Milan is truly a GREAT place to build a startup, but most of the early-stage entrepreneurs we speak to are not aware of the local resources that are available to help them.

With applications for the Milan Founder Institute now open, we are excited to release the Milan Startup Ecosystem Canvas, which is currently in Draft v1 below! It was developed by the Milan Founder Institute and local leaders Maria Matloub and Peter Lazou.

This is just a DRAFT, and while we spent many hours on this research, more input is needed. Please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document to help us complete the list. There are definitely omissions on this current version. 

Are you looking to build a startup in Milan? Then apply to the Milan Founder Institute today!

Text version included below, for ease of searching:

Startup Stages

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There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.

1. Idea Stage

This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.

A. Inspire

• Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters, Startup Digest)

1. Agenda Digitale
2. Digital4
3. EU Startups Milan
4. Milano Today Startup
5. Startup Business
6. Startup Digest Italy
7. Startup Digest Milan
8. Startup Italia!
9. StartUP News
10. Wired Italia
11. ZeroUno

• Inspirational Events: Open, inclusive, beginner startup events (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups)

1. Data Science Milan
2. Digital design days
3. Fintech Up
4. FWLAB Startup Meetup Milano
5. Girls in Tech
6. Health 2.0 Milan Chapter
7. Lean Startup Machine Milan
8. Milan Startup Week
9. Milano Entrepreneurship and Innovation Meetup Group
10. Milano Scala Group
11. Milano Startup Scene
12. Non-Technical Entrepreneurs Meetup Milano
13. R-Ladies Milan
14. Startup Weekend Milan
15. StartupItalia! Open Summit

B. Educate

• Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspire, like 1 Million Cups, Startup Grind, Startup Founder 101, etc).

1. AWS User Group Italy
2. Branding & Brand Identity Italia
3. DigitalOcean Milano
4. Legal Tech Milano
5. Log.ED Milano
6. Machine Learning Milan
7. Milan High Tech Meetup
8. Milano Chatbots Meetup
9. Milano Design Thinking Meetup
10. Serverless Italy
11. Startup Founder 101 Milan
12. Startup Grind Milano
13. yTech Milan: Hybris Technology Community

• Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development. (Ex. bootcamps and comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, General Assembly, Lean Startup Machine, code camps, etc)

1. Agile Brewery Milano
2. Agile Reloaded Meetup
3. AgileIoT
4. Crafted Software
5. Founder Institute
6. Le Wagon
7. Le Wagon Milan Coding Station Meetup
8. Lean Startup Circle Milano
9. Milan Startup: Idea to IPO
10. Milano Apache Kafka Meetup by Confluent
11. Milano Scrum/Agile User's Group
12. ProductTank Milano
13. Startupbootcamp Smart City & IoT Program
14. TAG Innovation School
15. The Happy Startup School Milan Meetup
16. The Startup Training

C. Validate

• Team Formation: Resources for teaming up. (i.e. events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching)

1. American Business Group
2. Business e via Italy
3. Business Networking Milan
4. CoFoundersLab
5. Endeavor Italy
6. Founder2be
7. FounderDating
8. Hackers and Founders
9. Milano International Business Networking
10. Professional Women's Network Milan
11. Startup Crash Test Milan
12. StartupBlink Milano
13. STEM 4 Health & AgTech Milano
14. Tech Startup Milano

• Build First Product: Hackathons & resources to build. (i.e. hackathons and other builder-focused events and resources)

1. 3DiTALY Milano
2. Cashless Milano Hack
3. Cognitive Hack
4. DamA Space
5. FabLab Milano
6. Global Legal Hackathon
7. H-ack by H-Farm  
8. Hacker News Milano
9. Hacks/Hackers Milano
10. Hash Code 2018
11. Kotlin Night Milano 2018
12. Makers Hub
13. Milano Digital Week: Social Media Hackathon
14. Opendot
15. POLIFactory
16. Poste Hack
17. Space Apps Milano
18. WeMake

2. Launch Stage

In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.

A. Start

• Establish: Law firms & banks for startups

1. Banca Galileo
2. Banca IFIS
3. Banca Popolare di Milano
4. Banca Progetto
5. BonelliErede
6. CBA studio legale e tributario
7. CMS
8. Dentons
9. Extrabanca
10. FPB Legal
11. Intesa Sanpaolo
12. Jones Day
13. Latham & Watkins LLP
14. LCA Law
15. LEXIA Avvocati
16. McDermott Will and Emery
17. Nctm Studio Legale
18. Orrick
19. Osborne Clarke
20. Paradigma Law
21. Pirola Pennuto Zei & Associati
22. Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale
23. Santander Consumer Bank
24. Simmons & Simmons
25. UniCredit Banca

• Workspace: Co-working and flexible workspaces (note: “official” office space goes in 3.1.a. Infrastructure)

1. BASE Milano
2. Campus Coworking Milano
3. Coffice Milano
4. Copernico Milano
5. Coworking Login
6. Coworking Milano
7. Coworking Milano Bicocca
8. Donatello Coworking Milan
9. Flexworking
10. Idea Factory Milano
11. Impact Hub Milano
12. inCOWORK Milano
13. LASCIA la SCIA Coworking
14. Loft Coworking
15. Qf
16. Sarpi oTTo
17. Spaces Milano
18. Spazio Elabora
19. StartMiUp
20. Talent Garden
21. YoRoom

B. Develop

• Formalize: Accounting, development and HR for early-stage startups.  

1. Alto Labs
2. App'ost
3. EU Web Agency
4. Hara Risorse Umane
5. IAMA Risorse Umane
6. Iorio Associati
7. Linuwi
8. LU3G La Boutique del Web
9. Moko
10. Overbi
11. Rawfish
12. SiComunicaWeb
13. Silicon Make App
14. SinApps
15. Studio Associato Iberati
16. Studio Borrini
17. Studio Natella & Bruno
18. Studio Paci
19. Studio Panato
20. Talento Risorse Umane

• Prepare for Seed: Incubators and advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources for startup TEAMS, Startup Next, etc)

1. Alimenta2Talent
2. Breed Reply
3. Digital Magics
4. Edison Pulse
5. ENEL Startup Program
6. Euroimpresa
7. FabriQ
8. Impact Hub Milano Incubator
9. Incubatore Tecnologico Bottega di Leonardo
10. Innovits
11. InnoVitsLab
12. Intesa Sanpaolo Start Up Initiative
13. Italian Brand Factory
14. IULM Innovation Lab
15. KeyCapital
16. Make a Cube
17. Polihub
18. PTP Science Park
19. RQ Incubator
20. Sanipedia
21. Speed MI Up Incubator

C. Launch

• Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)

1. Alimenta Accelerating Program
2. Barcamper Acceleration Program
3. BiovelocITA
4. Boox
5. DOCOMO Digital b-ventures
6. ELITE
7. Fashion Technology Accelerator
8. Fondazione Filarete
9. Future Food Ecosystem
10. G2 Accelerator
11. growITup
12. iStarter
13. Italian Brand Factory
14. LuissEnlabs
15. Make a Cube
16. Nuvolab
17. Officine Formative
18. Open Accelerator Life Science by Z-Cube
19. PTP Science Park
20. Rancilio Cube
21. Speed MI Up Accelerator
22. TH2
23. TIM WCap Accelerator
24. UniCredit StartLab
25. Wind Business Factor
26. WithFounders

• Pitch & Demo: Show local startups for investment (i.e. demo days for companies seeking seed investment)

1. Awesome Foundation Milano Digital Edition Pitch Night V
2. Demo Day Digital Magics
3. Demo Day TIM WCap
4. H-FARM Open Day Milano
5. Investor Day
6. Startup Crash Test Milan #14
7. XChange on Tour

3. Growth Stage

Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.

A. Recognition

• Investor Networking:  Connect professional investors with founders. (i.e. events or groups that facilitate connections with professional investors)

1. Angel Investment Network
2. Angel Partner Group
3. Club degli Investitori
4. Club Digitale
5. Italian Angels for Biotech
6. Italian Angels for Growth
7. Italian Business Angel Network
8. ScaleIt
9. Siamosoci

• Major Media: Mainstream local business press. (i.e. major local or regional publications that frequently champion local businesses)

1. Affaritaliani
2. Avvenire
3. CNBC Italy
4. Corriere della Sera
5. Il Giornale
6. Il Giorno
7. Il Sole 24 Ore
8. ItaliaOggi
9. La Repubblica
10. Libero Quotidiano
11. Metro News Milano
12. Milano Finanza
13. Milano Today
14. Rai News
15. Sky TG24

B. Funding

• Angels / Micro-VCs: Seed-stage investors

1. Andrea Di Camillo
2. Cristiana Francia  
3. Domenico Laudonia
4. Fabio Blandino  
5. Fabio Pezzotti  
6. Federico Colombara  
7. Giorgio Valaguzza  
8. Giuseppe Donvito  
9. Giuseppe Trettenero
10. Ivan Marandola  
11. Jari Ognibeni  
12. Loris Lanzellotti
13. Martino Bagini
14. Massimiliano Magrini
15. Matteo Girardi  
16. Nicola Junior Vitto
17. Paola Bonomo
18. Raffaele Mauro  
19. Roberto Bonanzinga
20. Sal Matteis
21. Stefano Molino  

• Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond

1. 21 Partners
2. 360 Capital Partners
3. Alto Partners
4. Ameventures
5. Antares Private Equity
6. ARDIAN
7. Augens Capital
8. CVC Capital Partners
9. DeA Capital Alternative Funds
10. H.I.G. Capital
11. Innogest Capital
12. MGH7 Venture Capital
13. MTS Fund
14. Oltre Venture
15. Oxy Capital
16. P101
17. PAI Partners
18. Panakes Partners
19. Prana Ventures
20. Principia SGR
21. Private Equity Partners
22. Quadrivio SGR
23. RedSeed Ventures
24. REinventures
25. Star Capital
26. Style Capital
27. Synergo SGR
28. TIM Ventures
29. UniCredit EVO
30. United Ventures
31. Vertis SGR
32. Wise SGR
33. Xandas

C. Growth

• Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)

1. Assiteca
2. B&V Broker
3. Bull Insurance Broker
4. CIS Broker
5. Idealista
6. Immobiliare.it
7. ISO Formazione
8. Mida Broker
9. Offix Space
10. Regus
11. Sintex Selezione Personale
12. SKILL Risorse Umane
13. Target Offices
14. Tecnocasa

• Expansion: Growth accelerators/consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)

1. Accenture
2. Alvarez & Marsal
3. Aon
4. A.T. Kearney
5. Avanade
6. Bain & Company
7. Boston Consulting Group
8. BPI Group
9. Capgemini
10. Deloitte
11. Egon Zehnder
12. EY
13. Everis
14. Frost & Sullivan
15. Gartner
16. Grant Thornton
17. Hill+Knowlton Strategies
18. Infosys Consulting
19. Kantar Millward Brown
20. KPMG
21. McKinsey & Company
22. Mercer
23. Oliver Wyman
24. Protiviti
25. PwC
26. Ramboll
27. Roland Berger
28. SAP Consulting
29. Simon Kucher & Partners
30. Tata Consultancy Services
31. Towers Watson
32. Unisys Consulting

4. Success Stories

Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.

1. AdEspresso
2. AppsBuilder
3. Bauzaar
4. Beintoo
5. Building Energy
6. ChatSim
7. Chili
8. DFLabs
9. Fannabee
10. Foorban
11. Genenta
12. GoodBuyAuto
13. Inventia
14. iubenda
15. MainStreaming
16. Moneyfarm
17. MotorK
18. Prestiamoci
19. PrivateGriffe
20. ProntoPro
21. Robonica
22. SHAREWOOD
23. Spotlime
24. Tanaza
25. Tannico
26. ZEHUS

Supporters

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To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.

1. Evangelists

Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.

1. Andrea Roberto Bifulco
2. Andrea Romoli
3. Andrey Golub
4. Antonio Ghezzi
5. Arianna Aondio
6. Armando Biondi
7. Carmelo Cennamo
8. David Casalini
9. Domenico Gravagno
10. Emanuele Madini
11. Emil Abirascid
12. Fabio Azzolina
13. Federico Sargenti
14. Francesco Mantegazzini
15. Gabriele Grecchi
16. Gaia Costantino
17. Giandomenico Sica
18. Gianluca Maruzzella
19. Giusy Stanziola
20. Jacopo Bargellini
21. Jessica Tibaldi
22. Julien Chiavassa
23. Maria Matloub
24. Marnix Groet
25. Paola Perini
26. Patrick Oungre
27. Peter Lazou
28. Riccardo Pozzoli
29. Roberto Verganti
30. Stefano Mainetti

2. Government

Public organizations that facilitate local economic development (ex. Start with the chamber of commerce, “Invest in XXX”, “Economic Ministry of XXX” , “Innovation”, R&D, etc)

1. AMCHAM Italy
2. Camera di Commercio di Milano Monza Brianza Lodi
3. Città Metropolitana di Milano: Infrastrutture e Innovazione
4. Invest in Lombardy
5. Invest in Milano
6. Milano Smart City

3. Talent

Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.

• Local Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)

1. Alta Scuola Politecnica
2. Bocconi University
3. IULM: Università di Lingue e Comunicazione
4. Politecnico di Milano
5. The University of Milan
6. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
7. University of Milano - Bicocca

• Local Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies, with large local offices, “major technology companies in XX”)

1. Amazon
2. Apple
3. BT Italia
4. Cisco
5. Dell
6. Ericsson
7. Facebook
8. Flex
9. Google
10. Microsoft
11. Motorola Solutions
12. GE
13. HP
14. IBM
15. Intel
16. Oracle
17. Reply
18. Saipem
19. Samsung
20. Siemens
21. STMicroelectronics
22. Telecom Italia
23. Verizon Enterprise Solutions
24. Vodafone

 

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Learn more about the Startup Ecosystem Canvas here, and leave us your thoughts on the Milan Canvas on this collaborative Google document (This is just a DRAFT, and more input is needed!)

Are you looking to build a startup in Milan? Then apply to the Milan Founder Institute today