The twenty-first edition of the Start Cup Piemonte Valle d’Aosta has confirmed the competition as one of the main Italian initiatives dedicated to innovative entrepreneurship. From the more than 200 applications collected, projects emerged capable of combining scientific research and industrial applications in strategic sectors such as Life Sciences, ICT, Cleantech & Energy, Industrial, Tourism and Cultural and Creative Industry.

This year’s victory went to NanoMuG, a startup incubated by 2i3T and born within the University of Turin. The young company has developed a bio-inspired technology that reproduces and enhances the body’s defense mechanisms, opening up new perspectives in regenerative medicine and personalized therapies. The project won the first prize of 7,500 euros and represented the Life Sciences sector.

In second place was TheiaSense, incubated at I3P of the Polytechnic University of Turin, which manufactures fiber optic sensors for structural monitoring and space environments. The third prize was awarded to Rcalls, an I3P startup that has designed a CRM software for the management of business complaints. In fourth place ex aequo came NewOilFactory, Braintex and Hematica, all supported by I3P and active respectively in the Cleantech, Industrial and Life Sciences sectors.

The total prize money exceeded €75,000, thanks to the contribution of the promoters, partners and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027. The award ceremony took place on October 27 at the Piedmont Skyscraper, headquarters of the Piedmont Region.

The top six winners will participate in the PNI Cube National Innovation Award 2025 scheduled in Ferrara on 4 and 5 December.

In addition to the main prizes, numerous special awards were awarded. The €10,000 CRC Foundation Award went to Ülink for an artificial intelligence engine that optimizes landing pages in real time. Wharp® won the Valle d’Aosta Region Award for its platform dedicated to the digital management of archaeological and territorial data, while the Piedmont Aerospace District awarded SVP Industries for SmartCore, a 3D propulsion system for satellites with integrated sensors.

The Laura & Franco Beltramo ETS Foundation has recognized the Social Innovation Awards to Symbion, with a robot capable of interpreting Italian Sign Language, and to StarLIGH2T, for a technology that produces clean hydrogen by exploiting sunlight. The LINKS Foundation has awarded PreDrive with the City of the Future and Sustainability award. Jacobacci & Partners has selected ECO-RED and Dynacue for its service awards, while UniCredit Start Lab has chosen Abilito for a mentorship path.

Further awards were awarded by Ame Ventures, with the Ing. Domenico Appendino Awards to Etak and Lighter, and by the City of Turin – ToMove project, which awarded Civimatica, PreDrive and Splitty in the Future Mobility area. Special mentions were also awarded to NewOilFactory for female entrepreneurship promoted by Invitalia, to NanoZoom for social innovation, to Wharp® for open innovation and industrial spin-offs, to Altered Materials for the fight against climate change, to NanoMuG for sustainable technologies and to PhotonSolarSystems for the Ing. Domenico Appendino award.

In the balance of the 2025 edition , an increasingly mature regional ecosystem emerges, supported by universities, incubators and institutions that aim to transform research into business. Collaborations between universities, companies and public bodies continue to strengthen the role of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta as territories of experimentation and growth for Italian innovation.