Friday 23 May, starting at 10:30 am, the Working Capital business accelerator of Telecom Italia in Catania (Via Novara, 59) will officially open the doors of the new thousand square meters available to young innovative startups from all over the South of Italy.
The new spaces of the accelerator based in the Etna area, which doubled in just one year from opening and is the only project of its kind in Southern Italy, will be inaugurated in the presence of Enzo Bianco, Mayor of Catania, Salvo Mizzi, founder of Telecom Italia's Working Capital project, Pierfrancesco Diliberto, nicknamed Pif, television director and writer, Guido Arnone, CTO of Expo 2015, Fabrizio Sammarco, President of Italia Camp, and other important guests, representatives of the world of innovation and venture capitalism in Italy.
A celebration of innovation, that continues the tradition of a South that wants to change starting with young people, which will also continue in the afternoon.
In fact, starting from 3:00 pm, the Working Capital accelerator will become the theatre of the third edition of Startup Weekend, scheduled until Sunday 25.
The event, which has now become a reference point for innovation in Sicily, will give young talents with a business idea the opportunity to meet, form teams and create their innovative product or service in 54 hours.
During the three days of Startup Weekend young future innovators will be supported and advised by mentors and experts to accomplish their project and they will have the opportunity to meet the representatives of important startups who, like them, started with an idea and managed to translate it into their work, and investors ready to believe in and bet on the most interesting projects; all this to provide new opportunities for young people, starting with their talent and creativity.
The projects completed during the Startup Weekend will be included in the Working Capital repository of Telecom Italia and will take part in the 2014 call for ideas. Participation is possible until 26 May and this year as many as 40 business ideas will be awarded grants of 25 thousand euros and four months of acceleration in Innovation Houses in Catania, Milan, Rome and Bologna.
Catania, 20 May 2014
