Start-Up & Scale-Up
KEY-The Energy Transition Expo with a view to growing innovative projects, consolidates its nature as a hub, by confirming the Start-Up&Scale-Up area within the Innovation District, with the aim of creating new business opportunities and encouraging dialogue between the business world and young entrepreneurial entities.
The initiative, part of a wider project that includes the Innovation District , is organized by Italian Exhibition Group, promoted in collaboration with ICE - Italian Trade Agency, ART-ER, a consortium company of Emilia-Romagna, FONDAZIONE MAI, an expression of the Confindustria System, and will have ANGI, the National Association of Young Innovators, as Main Partner.
GOALS OF THE INITIATIVE
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To offer new entrepreneurial realities wide national and international visibility to create exchanges and share ideas: the perfect environment where tradition and innovation meet.
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Create meeting opportunities between the companies attending the event and Start-Ups that can promote product and/or service innovation.
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Encouraging the identification of the Italian Innovative System as a primary interlocutor in the product development of the renewable energy and sustainable mobility industry at national and international level.
TO WHOM IT IS ADDRESSED - ADMISSION CRITERIA
The initiative is addressed to innovative start-ups and SMEs registered in the special section of the Companies Register (pursuant to Law No. 221 of December 18, 2012) that satisfy the following requirements:
- development of technologies and solutions in line with the themes of KEY - The Energy Transition Expo, in the field of renewable energy and energy transition, which can demonstrate products and services with a highly innovative character. The minimum requirement is an available prototype or Minimum Viable Product (MVP);
- Having completed at least one seed round or actively operating in the B2B market with a client portfolio;
Please note: Admission and scheduling of start-ups will be handled at the discretion of the project management, organized by IEG in collaboration with its partners, based on the stated requirements and space availability.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION
Expressions of interest must be submitted no later than 1 p.m. on Saturday, 18 January 2025.
Once the formal checks on the applications have been completed and the minimum requirements have been verified, Italian Exhibition Group will assign the available exhibition spaces to the eligible start-ups and Innovative SMEs, based on the indicated criteria and space availability. At the conclusion of this phase, all applicants will receive a communication to the e-mail address provided at the time of submission of the expression of interest, confirming whether or not the exhibition space has been assigned.
Candidates who will be confirmed for the allocation will have to confirm their final participation or communicate any waiver within 2 days after receiving the confirmation e-mail. In case of final participation, it will be necessary to send the application form (signed and stamped) together with an information sheet with disclosure data of the start-up / Innovative SME.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
Start-ups that possess the requirements indicated in the previous points can send their application by filling out and sending the appropriate online form, providing consent to the processing of the data contained in the expression of interest.
EVALUATION AND FORMALIZATION OF APPLICATIONS
At the end of the application period, the organization will verify that the minimum requirements have been met. It will then proceed with the formalization of the participation of the eligible candidates through the signing of the necessary contractual documentation, thus guaranteeing the selected start-ups the presence at the fair and the related space and benefits provided.
Start-Ups and Innovative SMEs selected by the Evaluation Committee will be able to participate upon payment of a registration fee of €889.
SPECIAL AWARD TO START-UPS
To further enhance the start-ups in the Innovation District, IEG, in collaboration with its partners, will assign a special award to three of the most significant projects on display. The selection will be made by an Evaluation Committee based on the following criteria:
- Innovative content of the product or service - (score from 1 to 10) - 40%
- Strategic collaborations and partnerships - (score from 1 to 10) - 30%
- Level of maturity and readiness for the Market - (score from 1 to 10) - 20%
- Impact in terms of environmental and social sustainability - (score from 1 to 10) - 10%
INCLUDED SERVICES
Your benefits:
- All-Inclusive Start-Up Package: full exhibit space, with desk, stool and logo graphics
- Included registration fee and access to the event as official exhibitors
- Subscription to the event's digital catalog
- Online visibility: appearance on a dedicated web page on the official KEY website and within the event app
- Access to “My Agenda ”platform - Business Meeting: to book one-on-one meetings with potential clients and partners
- 1 free outdoor parking pass
- 2 stand staff accreditation
- 50 free invitation tickets for your contacts
- Dedicated Info Point: reception and information about the startups in the Innovation District
- Media coverage: national and international promotion services
- Pitch: 3-minute slots to present your start-up during vertical conferences dedicated to innovation in the Innovation District arena
- Networking: possibility to initiate networking through the KEY app even before the event, with a dedicated profile page to find strategic contacts
Please note: It should be noted that in addition to the registration fee, all out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel, lodging and transportation, remain the responsibility of the participants.
Contact us
Caterina Giolitto
caterina.giolitto@iegexpo.it
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PAST EDITION | 2024 WINNERS
In 2024, the 3 most innovative start-ups that received the Innovative Start-Up Award are:
NEXTON
SOTTILE SOLAR
MACS ITALIA
