June 19th: Italian Science and Technology was recognized at the finals of Intel Business Challenge 2013.
SEM+ a spin-off company of IIT and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna got the first prize as the most european innovative start-up of the year. Together with Tensive a spin-off from Filarete they will represent what is best of European innovation at the global round of one of the most prestigious business challenges in the world.

“These are two great examples of what the Italian research system has to offer the world” says Alberto, who is the Intel Business Challenge Associate for Italy “and I am very pleased that we went from two Italian applications two years ago to 8 finalists and 2 winners!”

Scuola Sant’Anna and Intel Italia have worked together in the promotion of this business challenge and Intel supported the national finals of Start-Cup.

 

 

 

May 15th. The finalists of the European Round of the Intel Business Challenge have been announced. A Great result for Italy. 8 of the 23 finalists admitted to the selection round in Irland are Italian teams, with iRC and WIB in 2nd and 3rd place! “I am very pleased with this result” says Alberto, who is the Country Affiliate for Italy for the competition “this year we really focused on quality rather than quantity of applicants, and my work was indeed facilitated by a super Italian selection committee!” On with the competition then… Out of these finalists 23 will make it to California.

 

 

PISA, March 5th. We are proud to announce the selection of the Italian business plans that will advance to the Second Round of the European Intel Business Challenge.
In the next few weeks these entrepreneurial groups will have the opportunities to go through an online mentoring program that will help them to work on their business plans, and will compete for a spot at the European Finals in Dublin in June (17th – 20th).

Approximately 100 business plans were submitted and evaluated by a group of experts, and each business plan received the evaluation of at least 3 judges.
The road to the California finals at U.C. Berkeley is still a long one, but we are confident that the following ideas and projects offer a high quality snapshot of innovation and entrepreneurship in Italy.

The Italian Dream Team will fight hard and intensively to deserve the attention of the selected VCs, investors, and managers Intel will involve in the selection process. Given the high number of submissions received, and the good quality of the business plans, the Italian Country Associate of the Intel Business Challenge, together with Intel Corporate Affairs have decided to nominate, together with 15 winners of the first round a list of “runner ups”.

If your group is listed among the selected companies, please acknowledge your happiness/readiness/willingness to proceed to the next round, by posting a comment in the comments field below, by Friday the 8th. If your company is listed in the runner up section, you will receive notification of availability of a spot by email, no later than March 15th.

Business Plans directly selected among the PNI finals in Bari
These companies have already been notified and will be invited for a special business lunch in Rome on April the 4th with Marcos Battisti, Managing Director for Intel Capital Western Europe.

• iRC (intelligent Remote Controller)
• SEM+
• Stem Sel
• WIB – Warehouse In a Box

Business Plans selected as winners of the Italian Round
These entrepreneurial groups are listed alphabetically, and have been selected by an Italian jury to take part to the second round of the IBC Europe.
If your group is listed below: congratulations, you made it! Post a comment on this site by Friday the 8th acknowledging your participation, you will get an email from Intel confirming you made it to the next round. PS: you will not see the comment right away, as it will have to be approved by the website administrator.

• Buzzoole
• AriA
• CompAct™ Robotics
• DrSmart: bringing a Doctor into your Smartphone
• EggPlant
• FYF – Feel Your Foot
• Metwit APIs
• MRS
• PHI-Drive
• SeeJay
• Tensive

Runner Ups of the Italian Round
If your group is listed here below: hang in there!! And still congratulations: we received many BPs and selection had been tough.
We will get back to you by March 15th, notifying you if a spot opened up.

• CheeseMX
• dPen
• Gluten Free Maps Europe
• NatureShower
• Rehab Tech
• Wheelab

 

Finally: many thanks to the Experts that helped with the selection process. We want to acknowledge them, listing them here: Emil Abirascid, Matteo Bonfanti, Matteo Bonifacio, Alvise Bonivento, Carmelo Cennamo, Giuseppe Conti, Augusto Coppola, Matteo Faggin, Simone Ferriani, Giuseppe Folonari, Federico Frattini, Ruggero Frezza, Alessandro Fusacchia, Alex Giordano, Massimiliano Granieri, Fabio Lalli, Marco Marinucci, Francesca Paolini, Andrea Piccaluga, Nicola Procaccio, Nicola Redi, Fabrizio Vecchi.

Alberto Di Minin
Assistant Professor
Istituto di Management, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
Intel Business Challenge Country Associate for Italy