StartCup Sicilia 2025: MicroBeTech and Quantum4Health win
The final of the competition organised in collaboration with UniCredit was attended by the business ideas ranked in the top three places in the competitions promoted by the Universities of Catania and Palermo
Key points
Sicily continues to generate innovation. From the university competitions in Palermo and Catania emerge start-ups that speak of artificial intelligence, agritech, sustainability and quantum medicine. The 2025 edition of StartCup Sicilia, hosted at UniCredit's regional headquarters in Palermo, made this state of affairs evident. The winners (ex aequo) of this edition were the teams of MicroBeTech (University of Catania) and Quantum4Health (University of Palermo).
A Sicily that innovates
Over the past ten years, the competition has helped build a network of talents and start-ups capable of translating academic research into enterprise. 'Ten years of collaboration between UniCredit and StartCup Sicilia,' explains Rosario Faraci, coordinator of StartCup Catania, 'have allowed a new generation of entrepreneurs to emerge. No longer just family businesses or isolated initiatives, but start-ups born in university laboratories, from young graduates and brains returned from abroad. It is a concrete sign of the regeneration of Sicily's productive fabric.
The challenge today is technology transfer and the creation of value through deep innovation. 'The Sicilian universities,' adds Marcantonio Ruisi, coordinator of StartCup Palermo, 'feel the responsibility to promote deep-tech entrepreneurial development that takes the region beyond traditional sectors. There is a desire for the future and for enterprise, and we want to create the conditions for this energy to be transformed into skilled employment.
Competing ideas: from the earth to the laboratory
Il panorama delle startup finaliste racconta una Sicilia che innova in direzioni diverse ma complementari. C’è MicroBeTech, spin-off catanese, utilizza l’intelligenza artificiale per analizzare il microbioma del suolo e offrire piani personalizzati di rigenerazione agricola. L’obiettivo: aumentare la produttività e ridurre l’uso di input chimici, rendendo l’agricoltura più sostenibile. Quantum4Health, invece, porta sul mercato una tecnologia quantistica a microonde per la diagnosi precoce dei tumori e altre patologie, senza rischi radiologici per i pazienti. A completare la rappresentanza siciliana al Premio Nazionale per l’Innovazione – che si terrà a Ferrara il 4 e 5 dicembre – ci saranno anche Accura e Rankwit (Università di Catania), Selfmotion e Proteo (Università di Palermo). A Quantum4Health è andata inoltre la menzione speciale per l’imprenditoria femminile, riconoscimento che sottolinea il valore dell’inclusione nel nuovo ecosistema dell’innovazione isolano.
UniCredit: "Building connections and enterprises"
Awarding the winners was Vincenzo Evola, Head of Territorial Development Sicily at UniCredit Italia, a historic partner of the event. 'Since 2015,' said Salvatore Malandrino, regional manager Sicily at UniCredit, 'we have been supporting StartCup Sicilia because we believe in the innovative potential of universities and young talent. Our commitment goes beyond financial support: we want to be a bridge between research and the market, providing expertise, mentoring and our network of corporate companies. The aim is to encourage the creation of new businesses and contribute to the growth of the Sicilian economy and the employment inclusion of young people.
