The event created by the acceleration platform for technological start-ups of Gruppo Intesa Sanpaolo

PRESS RELEASE

INTESA SANPAOLO PRESENTS THE MOST INNOVATIVE START-UPS IN FASHION & DESIGN

·         StartUp Initiative looks to the future of fashion and design: 8 young innovative enterprises of the “made in Italy” system were presented

Milan, 29 May 2014 – Intesa Sanpaolo presents the most innovative start-ups in the fashion and design sectors at StartUp Initiative Fashion & Design, an event launched by the acceleration platform for young hi-tech companies of the Group. The event was held today at the Istituto Europeo di Design (European Design Institute, IED), Milan.

At the end of a screening track, 8 start-ups on the scene of fashion, luxury and design met over 120 companies, investors, Italian and international institutions today, offering avant-garde technologies and innovative services that are applicable to these sectors.

The event StartUp Initiative focused on the world of fashion has now reached its 3rd edition. It is a unique opportunity to form an overall opinion of the Made in Italy industry and of the latest consumer dynamics and trends.

Start-ups that successfully passed the screening phase and reached the meeting with investors are, in fact, projects that offer impressive technological solutions. They were chosen considering the industrial applicability of technologies ranging  from the textile industry to Web and mobile applications, from accessories to digital marketing and distribution, from industrial and interior design to furnishings and lighting engineering.

 

A concise profile of start-ups attending the event is given below:

 

·         Ginkgo (Milan): produces an innovative compact umbrella that has been redesigned from scratch and entirely produced in 100% recyclable plastic;

·         iXOOST srl (Modena): produces audio dock stations for Apple devices (iPhone or iPod) using the exhaust pipe of an original Formula One car as the active acoustic chamber;

·         Jaqard (Verona): Q&A crowdsourcing application for fashion-related advice: the user can ask a question by posting a photo (e.g. "What would match my new dress?"), or answer by publishing photos of items chosen from top notch stores throughout the world;

·         Makoo (Rome): the first Web-app designed to actually create and materialise a unique piece of jewellery by simply utilising the user's voice and a 3D printer;

·         Re-Bello (Bolzano): a young Italian fashion company focused on continuously launching new fabrics, all strictly ecosustainable, made of eucalyptus, bamboo and organic cotton fibre;

·         Smartlux (London): simple and innovative lighting control system; every luminaire features intelligent diffusion, Internet connection and an advanced detection system;

·         Wowcracy (London): “pre-commerce” platform dedicated to fashion; it allows fashion brands and stylists to present their latest products or collections, create a pre-sales offer and test market response;

·         XYZE Srl (Treviso): the ultimate technology designed for fashion. It associates body measurements with the clothes one wishes to purchase, and suggests the correct size.

 

Start-Up Initiative is the international acceleration platform developed by the Corporate&Investment Banking Division of Intesa Sanpaolo that screens promising hi-tech start-ups, trains them and establishes contact between them and financial and industrial investors. Since its launch in 2009, the programme has developed a powerful track record, counting 70 investment forums in 6 countries (IT, UK, US, FR, DE, IL), developed on 9 technologies and industries: Digital & Mobile; Cleantech; Biotech & Healthcare; Nanotech & Materials; Social Ventures; Agri-Food; Fashion & Design; Automotive & Transportation; Building & Construction. The platform has organised meetings between over 4,500 start-ups and growing companies and thousands of investors, companies and operators in the ecosystem of innovation. Besides the start-up acceleration platform, Intesa Sanpaolo offers companies dedicated corporate advisory services to access impressive technologies worldwide, facilitating their innovative pathway (Open Innovation).