Startup Europe. The Club, the Alliance, and the ultimate Startup Europe Awards.
Startup Europe, as part of the Digital Single Market strategy of the European Commission aims to strengthen the business environment for web and ICT entrepreneurs so that their ideas and business can start and grow in the EU.Startup Europe's objectives are (a) to reinforce the links between people, business and associations who build and scale up the startup ecosystem (e.g. the Web Investors Forum, the Accelerator Assembly, the Crowdfunding Network,, etc.); (b) to inspire entrepreneurs and provide role models (e.g. the Leaders Club and their Startup Manifesto, the Startup Europe Roadshow); (c) to celebrate new and innovative startups (with Tech All Stars and Europioneers), help them to expand their business (Startup Europe Partnership, ACE Acceleration Programme), and give them access to funding under Horizon 2020.
In 2016 Startup Europe launched the Startup Europe Awards (SEUA), the Eurovision for Startup, promoted by the European Commission, supported by the President of the Committee of the Regions, several members of the European Parliament as Ambassadors.
X23 is playing the role of Country Manager for the Italian edition, and was proposed to perform the role of building up the international network of CMs. SEUA 2016 Italy Edition final Ceremony Event was celebrated in Milan on December 2016, at the Assolombarda Gio Ponti Auditorium. The event was the conclusion of a very wide diffused, engaging, awesome road show connecting together dozens of startups hubs all along Italy. Some hundreds of stakeholders were involved by a granular network of co-organisers led by our experienced coordination action. The network of partners celebrated fifteen regional SEUA events all along the country, in a period of three months, resulting in a diffuse and continuos start-up competition.
The Italian final kermesse hosted high ranked guests from both the public and the private sectors, and the 51 finalists that were selected in a thrilling autumn of events all along Italy. SocialFare, Copernico and StartMiUp, SCENT School of Entrepreneurship (Veneto), Friuli Innovazione and Techno Seed, the Democenter Sipe foundation, Agenzia Umbria Ricerche, eXtrategy and the Contamination Lab (Clab), BicLazio and LazioInnova, Heroes Meet in Maratea, Confindustria Salerno, Foggia Startup and Camera Commercio di Foggia, Calabria Innova, Vulcanìc Ventures Incubator and Impact Hub Siracusa, Clhub Venture Incubator. Each of them involved up to 27 players, including investors, business angels associations, banks, VCs and private funds, public authorities, research centers, and large industries.
The final ceremony event marked a relevant event in the Italian eco-system and had an outstanding participation from the public: 350+ people attended the event to assist to the pitch battles, in a thrilling 9-hours-long competition among the 50 finalists coming from all around Italy. The jury included 8 different Italian and international entities: X23 (represented by Mrs. Marika Mazzi Boém, EBA), EBAN (represented by the president Candace Johnson and the the Secretary General Mr. Jacopo Losso), YES for Europe - the European Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs (represented by Mr. Luca Donelli and Mr. Jacopo Moschini), Ernst & Young Italy (represented by Mrs. Laura Mura), EEN - the Enterprise Europe Network, representing all the 6 Italian Consortia covering all the 20 Italian regions, and represented by the Italian Secretary General, Mr. Guido Dominoni; IAG - Italian Angels for Growth (Represented by Mr. Salvatore Avveduto and Mr. Enrico Vallocchia); moreover, the representative for Singularity University Italy, Mr. David Orban; and two VC funds, e.g. Oltre Venture - Italy (represented by Mr. Adriana Versino) and Network Society Ventures (US, UK) Mr. Scott Mize and Mr. Sergio Liscia.
The jury awarded 10 start-ups to participate to the final event in Brussels, June 7th, hosted and chaired at the European Parliament by the President, Mr. Antonio Tajani.
The list of the winner startu-up is at following page: http://startup-europe-awards-italy.eu/vincitori/ , and a huge squad of start-ups awarded at domestic level (with relevant international prizes awarded by the Italian jury involved by the Country Manager X23) is included. X23 will give the audience and any SGIs feedback and a continuos follow-up to the award of the prizes.
The video of the final event is at: https://youtu.be/Py030cubUfE
