Global Social Venture Competition 2019 - Italian Round

The event is going to focus on innovative technologies and projects with either high social or environmental impact (social ventures), offering several opportunities for all players who care about corporate social responsibility and the business sustainability of social projects. The best two startups will get access to the Global Finals organised in Berkeley (April 03-05 2019), competing with startups coming from all over the world, for prizes worth $80.000 overall.

The She4(Imp)Act prize is going to be also awarded which provides the best classified startup with female prevalence in the founder team with three-month incubation at Impact Hub Milan (worth € 25,000). Moreover, the best Circular Economy project will be awarded with the Circular Economy award from Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center as well as the best Lombardy focused project will be awarded from Réseau Entreprendre Lombardia with the Lombardy special mention.

The main language of the event will be English.

The partners

Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center with the acceleration program StartUp Initiative, an international acceleration platform which selects promising high-tech startups, coaches them and connects them with financial and corporate investors. Since its inception in 2009, the program has developed a strong track record: 117 investment forums in 9 countries across 9 technologies and industries, matching 870 startups and growing companies with thousands of investors, corporations and players of the innovation ecosystem.

Alta Scuola Impresa e Società (High Institute for Entrepreneurship and Society, or ALTIS) was founded in 2005 within Milan’s Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, with the aim of promoting - through research, training, projects and relationships with businesses - the spread of responsible management culture. Since 2018 ALTIS has been the partner of the Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley in the organisation of the Italian edition of Global Social Venture Competition.

Associazione Prospera, part of Progetto Speranza, is a non-profit association founded in 2009 with the aim of fostering the values of social responsibility, transparency and intellectual honesty. Their projects support young people in their professional education and in getting access to the world of work which may sometimes seem remote and inaccessible.

Impact Hub Milano is a Coworking and Events Space, a Community and a Social Business Incubator part of a global network of about 100 spaces and 16.000 entrepreneurs, creative people and other professionals. Since 2012 Impact Hub Milano has demonstrated its strong competence in incubating social startups, thanks to the management of the first Italian centre focused on innovation and social entrepreneurship and to the continuous flow of information and practices from its international network.

Réseau Entreprendre Lombardia is an association that aims to support the rise of philanthropic startuppers because new businesses create new jobs. The main activity of REL is the interdisciplinary and continuous accompaniment from its members. Entrepreneurs and experienced professionals coming from different fields invest their time, free of charge, in working on projects related to creation of enterprises, participating in validation committees, accompanying new entrepreneurs and managing their association.