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The number of innovative startups and SMEs enrolled in UniCredit Start Lab, now in its sixth edition, continues to grow in 2019.  Start Lab is the Open Innovation platform though which UniCredit brings together the best Italian innovation with Corporate customers and Private and Wealth Management investors.

This year, 606 applications were received during the 14 stages of the roadshow that touched all of Italy.

A trend that - since the launch of the initiative in February 2014 - has allowed us to collect and evaluate over 4,700 business plans

This success is the result of an intense collaboration with over 160 stakeholders throughout the territory, including incubators, accelerators, universities, trade associations and science parks. This collaboration strengthened further this year, thanks to the launch of the UniCredit Launch Pad. The newborn program, dedicated to innovative startups and SMES that already billed and / or raised equity for at least 250,000 euros,  was launched as a pilot project in the North East Region. The Launch Pad program aims to strengthen the ecosystem logic at a regional level and to support new companies ready to achieve a dimensional jump.

The 8 accredited partners for 2019, coming from Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto, are Industrio Ventures, Innovation Factory - AREA Science Park, NOI Techpark, Technological Pole of Pordenone, t2-technology transfer and innovation, Trentino Sviluppo, University of Padua-Technology Transfer, University of Verona.

Start Lab 2019 numbers

436 newly established companies, along with 170 innovative business ideas, entered the selection process of the best projects in the four categories of program scouting: Clean Tech, Digital, Innovative Made in Italy and Life Science.

The selection will be divided into two distinct phases: the first by an internal team within the Group, the second, to be held between June and July, by four boards of experts chosen from among CEOs, Presidents and Innovation Managers of our Corporate and Investment Banking customers in the four different sectors.

Startups which will pass the two selection levels, will benefit from network development activities through industry meetings with our customers, mentoring, advanced management training with the increasingly international Startup Academy and ad hoc banking services. The winning startup in each of the four categories, designated by the commissions, will receive a grant of 10,000 euros.