Startcup Lombardia: Deadline to participate in the 22nd edition extended

There will still be time until 9 August 2024 to submit your application for the 22nd edition of Startcup Lombardia, the competition promoted by Regione Lombardia – Direzione Generale Sviluppo Economico and MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action, in collaboration with Lombardy’s Universities and University Incubators, which encourages the birth of new high-potential enterprises, born, hosted or linked by collaboration relationships with Lombardy’s Universities and University Incubators. The Lombardy Region has in fact decided to extend the deadline to give more participants the chance to submit their projects.

Startcup Lombardia was created to promote the culture of innovation within universities, encouraging and supporting the birth and growth of new enterprises, with the aim of stimulating the economic development of the Lombardy region in the following sectors: ICT and Services; Life Sciences and Medtech; Industrial Technologies. Each category will have a winner who will receive EUR 25,000. In addition, seven Special Mentions will be awarded, including one for Female Entrepreneurship, for the best startup with at least 50% of its founders being women. There will also be up to four ‘Startcup 4 Motors of Europe’ Special Mentions to be awarded in collaboration with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Baden-Wurttemberg and Catalonia regions, with a total prize of €10,000. The prize money for this edition has been increased to 155 thousand, money that can be invested by the winners to finance and enhance their projects.

In order to participate, aspiring entrepreneurs must belong to the promoting institutions, i.e.: University of Milan, Politecnico di Milano, Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, University of Bergamo, University of Pavia, University of Brescia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Libera Università di lingue e comunicazione IULM, University of Insubria, University of Milan Bicocca, PoliHub, Fondazione UniMi, B4i – Bocconi for innovation, Fondazione U4I – University for innovation.

Applications for Startcup Lombardia, as mentioned, can be submitted until 9 August 2024. The first evaluation phase will end on 18 September, followed by the semifinal on 25 September, where the 12 best projects will be selected to access the Acceleration Days. The final will be held on 23 October, with the winners gaining access to the National Innovation Award in December in Rome.