Here's the list of the top Italian startups of the year according to LinkedIn. The largest professional network in the world, today presents its list of the 10 best emerging startups in the country, now in its fourth edition. Compiled by the LinkedIn News team, the ranking is based on data from the platform taking into account four main indicators: the growth of these companies' workforce, users' interactions with companies and their employees, job seekers' interest in these startups, and their ability to attract talent.

The 2023 list presents itself as the mirror of an era in which sustainability and technology are the masters and drive change. While growing environmental awareness has pushed companies to invest in more eco-friendly business solutions, in parallel, technological development is accelerating innovation in all sectors. From sustainability goals involving business operations to countless applications of Artificial Intelligence, technological advancement is redefining the future of companies and professionals.

As evidenced by the 10 Top Startups 2023 – operating in different sectors and areas of specialization – the need to innovate and invest not only in products, but above all in services aimed at responding to some real needs of consumers, such as those related to the sphere of health and well-being, or to have specific skills has grown.

At the top of the ranking we find Chora Media, which ranks first. Founded in 2020, this storytelling company operating in the production of podcasts has further consolidated in 2022 on the side of digital information by acquiring Will Media.

In second place is Unobravo, the online psychology service founded in 2019 by Danila De Stefano, which aims to support people engaged in a path of personal growth and greater psychological well-being. A service that, through a personalized questionnaire and a matching system, favors the meeting with the most suitable Unobravo therapist.

This year the third and fourth place on the list are occupied by two startups in the financial and fintech sector that, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by new technologies, offer innovative solutions and services dedicated to entrepreneurs and users in general. Specifically, these are: Banca AideXa, the first fintech in Europe dedicated to SMEs and VAT numbers with a banking license; Starting-Finance, founded in 2018 and today the largest financial community dedicated to Millennials in Italy.

Serenis makes its entrance and ranks in the middle of the ranking: a startup that offers online psychotherapy, coaching and psychological support courses, using digital tools with the aim of improving the effectiveness and quality of therapy.

In sixth position, Vedrai is confirmed. Founded in 2020, the company develops 'virtual agents' that, thanks to artificial intelligence models, allow you to simulate the impact of decisions on business results, before they are made.

For the first time in the ranking, Smartpricing wins the seventh position, which has developed and offers hotels and holiday homes a revenue management software, designed specifically to increase their turnover.

In eighth position, the financial sector returns with Scalapay, a startup that has developed a payment solution for third parties that allows customers, online and offline, to buy immediately and defer payment through the BNPL system (Buy Now, Pay Later).

A new entrance occupies the ninth place. This is Up2You, a greentech that studies low-impact business models and aims to make every company greener, through digital tools to measure, reduce and neutralize CO2 emissions, but also to involve its employees.

Another new entry closes the ranking: Fiscozen, a tech company with the mission of supporting freelancers and entrepreneurs to overcome the obstacles of bureaucracy and realize their professional ambitions, through the online management of their VAT number, through a platform that includes invoicing, fulfillment, social security, tax return and individual tax advice.

The ranking is based on the analysis of data from millions of activities carried out on the LinkedIn platform, including job searches and company page views, carried out by over 950 million LinkedIn members worldwide, including over 18 million Italian professionals.

To be eligible, companies must be independent and private, have 30 or more employees resident in the country, be no more than 5 years old, and be based in the country in which they appear. We exclude all recruitment firms, think tanks, venture capital firms, management and IT consulting firms, nonprofits and philanthropic organizations, accelerators and government-owned entities. Startups that laid off 10% or more of their workforce in the relevant time period are also not eligible.

"The Top Startups Italia ranking represents, also in this edition, an effective synthesis of some of the main trends that are driving the development of the dynamic context we live in" explains Michele Pierri, Managing News Editor of LinkedIn Notizie Italia. "The presence in the ranking, for the first time, of a greentech, the confirmation of the relevance of fintech, as well as the signs of consolidation regarding online psychological support and services for companies based on artificial intelligence, photograph not only some of the latest technological advances but also the growth of solutions and services in step with today's economic and social needs".

"Almost three years after the first podcast was published and with 170 series made and over 100 partners who have chosen Chora, we continue to believe that audio is a really relevant means to get to people's heads and hearts. Whether it's current affairs, great original narratives or business communication, podcasts will increasingly enter the diet of content consumers," comments Mario Calabresi, CEO Editor-in-Chief of Chora Media. "We left in very few people in a room and today, together with Will Media, we are a solid and growing team. Finally, thanks to the Chora Academy, we try to offer the tools to create new professionalism in the podcast industry, because we believe that more and more there will be a need for those who are able to create quality audio content and experiences".