Ten startups will compete at the Kursaal for the chance to represent San Marino at the world semifinals of the Startup World Cup, set to take place in November in San Francisco. The regional final will be held on Thursday, 15 October, starting at 3pm, and will be open to the public with free admission and mandatory registration.
The competition, created by Pegasus Tech Ventures, is being promoted locally by San Marino Innovation in partnership with Fattor Comune. The finalists were selected from more than fifty applications submitted from San Marino, Emilia-Romagna and the Marche region. The international pathway offers, at the world final, an investment of one million dollars.
“Ten young companies, selected from more than fifty applications received from the Titano, Emilia-Romagna and the Marche region, will compete for the chance to represent the Republic at the world semifinals in San Francisco in November, aiming for the final goal of a one-million-dollar investment,” reads the statement issued by the Secretariat of State and San Marino Innovation.
Three of the ten finalists are enrolled in San Marino Innovation’s regime. The statement links this result to the reforms aimed at attracting businesses, capital and expertise promoted by the Secretariat of State for Labour, Economic Planning, Relations with A.A.S.S., Ecological Transition and Technological Innovation.
“Offering our businesses a regulatory environment that is streamlined, solid and connected to the world’s leading finance and technology circuits is a top priority,” said Secretary of State Alessandro Bevitori.
“Bringing an event of global significance like the Startup World Cup to the Titano demonstrates the concrete nature of the institutional policies we are implementing for the country’s technological transition. We are not simply creating the conditions for doing business here. We want to build a direct channel to Silicon Valley and the major innovation hubs. San Marino is investing in talent, proving it has all it takes to compete at the highest levels.”
The companies will present their projects through pitches in English. The sectors involved include industry, healthcare, aerospace and mobility. “The projects competing for victory range from artificial intelligence applied to industrial processes to precision medicine, as well as the development of sensors for the aerospace sector, sustainable mobility and advanced health monitoring systems,” the statement reports.
The presentations will be evaluated by a jury composed of Maurizio Focchi, president of Focchi Spa; Martino Gemmani, financial engineer and corporate strategist; Stiven Muccioli, founder and CEO of BKN301; and Clelia Maria Tosi, head of the Fintech District.
The audience will also play a part in the decision: “The audience present in the hall will also play an active role, contributing with their vote to the final verdict,” the statement notes. The programme will continue into the afternoon until the winner is announced, followed by a networking session.
Participation is free. Mandatory registration must be completed via the official event page.
