The second phase of Start Cup Catania 2021 took place today, Thursday 9 September, hosted in the spaces of Free Mind Foundry. Start Cup Catania is a business plan competition promoted by the University of Catania, in collaboration with the ODCEC, the Order of Chartered Accountants and Accounting Experts of Catania, which has collaborated with the University of Catania since 2014.
According to the Start up blink portal, Catania holds seventh place in Italy for the number of start ups. Behind him, large cities such as Naples, Trento and Cagliari, while the podium is occupied by Milan, Rome and Turin. The city of Etna confirms itself as an ecosystem favorable to the birth of innovative businesses.
There are 7 teams admitted to the second phase of the competition and today they had the opportunity to meet the Scientific Technical Committee of the Start Cup Catania 2021, responsible for evaluating the applications and chaired by the Rector's Delegate Prof. Rosario Faraci. On this occasion, the teams received valuable suggestions and indications regarding the development of the proposed idea and the entrepreneurial project connected to it. All in view of access to the regional final of Start Cup Sicily, scheduled in Palermo at the end of October at the Unicredit headquarters.
The teams that have reached this second phase are, in order of ranking:
- Kymia, which produces sustainable and effective cosmetics from the Bronte pistachio husk
- Sottoinsù, the first online platform that will give all artists, emerging and otherwise, the opportunity to earn and increase their notoriety through the sale of their works of art
- Guardian-Secure Carry on, an app designed to respond to people's need for security
- Xycon Smart, with the project of developing an electronic device that helps people to gradually quit smoking
- Blaster Foundry, which creates web-games with the advertising image of the client brand and aimed at the Generation Z target
- SCLN, which offers eco-sustainable t-shirts on an online platform, thus reducing shipping and transport costs
- Beyond CrioPura, who thought of a resin for water treatment.
Come proseguirà Start Cup Catania 2021
The seven finalists who have reached the second phase will compete for the three prizes offered by the sponsors by mid-October. In mid-October the Technical-Scientific Committee will meet again to proceed with the evaluation of the business plans presented. Finally, three final winners will remain, who will be awarded on the occasion of the final stage of the National Innovation Award, which will be held in two phases in Rome, at Tor Vergata.
Competitions such as Start Cup Catania, thanks also to the active collaboration of Prof. Rosario Faraci, make a significant contribution to the development of the city's economic fabric and increase the dynamism and desire to get involved by doing business.