SMUSH materialsstartup that tackles pollution from single-use plastic transforming agricultural by-products into biomaterials for packagingwon the Call for ideas 2024 Of GoBeyondthe innovation platform responsible for Sisal and was awarded a grant equity free of 50 thousand euros. With 460 candidate startups and an important and significant presence of companies with a female leadership – rose to 42%, in contrast to the Italian figure of 13% – the GoBeyond Call for ideas, now in its eighth edition, is once again confirmed as reference point for theItalian innovation ecosystem.
In addition to the winner, Northern Light Composites, Promama, Sunspeker, BrailleFly And Develop Players they are the finalist startups that were awarded advisory paths made available by GoBeyond partners, who will thus be able to concretely accompany its development and growth.
New to this edition was the Sisal Retail Challengewith a grant equity free Of 10 thousand euros to be awarded to an already established startup with a product ready or already on the market that presented an offer within the scope of the Sustainable Retail. The winner of this award was Northern Light Composites which addresses the problem of end of life of the fiberglasstransforming it into a circular material significantly reducing environmental impact.
For the second consecutive year a special prizeand dedicated to startup concept onlyor business entities not yet established and without a validated product or service, assigned in collaboration with Startup Geeksonline incubator for the development of entrepreneurial projects: to win free access to the Startup BuildersStartup Geeks’ online incubation journey, have been Myconic, Elevair And DORA skincare.
A few months after his tragic death he was also awarded one special mention to remember Emilio Petrone who, during his mandate as CEO of Sisal, strongly wanted the birth of GoBeyond. The award was given to Develop Playersa startup capable of integrating the values of innovation and impact, elements that have always characterized Petrone’s commitment and entrepreneurial vision in supporting entrepreneurial and social initiatives.
There awards ceremony took place in the setting of Catella Foundation in Milan, active since 2005 with the mission of spreading the culture of sustainability in local development, and saw the participation – preceded by the intervention of Francesco DuranteCEO of Sisal – by Simona Maschico-founder and director of the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design; Annamaria Tartagliafounder and CEO of TheBrandSitterpresident of the GoBeyond jury; Massimo Carneloshead of the Technological Innovation and Startup Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; the professor Paolo Landoni of the Social Innovation Monitor of the Polytechnic of Turin. The journalist moderated the event Giampaolo Colletti.
GoBeyond was also supported by important and prestigious companies this year partner: Carter & Benson, Mamacrowd, Google, Zest, Startup Geeks, K&L Gates, FoundationC, frog-Part of Capgemini Invent, Social Innovation Teams, NTT DATA, A4W (Angels for Women), SheTech, Alkemy, StartupItalia, who supported the initiative with special mentions awarded to: Mamacrowd: SMUSH materials; Alkemy: to all semi-finalist startups; Carter & Benson: Promama; Google: Arabat; SheTech: Promama; Deply; Drops; Develop Players.
In recent years, GoBeyond has confirmed itself as a true innovation ecosystem with over 1,000 startups that participated in previous editions of the call for ideas and beyond 1.
600 innovators and startuppers who participated in the courses Academy and at meetings of Community to strengthen the culture of responsible innovation which has always been at the center of Sisal’s strategy.
All information and insights on the site www.gobeyond.info