During the Italian Tech Week we put online a database of Italian startups. It’s still in beta: it means we’re still working on it. But we have already worked a lot on it in the past few months. And it already has the data, complete with a hundred startups, not necessarily “the best” – whatever that term means; but those that have recently closed a round of financing. Those on which the investor market has recently decided to invest. It is a criterion. After all, we are an editorial head and the guiding criterion is newsworthiness: therefore in the database we will try to enter all the startups that “make the news”, those we would write about regardless of the year of foundation or the headquarters (if an Italian makes a successful startup in London or San Francisco we’ll put it in, to be clear).
Why we create a database, why we invest resources in this tool, why we think there is a need: these are the questions I would like to try to answer. The first reason is that – nine years after the launch of the startup decree and after all the hype that there has been – we think it is necessary to evolve our ability to analyze and narrate the ecosystem starting from data. Beyond single successful cases, legitimate pride in good practices. of satisfaction for single successful events – such as the Italian tech Week, in fact – it is the data that tell us where we are and where the others are.
In this regard, the opening speech in Turin was entrusted to Yoram Wijngaarde, the founder of Dealroom, one of the leading global startup databases. We asked him to tell us how they see us from the outside and he presented a really impressive report, full of data. The following are the most interesting: 1) almost all new jobs in the world are created by new businesses; 2) startups grow three times faster than the rest of the companies; 3) in Silicon Valley 68 percent of jobs are in startups, in Europe only 1.8, in Italy 0.01; 4) in Italy we spend a quarter of what South Korea and Israel invest in innovation, a third of the United States, half of China; 5) it is true that the technology sector is creating giants – Big Tech – but half of the turnover is generated by companies born after 2000; 6) if we look at investments in startups, Italy in Europe is in the middle of the table but if we consider the size of the countries, we are in the relegation zone; 7) overall, in terms of startups, Italy is where Spain was 5 years ago and France 7 years ago.
The data therefore serves to wipe out the crap and the bogus narratives. We are late: we know how much and we know what it takes to reassemble. Nothing else matters.
The second reason for trying to make a database of Italian startups is to help make them known abroad. To offer everyone the tools to measure and evaluate us. And to bring out the best stories. Which is why the database is all in English. And we will begin to post also in English on the topic, in order to contribute directly to the story that is made of our country.
A project of this type is one that if it works it never ends. Every day the database will have to be fed, integrated, corrected for errors. We know we have embarked on an endless journey (if it ends it means we have failed). But we know that it is a necessary and beautiful journey: we listen to those who have a story to tell, at the service of those who are trying.
If you are a startup you can apply by filling out this form
If you are an investor there is this.
If you drive an accelerator, incubator or other ecosystem hub, write your data to [email protected].
For advice or requests for changes write to [email protected]
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