INNOVIT starts with the new Startup Bootcamp in San Francisco. The next edition of the program brings together Innovative Small and Medium Enterprises on the themes of Cybersecurity, Blockchain, IoT and Robotics. Startups will be able to present their project on any theme and participate in the Startup Bootcamp in San Francisco. Applications open from 27 March until 25 April 2023 on this website. In the meantime, the 26 SMEs and Startups selected in the previous call arrive at the Italian Innovation Center. The acceleration program involving over 70 mentors and instructors, the first appointment hosted by the Centre is Enel's event "The future of cleantech between the EU and the West Coast" with the presence of the European Commissioner for Innovation Mariya Gabriel.

After the conclusion of the first call dedicated to Artificial Intelligence and Metaverse and to the areas of Cultural and Creative Industries, which saw the candidacy of over 140 projects, on March 27th a new opportunity opens up for SMEs and Startups. Former are called to present projects on frontier technologies such as Cybersecurity, Blockchain, IoT and Robotics. No constraints, however, for startups, which will have the opportunity to present their value proposition, regardless of a specific application area.

The deadline for applications is 25 April 2023. On the basis of objective criteria, a merit ranking will be drawn up: the 40 Startups and 25 SMEs with the highest score will access the online orientation, training and mentorship course lasting two weeks, at the end of which 15 Startups and 15 SMEs will benefit, in June, from the exclusive program in presence in San Francisco at the INNOVIT spaces at 710 Sansome Street.

Startups will participate in the Startup Bootcamp: two weeks of workshop, mentoring and networking, aimed at developing and validating the business model. At the end of the course, during the Demo Day, they will have the opportunity to illustrate their project to a qualified audience of experts and stakeholders from the world of innovation.

SMEs will have access to the Small & Medium Enterprises Traction path: a week of mentorship, workshops and networking activities with some of the main players in the world of innovation in the San Francisco Bay Area, in order to create business, funding and contamination relationships with one of the ecosystems that most contributes to defining global innovation trajectories.

Parallel to the launch of the new edition of CALL4INNOVIT they started their program to San Francisco the 26 Startups and SMEs selected in the previous edition. The Italian Innovation Centre will launch their acceleration programme, alsoinvolving them in the event "The future of cleantech between the EU and the West Coast", hosted at INNOVIT and organised by Enel, which will see the extraordinary participation of the European Commissioner for Innovation, Mariya Gabriel, and the President ofCDP Venture Capital, Francesca Bria. An appointment that will take place simultaneously with the arrival in San Francisco of the European Innovation Days.

The acceleration program designed for startups and SMEs provides access to intensive training and comparisonwith over 70 representatives of Big Tech, Silicon Valley venture capital, mentors and experts from major universities such as Stanford University and UC Berkeley.

Startups participate in an acceleration program designed to give them know-how and new tools with which to improve the business idea, the business model and accelerate their internationalization path. Through the activities proposed by INNOVIT they meet teams of major innovation players such as Google, Twitter, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Bosch.

There will also be numerous networking moments through which to meet entrepreneurs from the local Italian community, investors and possible partners and to which experts from Microsoft, Oracle, Tencent, Unity, Agora, Moloco and ThinkingData participate, among others. A rich work calendar that counts 20 different workshops, 15 networking meetings and dedicated sessions with expert mentors, with whom to deepen aspects of marketing, sales, fundraising and entrepreneurial culture of SiliconValley.

SMEs, with a dedicated team of professionals, can experience and fully understand the opportunities of Silicon Valley with "Strategic Advisory" sessions through which entrepreneurs are supported in identifying the bestways to expand into the American market and interact with technology partners. Of particular importance are the workshops, focused on product, pricing and positioning and training sessions on legal and contractual aspects for those operating between Italy and theUnited States. As with any INNOVIT program, there is no shortage of networking meetings with venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, corporates and potential business partners.

INNOVIT is promoted by the Directorate General Country System of the Ministry of Eastern Affairs and International Cooperation, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Washington and the Consulate General in San Francisco and managed with the support of the Institute of Foreign Trade and the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco. Its mission is to be a stimulus for innovative ideas and business initiatives, a catalyst for innovative "cross border" projects and an accelerator for their international development, allowing Italian actors to have a stable presence in Silicon Valley and throughout the United States. It is a strategic initiative of the Italian Government for the promotion of innovation of the Country System in the United States.

From October 2022, the management of the Italian Innovation Center at INNOVIT is entrusted to the Giacomo Brodolini Foundation, "think and do tank" for innovation and local development, and to Entopan Innovation, incubator and accelerator of Harmonic Innovation Group.