Call Startup AI 4 Future

THE CONTEXT

WMF - We Make Future, the International Fair on AI, Tech & Digital Innovation, has always supported Italian and international startups and companies that develop innovative projects in the technological and digital sectors. This commitment continues with the third edition of AI Festival, the International Festival on Artificial Intelligence, organized by WMF in Milan (January 21-22, 2026).

The focus is particularly on projects that leverage AI to generate a positive impact on society. On this premise, the Call for Startup AI for Future was born, launched on the occasion of WMF's participation at CES in Las Vegas: a competition dedicated to AI applications in the main sectors and fields that are redefining the present and future of Artificial Intelligence.

By nominating your startup, you compete for several opportunities:

• participate in the AI Festival, which will take place on January 21st and 22nd, 2026, in Milan.

• participate in WMF, which will take place from June 24th to 26th, 2026, at BolognaFiere, in the same area as the Tecnopolo district, the heart of the Data Valley.

• be hosted at the Tecnopolo di Bologna, thanks to the collaboration of WMF with Tecnopolo and the Metropolitan City of Bologna.

These will be important opportunities to get in touch with a network of investors, companies, startups, stakeholders, and industry players through B2B meetings, networking activities, and business matching in a context with strong development potential for Italy and Europe.

The call is open: to nominate your startup, fill out the form!

THE OPPORTUNITIES

Participating startups will be able to give visibility and promote their project within the innovative WMF ecosystem, presenting themselves to an audience of investors, experts, and key players in the digital sector, who could support their development and growth.

The 6 finalist startups will compete in the final phase at the AI Festival (January 21-22, 2026, Milan) and will participate in WMF 2026 (BolognaFiere).

Another 30 selected startups will have the opportunity to participate in WMF 2026, where they will have the chance to:

• participate in B2B meetings with international investors and venture capital

• access the AI District, an exhibition area dedicated to AI-based startups from around the world

• be involved in the WMF International Roadshow, which takes the best Italian startups abroad to major industry events,

A key feature of this call is the collaboration with the Tecnopolo di Bologna and the Metropolitan City of Bologna, thanks to which the best startups can be selected to access the Tecnopolo's spaces, home to the Leonardo Supercomputer, opening up new possibilities for advanced research and technological innovation.

By participating in the Call for Startup AI for Future, you will have the opportunity to co-design the impact of artificial intelligence together with a vast global community of innovators. Share our commitment to ethical, sustainable, inclusive, and impactful innovation.

The call is open: to nominate your startup, fill out the form!

THE STRUCTURE OF THE CALL

The selected startups will land at AI Festival 2026 (January 21-22, Milan) and WMF 2026 (June 24-26, BolognaFiere) where they can compete with startups from all over the world, in front of an international jury, as well as the event audience.

Each startup has 3 minutes to present the key elements of their idea. The jury will then have another 2 minutes to ask in-depth questions. At the end, the jurors and the audience cast their vote to determine the two winners, the one chosen by the jury and the one chosen by the audience.

Read the regulations

SELECTION CRITERIA

The call is dedicated to Italian and international startups and companies - composed of individuals or teams - with innovative projects or ideas in the technological and digital sector, whose core business is Artificial Intelligence. Furthermore, special consideration is given to innovative projects aimed at generating a positive impact on territories and society. Submitted projects are selected based on the following criteria:

• Team skills, industry knowledge, project feasibility;

• Development stage of the product/service;

• Degree of innovation and its defensibility;

• Competitive context and positioning;

• Responsiveness to and size of market and customer needs;

• Business potential of the idea;

• Completeness of the submitted documentation

THE PITCH

The elevator pitch is the heart of the Call for Startup AI for Future. It is a brief presentation that encapsulates the key elements of an entrepreneurial idea, designed to attract potential investors or promote a business idea.

> Download the support material

The call is open: to nominate your startup, fill out the form!