On July 23, 2025, the RAISE up Pitch Day took place at the Sala Mediterraneo of the NH Collection Hotel Genova Marina, marking the final event of the second edition of the RAISE up Mentorship Program.
The initiative, promoted within the framework of Spoke 5 of the RAISE project, with the support of PwC Italy and I3P – Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, provided a key opportunity for dialogue among researchers, businesses, investors, and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders, who came together to share experiences, evaluate projects, and build new collaborative opportunities.
The opening talks
Cristina Battaglia, RAISE Programme Manager, opened the event by presenting the project’s vision and goals, with a particular focus on the strategic value of mentorship programs like RAISE up. She emphasized the importance of initiatives that enhance entrepreneurial talent, promote technological innovation, and strengthen the dialogue between research, business, and local communities.
Next, Andrea Pagnin, leader of Spoke 5, outlined the day’s agenda and introduced institutional greetings by Francesco Caso, Head of the Strategic Development Department of Liguria’s economy and production fabric, and Enrico Vassallo. Both emphasized the strong connection between RAISE and the region, as well as the crucial role of research and technology transfer in the development of Liguria and the city of Genoa.
Andrea Pagnin also moderated the session featuring the RTI (Temporary Grouping of Companies), represented by Paola Mogliotti, Director of I3P, and Luca Passoni, Director of the Innovation Team at PwC Italy. They both highlighted the importance of personalized and strategic support to transform ideas into solid and competitive entrepreneurial ventures. In particular, Luca Passoni explored the relationship between innovation, local territories, and entrepreneurial ecosystems, outlining the main challenges and opportunities for local businesses. During his speech, he also presented the Company Innovation Survey, a tool designed to measure the innovation maturity level of Ligurian businesses and their openness to collaboration with startups, universities, and research centers.
One of the highlights moments was the talk by Guest Speaker Omar Fulvio Bertoni, Co-Founder and CEO of Lifegate Way, who gave an inspirational reflection on the role of sustainability as a concrete driver for innovation. Following this, Miriam Molinari, Project Manager of Spoke 5, presented the results of the two editions of the RAISE up program, which involved a community of over 340 stakeholders, solidifying its role as an effective tool for entrepreneurial growth and regional innovation.
The first part of the event concluded with the presentation of SMARTcup Liguria, the competition dedicated to high-tech entrepreneurial ideas, aimed at fostering the creation of innovative startups based on research results. This was an opportunity to invite the attending teams to join the upcoming edition and share relevant dates and deadlines.
The pitching sessions
Miriam Molinari introduced the Pitching Sessions, offering a brief overview of the teams from the first edition and those from the second edition that had only taken part in the first phase. She then presented the panel of experts tasked with evaluating the pitches, marking the official start of the solution presentations.
The evaluation panel consisted of:
- Francesco Rossi, Tech Transfer Fund – CDP Venture Capital
- Lucilla Mazzeo, Scientifica Venture Capital
- Daniele Calzolari, SOVO Capital Management
- Matteo Renzulli, Eureka! Venture SGR
The second part of the day was entirely dedicated to presenting eight innovative solutions, introduced by the Spoke Leaders or their representatives, who contextualized the technological and application challenges addressed by the teams:
- Fabrizio Malfanti – Spoke 1: Designing inclusive technologies to reimagine the urban experience
- Valentina Squeri – Spoke 2: Smart technologies for the healthcare of the future
- Marco Faimali – Spoke 3: Eco-robotics serving the environment
- Davide Giglio – Spoke 4: Navigating the future: robotics and AI serving ports and the maritime industry
The selected teams then presented their innovative solutions:
- EASE VR – Empowering Accessible Social Engagement in Virtual Reality: a VR application that helps neurodivergent individuals safely train in realistic urban environments.
- DANTE – Dynamic Adaptive Network for Tracking and Evaluation: a modular ecosystem for intelligent patient monitoring through motion tracking and analysis technologies.
- FitFES: a functional electrical stimulation system for the rehabilitation of patients with central nervous system injuries.
- TRANSFREQ: a software tool for EEG data analysis aimed at early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.
- BAR – Behavioural Alteration Recorder: a tool for environmental risk analysis and ecotoxicological investigations.
- BioVibes: a lead-free piezoelectric composite material, eco-friendly, biocompatible, and suitable for a wide range of applications.
- AquaSense: a fluorescence sensor for monitoring environmental and drinking water quality.
- PuriFiCaTiO₂ – Purifying Felt in photoCatalytic TiO₂: a photocatalytic felt for purifying air and water, capable of treating various contaminants with a compact and sustainable design.
Conclusions and networking
The event concluded with closing remarks followed by a networking aperitif. This informal moment allowed participants to explore collaboration opportunities and foster dialogue among companies, investors, and organizations interested in adopting new technologies.
The success of this second edition of the RAISE up Pitch Day confirmed the relevance of initiatives that promote technology transfer and growth within the innovation ecosystem. The RAISE up program proved to be an effective catalyst for connecting research and market, creating concrete opportunities for the future of innovation.
