Start Lab 2026: Unicredit provides support to 52 start-ups

In the 13 years since the programme was launched, over 750 start-ups have been selected and supported. These are primarily active in the digital, technology and life sciences sectors, but also in some of the sectors most representative of ‘Made in Italy’, from fashion to food, and always with a strong focus on innovation.

UniCredit Start Lab, the business platform launched by the bank in 2013 and dedicated to start-ups and innovative SMEs, was established with the aim of supporting the growth of the Italian innovation ecosystem. Over the course of its 13 editions, the programme has assessed over 9,400 projects, engaged more than 3,800 corporate partners and investors, facilitated over 120 business matching initiatives and supported companies which, collectively, have raised over €4.7 billion in investment.

A record number of start-ups responded to the 2026 Call, a sign of the dynamism and vitality of the Italian innovation ecosystem: no fewer than 778, from all over Italy, involving 196 partners including companies, investors, incubators, accelerators, universities and industry players. The sectors most strongly represented this year are Digital (47 per cent), Impact Innovation (19 per cent), Life Sciences (13 per cent), Innovative Made in Italy (11 per cent) and Clean Tech (10 per cent). Men made up the majority of participants (78 per cent), and the age group most represented was 24 to 35 years old.

Following an evaluation process carried out by a committee comprising 40 experts – including managers, entrepreneurs, investors and founders of established scale-ups – 52 start-ups have been selected to join the UniCredit Start Lab business platform. At the end of September, they will take part in a three-day event organised by the platform to bring these young companies together with over 50 potential investors (business angels, venture capital firms, family offices, etc.) through one-to-one meetings: last year there were over 250. In November, there will then be a second key event: a day of mentoring with around 90 experts, including managers, entrepreneurs and founders of scale-ups. But activities continue in the months that follow, and the dialogue between Start Lab and the companies selected over the programme’s 13-year history has never ceased.

For each category, three winners and a number of special mentions have been selected again this year: the winner in each category will receive a cash prize (see details above). The winning organisations have presented particularly innovative solutions in the fields of digital health, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, agritech, the energy transition, cybersecurity and the social impact economy.