More than 30 innovative Italian startups from agrifood, fashion & design, finance technologies, ICT and tourism attended the Italy RestartsUp in Berlin show from 15 to 17 June 2016. The event was organised by SMAU, an independent platform mainly dedicated to innovation, technology and digital, the Berlin office of the ICE Italian TradeAgency and the Italian Embassy in Berlin, to promote Italian companies meeting potential German and international investors.
Italy RestartsUp in Berlin opened with a networking event with about 200 people at the Embassy, which was attended by the President of the Lombardy Region Roberto Maroni, Regional Minister for Internationalisation, Startups and Innovation of the Campania Region Valeria Facione, President of the Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria and Vice President of Confindustria Marco Gay and Mattia Corbetta from the Ministry of Economic Development.
Ambassador Pietro Benassi said that Berlin invested 3.4 billion dollars in 2015. Berlin can be an important backdrop for the financial projections of the growing number of innovative Italian startups with its accelerators and globally active investors. The number of companies increased by almost 6% in the first quarter of 2016 from December 2015 (+ 5,500),according to the observatory of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development.
On June 16 at the Palazzo Italia (Unter den Linden, 10), the startups showcased their products at the exhibition booths provided by SMAU. On the following day, the companies visited the main Berlinian incubators: Microsoft Ventures, Metro Accelerator, GTEC, TechStars, Startupbootcamp, Axel Springer Plug and Play and ET Venture.
