Freedome, the start-up of leisure experiences with a positive impact on the region

Three friends and fellow students enter the world of work and realise they no longer have the energy, and the ideas, to get organised and enjoy the weekend. So Manuel Siclari, Michele Mezzanzanica and Simone Ferlisi decided to turn a reason for dissatisfaction into an entrepreneurial idea. Freedome was born, a startup that allows people to book outdoor experiences through an online platform: hiking, horseback riding or cycling, kayaking, parachute or paragliding jumps and much more. The company behind the Freedome brand, Outlane, was ranked ninth in the 2026 Sole 24 Ore-Statista Growth Leaderboard and first among companies in the leisure and entertainment sector, thanks to a turnover that grew from 201,000 in 2021 to around 3.6 million by the end of 2024, with a Cagr of 161 per cent.

The road, however, got off to an uphill start. The start-up, which took on the status of a benefit company in 2023, was ready to go full steam ahead as early as 2019 just before the pandemic blocked any possibility of outdoor activities. 'Fortunately, we were only at the beginning, with a very agile structure,' says Siclari, the company's co-founder and co-co-CEO. The pandemic prompted many operators in related industries to divert business to other online solutions and services. "We told ourselves that there was no point: if Covid had lasted for a very long time, the failure of Freedome would have been the least of our problems," Siclari explains. Freedome therefore maintained its focus on outdoor activities even during the lockdown months. The strategy paid off. According to Siclari, three aspects contributed to the success. "The first," says the manager, "is the timing, because experiences are the last segment of the market that is going digital after transport and accommodation. The second is the focus on pursuing a single idea with a solid, scalable platform focused on Italy. The third is the team, which has grown quickly with people who truly believe in the work they do. The decision to set up as a benefit company was inherent in the business model. "What we do has a real impact on the tourism industry in rural areas. It allows small local entrepreneurs to develop, creates jobs and helps to retain young people in small villages," says Siclari, who estimates the value created in 2024 alone for local operators through bookings at EUR 6 million, not counting the induced revenue.