Startup Competition Rules
1. Timeline and Duration
The Call for the Startup Competition 2026 is officially open.
Timeline:
Call Opening: June, 2025
Call Closing: March 12, 2026
Competition Final: March 18, 2026 (San Francisco)
WMF Participation for the selected startup: June 24-26, 2026 (BolognaFiere)
Organizers reserve the right to extend the deadline. To apply, it is necessary to fill out the form on the initiative's page and submit all the required attachments.
2. Promoter
The promoter of the initiative is the company Search On Media Group S.r.l., Legal and Operational Headquarters: Via Ugo Bassi, 7 - 40121 Bologna, VAT Number 02418200800 - Share Capital €10,000 Tel: 051 09 51 294 - Email: info@wemakefuture.it.
3. The Goal of the initiative
The WMF wants to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, enhancing economic growth and social development. The Startup Competition is therefore aimed at promoting innovative digital projects that have social and environmental impact and giving concrete support to innovative startups.
4. How to participate
Send your request by filling out the form with the requested information and documents:
1. THE PROPOSER AND THE TEAM
2. THE COMPANY
3. THE PROJECT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES
4. DOCUMENTATION
Within the third step of the form, future challenges are outlined, and each startup is required to specify the challenge they aim to address with their innovative project.
Within the third step of the form, the 14 challenges of the future are indicated, which each startup is called to select as the challenge to be addressed with its innovative project.
1. IndustryTech & Robotics
2. Space Industry
3. Food & Agriculture
4. AI - Digital Business & Media
5. Rights & Cybersecurity
6. Entertainment & Cultural Industry
7. GovTech & Public Services
8. Health & Life Sciences
9. E-Commerce & Retail
10. Education & Work
11. CleanTech & Energy
12. FinTech, InsurTech & Blockchain
13. Smart Cities & Mobility
14. Tourism & Culture Heritagematerials, Remanufacturing, Traceability, Bees preservation, Circular economy
Please follow our guidelines for your Pitch.
5 . The Competition
The finalist startups will be selected, and the announcement will take place before the event. The finalists will present their projects on the WMF International Roadshow in San Francisco (17th, 18th March 2025) through a 3-minute pitch.
Following the presentation, the jury will have the opportunity to ask questions to the finalist teams in the subsequent minutes. The winning startup will be determined through the votes of the participants in the room, who will express their preference through an online voting system on the web app wmf.ibrida.io.
Participants must evaluate based on the following criteria:
1. Team skills, industry knowledge, project feasibility
2. Product/service development stage
3. Degree of innovation and defensibility
4. Competitive context and positioning
5. Alignment with market and customer needs, and the size of the market
6. Business potential of the idea
7. Project impact on future challenges
6. Prizes
The finalists of the Startup Competition will be evaluated by a technical jury of experts and a jury formed by the audience, each of which will award one of the prizes offered by the partners of the Startup Competition.
The remaining prizes will be awarded by the partners themselves, at their discretion, based on the following evaluation criteria:
1. Clarity of the pitch presentation
2. Team skills, industry knowledge, project feasibility
3. Product/service development stage
4. Degree of innovation and defensibility
5. Competitive context and positioning
6. Alignment with market and customer needs, and the size of the market
7. Business potential of the idea
8. Completeness of the presented documentation
9. Project impact on future challenges
The awarding of the prize represents recognition of personal merit or encouragement in the interest of the community. Winners will receive a prize in the form of products/services related to digital marketing and project compliance consultancy. The prize is not convertible into cash under any circumstances. The value of the prizes is provided in services offered by the Initiative's Partners. The promoter shall not be held responsible for the awarding of prizes by the aforementioned partners.
7.Contacts
The promoter reserves the right to get in touch with the winners and any third parties indicated through the contact information in their possession.
8. Exclusion from the discipline under DPR 430/01
By Article 6 of DPR 430/01 "Regulation concerning the organic revision of the discipline of contests and prize operations, as well as local fate events under Article 19, paragraph 4, of Law no. 449 of December 27, 1997," this initiative is not considered a contest and/or prize operation as it is announced for the submission of projects or studies in the commercial or industrial field, where the awarding of the prize to the author represents recognition of personal merit or encouragement in the interest of the community.
9. Responsibilities
The promoter cannot be held responsible for the conduct of the initiative and/or the awarding of prizes. In any case, the participant agrees to indemnify and hold the promoter harmless from any and all adverse consequences, costs, and damages – including sanctions from competent authorities – that may arise or may be asserted against them as a result of their actions or violation of the regulations. If, for any reason, the initiative cannot be carried out as planned, the promoter reserves the right, at its complete discretion, to modify or cancel the initiative, without any liability on the part of the promoter, and without any prior notice. For participation in the initiative, there is no need to make any purchases and/or sales of products marketed by the promoter and/or related to WMF. Participation in the initiative is free of charge.
10. Applicable rules
The initiative and these regulations are governed by Italian law.
Bologna, 29/05/2025