Call for start-up

• Offer emerging entrepreneurial ventures access to a prestigious national and international stage where they can exchange ideas and share visions.
• Create opportunities for connection between exhibiting companies and start-ups capable of driving product and/or service innovation through their mindset and approach.
• Promote the recognition of the Italian innovation ecosystem as a key partner in product development for the green tech and circular economy sectors, both nationally and internationally.
• Give a voice to the leading innovators, collecting the stories of those who advance and promote the major themes of the ecological transition through development, culture, and skills.

The initiative is open to innovative Start-ups and/or SMEs registered in the special section of the Business Register (pursuant to Law no. 221 of 18 December 2012) that meet the following requirements:
 

• development of technologies and solutions aligned with the themes of the Ecomondo exhibition, capable of demonstrating products and services with a highly innovative character. The minimum requirement is an available prototype or a Minimum Viable Product (MVP);
• having completed at least one seed round, or actively operating in the B2B market with a client portfolio;
• not having previously participated, as a selected start-up or innovative SME, in the Innovation District at the 2025 edition of Ecomondo.
   

Selected innovative Start-ups and/or SMEs may participate upon payment of an administrative fee of €820 + VAT.

Please note: the admission and scheduling of start-ups will be managed at the discretion of the project management, organised by IEG in collaboration with its partners, based on the stated requirements and availability of space.

Start-ups meeting the eligibility criteria outlined above may submit their application when the call will open by completing and submitting the dedicated online form, and providing consent for the processing of the data included in the application.

In order to enhance younger realities and those in an early stage of development, start-ups may be awarded an additional score of up to +1 compared to innovative SMEs. In the event of a tie in the overall score, priority will be given to start-ups.

At the end of the evaluation phase, all applicants will receive an official communication from Italian Exhibition Group, sent to the e-mail address provided at the time of application, containing the outcome — positive or negative — of the selection process.

Subject to available exhibition space, up to a maximum of 20 innovative start-ups/SMEs may be admitted, selected from among those that have achieved the highest scores in the ranking.

Selected participants must confirm their attendance within 2 working days from the receipt of the official communication by replying via email. Failure to respond within the specified timeframe will result in automatic forfeiture of the application.

Once participation is confirmed, admitted participants will receive the participation form (contract), which must be completed, signed, and stamped, and returned along with the following documentation:

• Proof of payment of the participation fee via bank transfer

• Updated Chamber of Commerce registration (mandatory only for Innovative SMEs)

• High-resolution logo in vector format (preferably .ai, .svg, or .eps)

In the event of withdrawal by one or more selected participants, Italian Exhibition Group, in agreement with the initiative’s partners, will proceed with the ranking list and admit the next eligible candidates.

The start-up area will be set up with an exhibition format designed to maximize visibility, stimulate interaction with the public and foster concrete business opportunities.
 

Selected start-ups and innovative SMEs may participate upon payment of a €820 + VAT administrative fee, which includes access to the following services:

• Start-up All-Inclusive Package: exhibition station with desk, stool, and personalized branding featuring your logo
• Registration and official exhibitor status at the event
• Online visibility through inclusion in the official fair catalog – start-up section
• Access to the “My Agenda” – Business Meeting platform to schedule One-to-One meetings with international hosted buyers
• 1 external exhibitor parking pass
• 2 exhibitor badges
• 50 invitation tickets for your contacts
• Dedicated info point to welcome and guide visitors interested in the start-up area
• Media coverage through national and international promotional and communication activities
• Qualified networking: opportunities to connect with visitors, exhibitors, investors, and stakeholders interested in your venture from an Open Innovation perspective, including business angels and venture capitalists from the network of our strategic partner, Plug and Play Tech Center

To further highlight the presence of start-ups and Innovative SMEs within the Innovation District, IEG – in collaboration with its partners – will award a special plaque to the three most innovative and impactful projects among those exhibiting.

The winners will be selected by the Evaluation Committee based on the same criteria outlined above.
>> Learn more on the prize

The entire Innovation Project is supported by the expertise of a dedicated Evaluation Committee established ad hoc. The Committee is responsible for the assessment and selection of the start-ups that will participate in Ecomondo, for assigning the start-up Award to the most innovative emerging ventures, and for selecting the winners of the Lorenzo Cagnoni Award for Green Innovation, which recognizes the most innovative products or services showcased by exhibiting companies at the fair.

The Evaluation Committee includes:

• Alessandra Astolfi | Global Exhibition Director – Green & Tech Division di IEG
• Daniela Sani | ART-ER – Research and Territory Activities, Sustainable Development Division
• Nicoletta Amodio | Executive Advisor Research and Innovation at Confindustria and Director of the Giuseppina Mai Foundation
• Gabriele Ferrieri | President of ANGI (a national association for young innovators)
• Edoardo D'Aprile I Ventures Analyst ad Plug and Play Tech Center
• Francesca Zadro | Global start-up Program - ICE Agency
• Emilio Alacevich | Research Manager, Technology Transfer Directorate, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia