Today's digital innovation speaks (also) italian

30 Italian startups will be attending the event Unbound Digital in London: the delegation representing the emerging Italian ecosystem will be led by Italia Startup with the aim of contacting clients, partners and international investors.

The Association is adhering to this initiative with a view to promoting globally the awareness of international investors and of the large corporation community about Italy’s already solid innovative entrepreneurship. A treasure still partly hidden and waiting to be discovered.

Today’s digital innovation speaks (also) Italian

We’ll present an extraordinary 50 million euros investment opportunity within the next six months to allow these enterprises to climb to the top and to enable them to tackle international markets more firmly

The entire startup ecosystem is showing a strong growth: innovative startups have more than doubled, registering a 120% increase, as they went from being 1227 in 2013 to being 2716 in 2014, while funded startups have grown by 74%, increasing from 113 in 2013 to 197 in 2014 (Italia Startup and the Digital Innovation Observatories of the Polytechnic of Milan)

London, November 18^th, 2014 – Under the auspices of Italia Startup, the association representing the ecosystem of young innovative enterprises in our country, 30 Italian startups will participate in London in Unbound Digital, the event bringing together more than 800 entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders with digital startup ecosystems around the world (USA, Israel, India, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Europe).

“The high level and the number of Italian startups that are taking part in this important international event, says Marco Bicocchi Pichi, Advisor of Italia Startup in charge of Internationalization, reflect the aim to develop an international growth strategy based on three main fronts: 1) acquiring clients and partners; 2) attracting foreign investors; 3) promoting innovative culture on a global scale. We’re ready to present to the world our talents in the digital and technological sector; these startups represent a present linked to an entrepreneurial tradition based on the culture of innovation.”

"The 30 companies participating in London in Unbound Digital are the tip of the iceberg, a small but significant representation of the Italian startup ecosystem. Strong teams with international experience, professionals and individuals who have demonstrated academic excellence, driven by the common aim of being discovered by the international community. We’ll present an extraordinary 50 million euros investment opportunity within the next six months to allow this group of enterprises to climb to the top, allowing them to tackle international markets more firmly.”

Available data confirms our country’s current high level of innovational activity. In 2014 the Italian startup ecosystem showed a significant growth rate: innovative startups have more than doubled,

+120%, increasing from 1227 in 2013 to 2716 in 2014, and at the same time funded startups have increased by 74% (Source: “The Italian Startup Ecosystem: Who’s Who,” developed by Italia Startup and the Observatories of the Polytechnic of Milan, in collaboration with SMAU and Cerved group and with the institutional support of the Ministry of Economic Development)

As far as the investments made in hi-tech startups, in 2014 there was a 15% increase on the part of institutional investors, business angels, family offices and venture incubators. Also the Italian banking system has begun to contribute to the development of new innovative start-ups: on the other hand, the investments by medium-sized and large companies are just beginning.

In this context, Italia Startup has recently embarked on a major campaign to promote ‘Open Innovation,’ in order to bring together established businesses with startups: innovation is a fundamental incentive for growth, with a win-win outlook. The campaign is meant to be brought also outside of the country.

Bicocchi Pichi underlined: “Today, in Italy, a generation that is rediscovering the will to do business is growing: a creative and technically prepared generation, that is collaborating with managers who are very experienced. The Italian ecosystem is still small if compared to the world’s most developed countries, but it is demonstrating an ability to grow and an openness to the global market that will be able to provide a positive incentive to all the Italian industrial system, in the international competition scenario. It is no coincidence that Frans Johansson has defined as the “Medici Effect” the cultural fusion and the convergence between humanism and technology that are the foundation of every innovation process, and that occur so naturally in Italy.”

This initiative has received the praise and the support of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, of the Italian Embassy and of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in London, of the ICE – the Italian Trade Promotion Agency, which promotes the internationalization of Italian companies, and of Invitalia. The Oppenheimer fund and the law firm BLB are supporting the initiative and are contributing as sponsors, together with Italia Startup. This is a list of the companies that Italia Startup will bring to London in representation of the Italian startup ecosystem. The selected enterprises belong to fields and sectors such as Big Data, e-commerce, digital transformation of travel and tourism, the 3Fs of Made in Italy (food, fashion, furniture), automotive, defense, retail, advertising and communications.

Alleantia, Bemyeye, Beond, Cloudesire, Digitalbees, FABTOTUM, FAZLAND, FLAZIO,iPressLIVE, KOLEKTIO, LANIERI, LORENZO VINCI, LOVE THE SIGN, MOSAICOON, MUSEMENT, MUSICRAISER, NEGENTIS, NEXTOME, PHOTOSPOTLAND,PRIMO ROUND, REBEL ALLIANCE, RETAILER IN, SELLF, SKEBBY, SPAZIO DATI,TAGGALO, WAYNAUT, WIB, XMETRICS