Startup 4 Culture

The startup competition to highlight our cultural heritage

JUNE  15 · 16 · 17, WMF 2023 / RIMINI EXPO CENTRE
WMF 2023 in NUMBERS
+89
COUNTRIES
10
PAVILLIONS
+100
STAGES
+1.000
SPEAKERS
MAINSTAGE
+100 TALKS and SHOWS
+30
BANDS and DJS
+130
INSTITUTIONAL GUESTS
+2.000
STARTUPS and INVESTORS
+670
EXHIBITORS
+150
CREATORS

In partnership with

THE GROUNDWORK

WMF - We Make Future, International Trade Fair and Festival on Tech and Digital Innovation - scheduled from June 15 to 17 at the Rimini Expo Centre (Italy) - together with the Digital Library of the MiC - Italian Ministry of Culture, will realize the second edition of Startup 4 Culture.

The call selects and supports innovative projects in the technological-digital sector capable of enhancing Italy's historical-cultural heritage, while also encouraging synergy between the public sector and private entrepreneurship.

Fill out the formto apply for your innovative project: the call closes on May 7th.

THE CHALLENGES

During the application phase, each Startup will be asked to indicate how they are addressing the following challenges:

  • Create connections between Public and Private sectors and expand forms of cooperation and interdependence;

  • Expand the amount of digital cultural heritage resources, organized in an easily accessible way, easy to be consulted and shared;

  • Expand forms of access to and enjoyment of digital heritage to enhance cultural inclusion;

  • Propose cutting-edge technological ways for digitizing cultural heritage;

  • Expanding digitization practices from assets toward user services;

  • Enhancement of minor cultural sites through digital technologies;

  • Considering the realization of a "Platform of Digital Services for Developers and Enterprises" - as envisaged in the NRP

  • Facilitate and support the development and integration of innovative digital services for culture by public and private entities, startups, and cultural enterprises;

  • In view of the realization of a "Platform of co-creation and crowdsourcing" - as envisaged by the NRP - to imagine a digital environment where users will be able to produce, upload and share their original content, participate in crowdsourcing projects, contribute to the processes of recognition and metadata of acquired digital resources, and be active participants in the construction or re-construction of cultural contexts.

THE OPPORTUNITIES

Finalist startups will have the opportunity to have their innovative and cultural project introduced to the international audience of WMF and be evaluated by the MiC Digital Library, as well as major digital industry players, investors, incubators, and corporations.

Finalists will also have the opportunity to:

  • showcase their projects during WMF in front of a highly targeted audience of thousands of people;

  • participate in dedicated panels organized in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Culture;

  • access with a dedicated desk the Startup District, the exhibition area dedicated to startups from all over the world.

THE FORMAT

Startups can apply by filling out the form before May 7th.

The best startups will be selected by a committee composed by WMF and Italian MiC Digital Library members, and will compete through a pitch competition organized during WMF.

Each team will have 3 minutes to present the key elements of their idea. The jury will then have another 2 minutes to formulate follow-up questions. At the end, the jurors will cast their votes to choose the winner.

Read the regulations

THE PITCH

The elevator pitch is the heart of the Competition. It is a short presentation that encapsulates the key elements of a business idea, designed to attract possible investors or promote a business idea.

> Download supporting materials.

Apply before May 7th:fill out the formand take part in Startup 4 Culture!

THE SELECTION CRITERIA

The call is for Italian and international startups and companies - composed of individuals or in teams - with innovative technological and digital projects or ideas applicable to the culture sector. Candidate projects are selected based on the following criteria:

  • Skills of the team, knowledge of the sector, feasibility of the project;

  • Stage of product/service development;

  • Degree of innovation and defensibility of the same;

  • Competitive environment and positioning;

  • Responsiveness to market needs;

  • Business potential of the idea;

  • Completeness of the documentation submitted

    Fill the form by 7/05 and apply to participate in Startup 4 Culture

Timeline

May 7th
2023
Call closure
June 15-17
2023
Competition Final

Want to take part in the WMF Startup 4 Culture?

Fill out the form below, your application will be reviewed by our innovation team.

TEAM PROPOSER

COMPANY

PROJECT

DOCUMENTATION

Attention: other formats will not be received correctly
(executive summary, business plan, one pager. Pdf, ppt, pptx, doc, docx only - max 10mb)

Mezzo Forte: the winner of Startup4Culture 2022

The winning project of the Startup4Culture competition in 2022 was the innovative project Mezzo Forte, an entity composed of university researchers that aims to create a cloud-based platform for augmented acoustic reality infotainment services. Mezzo Forte won a €5,000 prize in consulting services offered by Search On Media Group, the opportunity to use the Hubitat Network's co-working spaces as well as a dedicated stand in the WMF 2023 Exhibition Area.

The startup world and the MiC at WMF 2022