Those who would like to venture into the world of technology-based innovative start-ups now have one more opportunity and a starting point from which to embark on a real growth path: applications are now open for the 3^rd edition of GrandUP! Tech Academy, the free training initiative for future entrepreneurs and innovative start-ups in the province of Cuneo.

The initiative is promoted by Fondazione CRC in collaboration with I3P, the Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, in the context of the multi-year project GrandUP! Tech, launched in 2021 with the aim of supporting the development of an innovation ecosystem and the birth of new enterprises in the Cuneo area. The training course of the GrandUP! Tech Academy training course is entirely free of charge and is aimed at both aspiring entrepreneurs and young innovative companies already active in the area: the initiative is open to all residents or domiciled in the Italian province of Cuneo and to those who have set up, or intend to set up, their own business there. Project teams may register more than one component for participation in the Academy, while each participant or team of participants may present only one business project to be developed during the meetings. To take part in the course, for which places are limited, it is possible to apply until October 27^th, by filling in the dedicated form accessible from the web page https://grandup.org/tech/startup/.

The new edition of GrandUP! Tech Academy will be the focus of the presentation event organised by Fondazione CRC and I3P for September 21^st, 2023, at 6 p.m. at the Rondò dei Talenti in Cuneo. In addition to learning in detail about the programme of this year’s programme, with in-depth information on how to apply, participate, and take part, the meeting will be an opportunity to hear the testimonies of some of the young entrepreneurial teams supported during the last edition, including Aurelia, Connessioni Domiciliari and Wetraffic. The event will then conclude with a networking aperitif dedicated to the exchange of ideas and the creation of new contacts within the local business community. To attend the meeting, it is necessary to register on Eventbrite by September 20^th.

The two previous editions of the Academy, participated by 40 young innovators, fostered the birth or further growth of several entrepreneurial projects that went on to enjoy significant early successes in the field. Among the teams that completed the first round of classes, in 2022 the start-up Agree NET won 3^rd prize in the Start Cup Piemonte Valle d’Aosta competition and in 2023 Eventvm announced the closing of a €160.000 investment round; among the projects participating in the second edition, this year Elemento Cloud was elected winner of the Turin event of the ‘Talentis – GI Startup Program 2023‘ by Giovani Imprenditori Confindustria, Wetraffic was selected in CDP Venture Capital’s Magic Spectrum acceleration programme, and Nabu flew to Houston, USA, to participate in the ‘Space IT Up‘ acceleration programme organised by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

The Academy’s new path returns to address the essential issues for the development of a new innovative start-up, tackling both theoretical aspects and practical applications and case histories. The seven meetings scheduled from November 2023 to February 2024 will offer lectures by Politecnico di Torino professors, industry experts and I3P analysts who will accompany the participating teams in the development of their entrepreneurial projects. The main topics of the lectures will include: business models, customer discovery processes, performance evaluation metrics, the business plan and fundraising activities, project communication and digital marketing, through to legal and tax aspects in setting up new companies. The initiative will conclude with an open event, the Pitch Day, scheduled for March 2024, during which the teams will present the entrepreneurial projects developed during the meetings to an evaluation jury: the most promising will be given the opportunity to access a pre-incubation path at I3P, financed by Fondazione CRC, to evolve their projects into real start-ups.

The GrandUP! Tech project and its Academy are being implemented as part of the ‘Memorandum of Understanding for the Innovation and Digitalisation of Enterprises in the Province of Cuneo‘, promoted by the Fondazione CRC and the Cuneo Chamber of Commerce, to which all the main trade associations in the area have signed up, including Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, Confartigianato, Confcommercio, Confindustria, Legacoop Piemonte and Punto Impresa Digitale. The protocol envisages the active involvement of business representatives from the various economic sectors in the province of Cuneo in the establishment of a cohesive, innovative and digitised ecosystem.

“The third edition of GrandUp! Tech Academy, realised in collaboration with a partner of great value such as I3P, confirms our desire to stimulate and support the territory in the field of innovation, a strategic lever for present and future development, with a specific focus on the training of the younger generations,” said Ezio Raviola, president of Fondazione CRC. “The Academy is part of the broad strategy, sanctioned by the Memorandum of Understanding for Innovation and Digitalisation, which intends to make the province of Cuneo a district suitable for the birth and development of new start-ups and high-tech companies, which are also capable of attracting significant investment.”

“It is a real pleasure for our incubator to continue the collaboration with Fondazione CRC and together to launch the third edition of this unique initiative in the Cuneo area,” commented Giuseppe Scellato, President of I3P. “The innovative entrepreneurship training opportunity offered by GrandUP! Tech Academy gives impetus and perspectives to projects that are already taking their first steps towards becoming start-ups, as well as offering a valid opportunity for professional growth and entry into an increasingly flourishing network. This is demonstrated by several of the teams supported in the past editions, whose inventiveness has led to their first awards, even important ones, or attracted the interest of large companies, investors and markets.“