China: 9 Italian startup in Beijing, introducing Italian Way
Beijing - From satellites and niche fashion brand to artificial intelligence and next-generation medical equipment. Nine Italian start-ups were introduced at the Italian Institute of Culture in Beijing during "Made in Italy 2.0.2.0", an event launched by the iStarter booster and designed to connect Italian innovators with international investors, particularly in China in this case. Selected from over 400, the nine finalists landed in Beijing in the wake of the first two editions which were held in London, with the support of Caixin Insight, the financial services arm of the Chinese publication specialized in economics and finance, the Boston Consulting Group and Italian institutions in China (namely the Italian Embassy in Beijing and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China). The start-ups selected for meeting investors in Beijing were: Armadio, direct-to-consumer platform for independent Italian brands; Brainer, dedicated to cognitive rehabilitation; Credimi, active in invoice financing for small and medium-sized enterprises; D-Orbit, solution platform for satellite system platforms; Echolight, dedicated to osteoporosis diagnostics; Fluentify, for learning English; Nuvap, specialized in indoor pollution monitoring; Wearable Robotics, active in the industrial and medical fields and Yewno, dedicated to artificial intelligence. The scene on which the Italian start-ups are moving was described by Nicola Garelli, president of iStarter. "Venture capital investments are expected to grow in the European Union", he confirmed. The Italian start-up ecosystem is moving at "a slower pace" but has scope to speed up over the next five years. "The 'Italian Way' is an opportunity for major corporations and for private investors alike", particularly for four factors: - the sound economic structure of the groups; - the strength of the brands (Italy is the sixth country in the world in this particular ranking mentioned by Garelli); - the satisfactory results achieved in the field of research and education; - cost-efficiency, because the cost of Italian start-ups is lower than elsewhere. Italy is a nation of creators and innovators, declared Ettore Sequi, the Italian Ambassador in Beijing, a feature which well combines with the new needs arising in China, which is aiming at becoming a "nation of innovators", as declared by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, in his speech during the nineteenth Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing last October 18 to 24. "The best way to predict the future is to create it", added Sequi.