Bocconi Identifies, Rewards and Studies the Best Startups

THE SECOND EDITION OF THE BOCCONI STARTUP DAY AWARD, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITI FOUNDATION, ASSIGNS INNOVATIVE COMPANIES 35,000 EUROS, A TRAINING PROGRAM AND THE THRILL TO BE THE SUBJECT OF A CASE STUDY. TO SIGN UP THERE'S TIME UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30

The Bocconi Startup Day Award, one of the University initiatives to support entrepreneurship, comes to its second edition. With the award Bocconi University, in partnership with Citi Foundation, wants to identify, study, support with management training and reward the most promising startups on the Italian scene. An international jury will award them cash prizes totaling 35,000 EUR, the opportunity to participate in management training courses and the drafting of an international case-study by SDA Bocconi School of Management. The call for the Bocconi Startup Day Award (www.startupday.unibocconi.it/award) is open until 30 September 2016: the finalists will be announced on November 3, and the prize will be awarded during the Bocconi Startup Day, on November 22.
 
Participation is open to all the companies established in Italy after January 1, 2011. The Award is divided into three categories:
 

• An award for the best startup (participation of a partner in one of the SDA Bocconi School of Management master programs in entrepreneurship, a financial reward worth €15,000; preparation of case studies).
• An award for the best startup for social innovation (participation of a partner at SDA Bocconi Master in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Strategy; a financial reward worth €10,000).
• An award for the best Millennials startups, chosen among teams under 30 (participation of a partner at SDA Bocconi Master in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Strategy; a financial reward worth €10,000).

 
"With the Award we want to reward the core elements of a successful startup: quality of the business ideas, ability to create innovative companies and team management skills", says Vice Rector for International Affairs Stefano Caselli, responsible for the Startup Day. The assessment criteria will be innovativeness of the business idea and results achieved in three areas: feasibility and competitiveness (business model, economic-financial balance and profitability), scalability (attitude of the business of being replicable in various geographical areas and market segments) and impact on job levels.
 
Bocconi Startup Day is an initiative in partnership with Citi Foundation and in collaboration with Aifi (Italian association of private equity, venture capital and private debt), IAG (Italian Angels for Growth), Bocconi Alumni Association, Economia&Management, Speed MI Up and SDA Bocconi School of Management.
 
September 7 is the deadline for applying to the other Bocconi Startup Day initiative: the marketplace open to students and alumni of  Bocconi University, SDA Bocconi School of Management and MISB Bocconi wishing to develop their business idea or in the launch phase of their startups, as well as to companies incubated in Speed ​​MI Up. The selected companies will meet venture capitalists, angel investors, private equity representatives and will present their business projects (www.startupday.unibocconi.it/mplace).

by Fabio Todesco