects received by midnight on June 30, 2024, 100 will be admitted to the evaluation of the scientific committee which will select the best for the final. During the marathon the inventors will have 5 minutes available to pitch their business idea and will answer questions from analysts and investors to win the coveted trophy DigithON 2024 which also brings with it a check for €10,000, offered by Confindustria Bari and BATand numerous other awards including scholarships, promotion, economic grants and acceleration paths made available by partner companies, for a total value of over €50,000.
To support and help your favorite startup win, you can participate online via the web page www.digithon.it; as always, also the social vote will have a specific relevance for the final ranking. THE DigithON 2024 winners will be announced on the evening of September 7th and will receive the prize from President of Confindustria Bari and BAT, Sergio Fontana.
Among the partners of DigithON the names of the most important Italian companies, the Over the Top, the large investors and some of the main financial operators in our country: Confindustria Bari and BAT, Intesa Sanpaolo, EY, Enel, Italian Post Office, State Railways, GoBeyond powered by Sisal, Norba Group, Google, Nexi, Fincons Group, Philip Morris Italy, AIFI, Aulalab, Bitdrome, Digital Magics, Binp, B4i – Bocconi for InnovationMint. Institutional partners: Polytechnic of Bari, University of Bari Aldo Moro, University of Salento, ESA BIC.
