Italian Lifestyle Accerelation Program: demoday 2024
The final event of the third batch of the acceleration program dedicated to fashion, tourism and food, promoted by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Fondazione CR Firenze, Nana Bianca and Fondazione per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione
On July 11th, at the Auditorium of the Innovation Center of Fondazione CR Firenze, the Demoday of the third edition of Italian Lifestyle took place. This acceleration program dedicated to open innovation in the fields of food, fashion, and tourism accelerated the six startups selected in April.
The event began with testimonies from the partners, starting with Tommaso Dringoli, President of Fondazione CR Firenze, who highlighted the Foundation’s desire to activate local skills to attract talent and create synergies between startups and corporates.
Next, Alessandro Balboni, Head of Innovation Business Development at Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, provided an overview of the Group's activities in support of the Tuscan territory. The Innovation Center's work is to promote initiatives like Italian Lifestyle, which ensures that innovation reaches where it is needed: corporates and their supply chains. Thus, the Innovation Center acts as an enabler of connections among various actors: startups, local institutions, and corporates.
According to Alessandro Sordi, CEO and founder of Nana Bianca, the relationships established through programs like Italian Lifestyle between startups and corporates are exceptionally valuable as they last over time and contribute to the growth of both parties.
The last of the four program partners to speak was Prof. Pierini from the Foundation for Research and Innovation, who emphasized the importance of the ecosystem in fostering innovation and creating high-profile jobs. Moreover, the meeting between startups and corporates is always successful and brings long-term benefits to the territory.
The partner companies then took the stage, both in-person and remotely: Sanpellegrino, Ruffino, Cisco, Colorobbia, Starhotels, and Gucci. Each shared their experiences with the Italian Lifestyle program over the years, the collaborations initiated with innovative young companies, and the value of open innovation, which helps companies view problems with fresh eyes and from different perspectives.
The pitches of the six startups from the 2024 edition were the highlight of the event: Baqta, Climate Standards, MeetAlpha, Fody, Albicchiere, and Proxima Robotics took the stage to present their technological ideas, business models, ambitions, and future projects in just a few minutes. The inspired and effective speeches demonstrated the maturity they achieved through the recently concluded program.
In closing, Alessandro Balboni thanked all participants for the three years since the program's inception, expressing positive feelings about continuing the journey in the future.
