One Year After Startcup Lombardia: SoBu – The Game for Visually Impaired Children

SoBu was born with a precise objective: to help visually impaired children explore the world and socialize through play. The app, compatible with both smartphones and smartwatches, offers a series of interactive audio-motor games that stimulate movement, sound perception, and contact with the external environment. Sounds, vibrations, and body dynamics become tools for connection, in an experience designed specifically for children with visual disabilities.

Behind this project is a team led by Walter Setti, a researcher at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), who explains how the Startcup Lombardia 2024 award represented a turning point: “We only recently formed as a startup, and Startcup Lombardia 2024 definitely helped us: thanks to the visibility we gained, we were selected to participate in Expo Osaka 2025, a great success for us.”

The recognition – the B4i – Bocconi for Innovation Special Social Impact Award – also allowed SoBu to cover the initial expenses for establishing a foundation and begin planning new forms of funding, including opening up to social investors and collaborations with the research world.

SoBu’s journey has not been limited to awards and visibility. A spontaneous network immediately formed around the startup: developers, IT specialists, and consultants offered to improve the pitch, support technological development, and refine the project’s presentation, including through social media. This is concrete proof of the perceived value of the project, which combines innovation, social impact, and inclusivity.

Walter Setti also has a message for anyone with a good idea in mind: “Startcup Lombardia is an excellent first step. I recommend it to other startuppers not only for gaining publicity, but also because the prize money really helps you get started.”