The Foro Italico in Rome is the site where the WeSportUp accelerator technology campus was inaugurated. The date of 6 April, chosen to formalize the initiative, refers to the same day in 1896 when the modern Summer Olympic Games were born in Athens.
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In the sectors of innovation in sport and health, Italy has a gap to fill and that is why Sport e Salute SpA and the Accelerator Fund of Cdp Venture Capital are ready to revitalize increasingly crucial sectors. To do this, important partners have been chosen: the WeSportUp acceleration program will in fact be managed by Startupbootcamp and Wylab. The first, among other activities to his credit, has already accumulated experience with two sportech accelerators in Australia and Qatar while, on the national front, the Ligurian incubator Wylab is among the architects of the exit of Wyscout, an Italian start-up purchased in 2019. from Usa Hudl, a US company active in the analysis of sports performance.
The acceleration program
The call, open from today until June 30, is intended to select the top 10 innovative companies. The scouting phase will last four months and will reward the companies that offer the solutions deemed most interesting within a vast perimeter: innovative materials for sport and health, immersive experiences, metaverse and solutions for the organization and management of institutions sportsmen. One eye will also be open on gaming and esports, while the other eye will be vigilant on sustainability and ESG.
The initiative
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The selection day, or the day of the selection of the top ten between startups and SMEs, will open a 13-week acceleration period focused on the growth of the respective businesses also with the support of some of the partner companies. The conclusion of the path will take place simultaneously with the Demo Day, the occasion in which accelerated realities will be able to present their products and services to companies and investors in the Italian sports and wellness industry. The endowment of the program is 2.85 million euros, allocated by Cdp Venture Capital, to be allocated to the preseed and the seed of the realities deemed worthy.
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WeSportUp, the CdP accelerator for sport and wellness startups, starts
at Alessio Nisi
Vito Cozzoli, president and CEO of Sport e Salute SpA spoke of the need for Italy to be included in the ranks of those countries that are growing also thanks to innovations in the field of sport. This declaration of intent was followed by a reflection on the Foro Italico which, said Cozzoli, should be the Silicon Valley of sport. The general manager and CEO of Cdp Venture Capital Enrico Resmini is ready to bet on those innovative companies that can contribute to the leap in quality. The continental sports market achieves a turnover of 300 billion euros per year, a sea in which new players can bathe as long as they know how to bring added value to the sector.
WeSportUp
The WeSportUp acceleration program was officially born on December 3, 2020 when, globally, sportstech and wellnesstech companies had raised 13 billion euros in funding over 36 months. Funds that have more than doubled over the last 18 months, settling at 27.5 billion euros, a sign of how much they are growing.
The management of Wylab participated in the baptism of this initiative with the president Vittoria Gozzi and the managing director Federico Smanio. At their side, Startupbootcamp with cofounder Nazareno Mengoni and Global Strategy Officer Alceo Rapagna. Among the partners: Fastweb CEO Alberto Calcagno, Telepass CEO Gabriele Benedetto, Deloitte CEO Fabio Pompei and Renault managing director Roberto Fusilli. Representing the Capitoline authorities Monica Lucarelli, councilor for productive activities in Rome.