With 73,000 attendees from 90 countries, over 3,000 startups and open innovation stakeholders, B2B meetings, and more than 700 exhibitors in 2025 alone, WMF - We Make Future is the certified International Trade Fair and a global benchmark for the innovation ecosystem.
Every year, the event hosts numerous initiatives designed to foster networking and accelerate business opportunities, bringing together key international stakeholders. The goal is to build a collaborative ecosystem to amplify the positive impact—on both society and the environment—of initiatives created to address global challenges through local action.
The next edition, scheduled for June 24-26, 2026, will return to Bologna—a globally hyper-connected city—elevating business and networking dynamics to a level of excellence.
With over $304 billion in Assets Under Management, a $1.5 trillion Total Portfolio Value, and 17,000 investment rounds managed in 2025, the VC & Open Innovation Fest stands as the premier event for VCs, CVCs, corporates, startups, SMEs, accelerators, incubators, and all key players in the Open Innovation landscape.
Participating in the VC & Open Innovation Fest places your business at the heart of global innovation. Immerse yourself in an environment designed to bridge the gap between international stakeholders and innovative ventures, shaping the Business of Tomorrow.
Discover the highlights from the last edition of the VC & Open Innovation Fest and explore the opportunities for 2026 below!
The “Startup & VC Plenary” stage at WMF - We Make Future 2026 is the space where the concept of Build What Matters takes shape: a meeting ground for startups, SMEs, investors, and corporates from all over the world, united by the desire to generate real impact.
Through panel discussions and continuous dialogue, the program explores the evolution of the innovation ecosystem, bridging global scenarios, local opportunities, and Italian success stories.
Backend & Cloud
The stage dedicated to backend development and cloud infrastructure, sponsored by DEVPUNKS, where scalability, performance, and modern architectures take center stage.
Here you’ll find best practices, real-world use cases, and solutions to design robust, distributed systems ready for the future.
Sponsored by
Digital Marketing & Business Solutions
The stage dedicated to digital marketing strategies and business solutions, where innovation meets performance and growth.
Here you’ll discover tools, case studies, and insights to optimize campaigns, drive results, and scale your business effectively.
Machine Learning
The stage dedicated to Machine Learning, focusing on techniques, models, and practical applications in real-world projects.
Here you’ll explore expert insights and case studies to understand how to implement effective ML solutions.
Advertising
The stage dedicated to digital advertising, focusing on advanced tracking, complex funnels, and high-performing campaigns in key sectors such as healthcare.
Here you’ll explore real case studies and practical tools to optimize your advertising strategies and maximize results.
Start the Future
The stage dedicated to inspiring and guiding participants toward the future, focusing on innovation, leadership, and new opportunities.
Here you’ll discover vision, ideas, and insights to shape your path and anticipate the changes ahead.
Content Marketing
The stage dedicated to content marketing and digital storytelling, focusing on micro-content, communities, and using AI to tell authentic stories.
Here you’ll explore practical methods, case studies, and tools to create effective and engaging content even in fast-paced, complex contexts.
Startup Arena
The stage dedicated to founders who design innovative solutions to the major challenges of the future.
Robotics & Physical AI
The stage dedicated to robotics and AI applied to the real world, focusing on hands-on projects and building intelligent robots.
Here you’ll explore demos, workshops, and real-world cases to see how AI can be applied to the physical world in innovative and engaging ways.
Social Media Strategies
The stage, powered by Social Media Strategies, dedicated to social media strategies in the age of the endless feed, where attention is the real competitive advantage.
Here you’ll discover practical insights, emerging trends, and tools to create effective and engaging content.
Part of
AI Marketing
The stage dedicated to using AI in marketing, focusing on continuous simulations, campaign optimization, and data-driven decision making.
Here you’ll explore practical examples and tools to transform marketing strategies, test concepts in real time, and enhance results.
AI Commerce
The stage dedicated to artificial intelligence applied to e-commerce, covering innovative strategies, personalization, and sales optimization.
Here you’ll explore case studies and practical tools to transform e-commerce with AI and maximize business results.
Search & AI
The stage dedicated to the evolution of search in the AI era, where SEO, new answer engines, and digital visibility converge.
Here you’ll explore strategies, case studies, and tools to optimize your online presence across traditional search and AI-driven systems.
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AI & Business Transformation
The stage dedicated to providing a vision of how Artificial Intelligence will shape the future of work, business processes, and society.
Here you’ll explore perspectives, insights, and real examples to understand how AI could transform the world ahead.
Sponsored by
Music & Art
The stage dedicated to the future of music and art, focusing on AI, creativity, and innovations in festivals and live performances.
Here you’ll explore AI tools for music, artist promotion, and event management, along with insights to discover new artistic expressions.
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Entrepreneurship
The stage dedicated to the future of entrepreneurship, focusing on trust, learning, and new business models in the AI era.
Here you’ll explore ideas, tools, and perspectives to innovate and lead change in the startup and business world.
Partner Events
Coding Frontend
The stage dedicated to frontend development, focusing on new AI-driven coding paradigms and autonomous workflows.
Here you’ll explore real examples and innovative tools to automate testing and optimize the development of modern interfaces.
Data & Analytics
The stage dedicated to data analysis and using AI to extract deep insights and predict future trends.
Here you’ll explore real case studies and practical tools to turn data into a competitive advantage and optimize business performance.
AI Solutions
The stage dedicated to advanced AI solutions, focusing on scalable, human-centric platforms for enterprise applications.
Here you’ll explore real examples, strategies, and tools to design and implement effective and sustainable AI solutions.
GovTech
The stage where power dynamics are redefined in the age of AI.
From new forms of democracy to geopolitical shifts, from the future of work to next-generation cities, this stage brings together institutions, policymakers, companies, and research leaders to explore how technology and AI are reshaping rules, processes, and decision-making models.
From AI in justice and security to innovation diplomacy, from agentic government to new urban and regional governance models: not just vision, but direction.
To understand who will lead change — and how.
Management & Leadership
The stage dedicated to leadership and management in the AI era, focusing on strategies to lead teams and complex processes.
Here you’ll explore real cases, insights, and tools to innovate, make effective decisions, and develop visionary leadership.
Journalism
Lo stage dedicato al futuro del giornalismo, tra innovazione digitale, AI e nuovi format narrativi.
Qui troverai prospettive, casi studio e insight da giornalisti e creator per comprendere l’evoluzione del settore.
Content Creators
The stage dedicated to digital creators, YouTubers, and artists, where creativity and storytelling become practical tools to engage audiences. Part of the Social Media Strategies event and built with the support of industry agencies, this stage offers practical examples, personal experiences, and insights to grow as a content creator and build your community.
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EduTech
The stage dedicated to innovation in education, focusing on AI, cognitive mentoring, and lifelong learning.
Here you’ll explore practical examples and case studies to understand how technology can support and enhance human learning.
UX & UI
The stage dedicated to user experience and interface design, in partnership with Architecta, focusing on practical strategies to create intuitive and engaging digital products.
Here you’ll explore real examples, case studies, and expert tips to design top-level user experiences.
In partnership with
Space Economy
The stage dedicated to the space economy, focusing on innovations, opportunities, and technologies shaping the future of space.
Here you’ll explore insights from experts and industry mentors, and real-world cases to understand the dynamics of orbital and beyond-Earth economies.
Impact To Business
The stage dedicated to impact business models, which focuses on the inseparable link between profit and sustainability.
Here you will find outstanding case studies and strategies for implementing regenerative models, offering an in-depth overview of positive-impact growth opportunities.
Tech For Business
The stage dedicated to technological innovation for business, focusing on tools and strategies to grow startups and companies.
Here you’ll explore talks by founders and CEOs, real-world cases, and practical insights to apply technology effectively and strategically.
Mainstage
The Mainstage is the heart of WMF - We Make Future. It is the festival’s primary stage, hosting a dynamic lineup of keynotes, panels, and roundtables focused on future trends, alongside live shows, entertainment, and exclusive product launches. It is a space for deep-seated reflections and interviews on innovative topics with high social impact.
As the symbolic gathering place for the WMF Community, the Mainstage brings together leading global players and experts to explore the frontiers of technology and society. Together, we chart the course toward a better, shared, inclusive, and sustainable future.
The program is currently under development and may be subject to changes and updates.
Digital Strategy
The stage dedicated to innovative digital strategies, focusing on digital media, AI, and new adaptive growth models.
Here you’ll explore insights, case studies, and tools to plan effective campaigns and tackle the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Brand Strategy
The stage dedicated to brands and corporate strategy in the AI era, focusing on AI literacy, the ability to guide intelligent systems, and creating real competitive advantage.
Here you’ll explore practical insights, case studies, and tools to understand how AI can transform brand management and strategic communication.
Work & HR
The stage dedicated to the future of work, focusing on AI, new organizational models, and emerging skills.
Here you’ll explore insights, real-world cases, and strategies to prepare for professional changes and innovate the way we work.
Cybersecurity
The stage dedicated to cybersecurity, focusing on AI to optimize threat modeling and assist security architects in risk analysis.
Here you’ll explore case studies, tools, and strategies to protect complex systems and reduce cognitive load in managing cybersecurity.
Legal Tech
The stage dedicated to legal innovation, focusing on AI, algorithms, and digital systems applied to law and regulatory compliance.
Here you’ll explore case studies, best practices, and insights to understand how technologies are transforming the legal sector and supporting businesses and professionals.
Book Presentation
In this stage, visionary authors will present their books on digital and social innovation and the future of marketing. A unique opportunity to discover new ideas and perspectives through stimulating dialogues and in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics.
The goal: to inspire reflection and personal growth by exploring the narratives that will shape the future.
Agentic AI
The stage dedicated to Agentic AI and Agentic Experience Architectures, focusing on context-aware, adaptive intelligent systems that go beyond single-task automation.
Here you’ll explore examples and concepts on structuring autonomous AI flows for complex, personalized user experiences.
Non-Profit
The stage dedicated to technology for the non-profit sector, focusing on digital tools, VR, and video games to enhance social impact and resilience.
Here you’ll explore practical examples and innovative projects to support education, inclusion, and social action through technology.
Fintech & Digital Assets
The stage dedicated to the future of finance and fintech, focusing on AI, payment innovations, and new business models.
Here you’ll explore insights and perspectives on how technology is transforming the financial sector and the emerging opportunities for companies and startups.
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Innovation Film Fest
The stage dedicated to innovative cinema and audiovisual content, focusing on digital storytelling, emerging technologies, and narratives exploring the future.
Here you’ll explore screenings, case studies, and discussions with directors and creatives to discover new forms of cinema and media.
Digital Health
The stage, in partnership with FONDAZIONE GIMBE, dedicated to digital innovation in healthcare, focusing on AI, molecular modeling, and tools to improve treatments and hospital processes.
Here you’ll explore expert talks, case studies, and innovative projects to see how technology is transforming health and medicine.
In partnership with
Social Advertising
The stage dedicated to social advertising, focusing on advanced performance measurement, experimentation, and creative optimization across major platforms.
Here you’ll explore real case studies, testing frameworks, and repeatable workflows to improve conversions, ROAS, and campaign impact.
Part of
AI Tourism
The stage dedicated to Artificial Intelligence applied to tourism, focusing on experience personalization, data analysis, and service innovation.
Here you’ll explore case studies, tools, and strategies to transform the travel industry and enhance the traveler experience.
Geopolitics
In an era of global shifts and evolving balances, the Geopolitics Stage provides a compass for navigating international dynamics. This space is dedicated to analyzing global scenarios, new power structures, and the challenges reshaping the boundaries of politics and economics. It is a vital meeting point for understanding the forces governing our present and anticipating the developments of an increasingly interconnected future.
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AI for Civil Engineering
Artificial intelligence has entered the world of construction and civil engineering not as a future promise, but as a transformation already underway: from structural design to material optimization, from computational BIM to infrastructure monitoring, all the way to reliability and safety assessment. This revolution, long foretold, now demands to be guided with competence, critical thinking, and vision. This stage brings together academia, the construction industry, and institutions for an afternoon to take stock of where we truly stand and where we are heading. The goal is not to celebrate technology, but to discuss honestly what AI can do today, what it cannot yet do, and the responsibilities—technical, regulatory, and ethical—that this transformation brings with it, while keeping the quality and safety of works at the center.
Sponsored by
Tech & Digital Insights
The meeting point between technological evolution and strategic vision. This stage is designed to explore the digital tools and trends redefining the market, providing the instruments needed to drive change. Through the voices of entrepreneurs, founders, and managers, you will discover real-world case studies and operational insights to transform innovation into a concrete competitive advantage.
Made in Italy Futures
Within the WMF – We Make Future, Philip Morris International aims to promote a space for discussion to spark reflection on the future we are building for Made in Italy and for the SME system. A future that is not only about the economy, but also about the social resilience of local territories, the evolution of work and its relationship with artificial intelligence, generational transition, and the hidden innovation that thousands of companies produce every day without being able to communicate it. Under the patronage of Fondazione per l’innovazione COTEC, CNA Artigiani e Imprenditori d’Italia, and Confindustria Emilia-Romagna.
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Session for 24 june
24 june
Mainstage
Co - Hosting
Veronica Maffei
Journalist
Cosmano Lombardo
Chairman
WMF - We Make Future
Guglielmo Scilla
Content Creator
24 june
09:30
Mainstage
Live Concert!
I Patagarri
24 june
10:00 - 10:30
Mainstage
Opening Ceremony WMF 2026!
Surprise Guest
24 june
10:30 - 10:45
Mainstage
Welcome to WMF 2026!
Cosmano Lombardo
Chairman
WMF - We Make Future
24 june
10:30 - 10:45
Startup & VC Plenary
Program Overview
Leonard Burger
UK Venture Partner
Over Ventures
Francesca Rossi
CEO & Managing Partner
SirFred
Francesco Cracolici
CEO
Nomadic Minds
Marco Lotito
Innovation Manager | Rete Hubitat
Search On Media Group
24 june
10:45 - 11:00
Mainstage
Institutional Greetings
Matteo Lepore
Mayor
City of Bologna
Vincenzo Colla
Vice President with responsibility for Economic Development and Green Economy, Energy, Vocational Training, University and Research
Emilia-Romagna Region
Claudio Melchiorri
Professor, Delegate for relations with companies and industrial research
University of Bologna
24 june
11:00 - 11:10
Mainstage
AI and Digital Industry: The European Vision for the Future
Lucilla Sioli
Director for "Artificial Intelligence and Digital Industry"
Directorate-General CONNECT, European Commission
24 june
11:00 - 11:20
Startup & VC Plenary
Defining "What Matters" in the Age of Generative AI and Geopolitical Competition
An examination of the American innovation ecosystem's power—driven by venture capital, leading research institutions, and a culture of disruption. This roundtable will address the vulnerabilities related to regulatory uncertainty, talent competition, and the ethical responsibilities of building world-changing technologies like Generative AI.
Angelo Del Priore
Partner
HP
Remi Dion
Associate & VP Applied ML, Decision Science
Explorai
Stefano Ferace
Associate
Truffle Capital
Stefan Petersson
Co-founder Partner/Co-founder Partnership Manager
Xplorico/Digitalwell Ventures
Yousif Al-Harbi
CEO
Sniper
24 june
11:10 - 11:20
Mainstage
Title Soon Online!
Marco Belinelli
European Basketball Legend and NBA Champion
24 june
11:20 - 11:30
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Dell Technologies
24 june
11:20 - 11:50
Startup & VC Plenary
Building What Matters in India’s Digital Decade
Exploring the unique strengths of India's innovators, from its massive talent pool and digital public infrastructure (like Aadhaar and UPI) to the challenge of scaling social impact and bridging the rural-urban technology gap. Discussing how Indian startups are defining 'what matters' for a rapidly evolving, globally significant market.
Ramanan Ramanathan
Board Member and Advisor
Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India
Anagh Singh
Founding Member
MountTech Growth Fund
Manu Iyer
General Partner
Blue Hill Capital
Anjali Ajaikumar
Executive Director
HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd.
Sanjeev Gupta
CEO
Karnataka Digitial Economy Mission
Ashutosh Kumar
General Partner & CEO
Expertdojo
24 june
11:30 - 11:50
Mainstage
Enabling the Future of Innovation: From Research to Industry Impact
Alberto Sangiovanni Vincentelli
Professor of EECS
University of California, Berkeley
24 june
11:50 - 12:00
Mainstage
Title soon Online
Randa Ghazy
Journalist, Author & Media Specialist
24 june
12:00 - 12:10
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
H.E Abdulla Ali Ateeq Obaid Alsubousi
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to The Republic of Italy
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
24 june
12:00 - 12:20
Startup & VC Plenary
North-South Tech Corridors: Scaling Innovation between Canada and Brazil
An exploration of the tech and market synergies between Canada and Brazil. This panel will compare the venture capital landscapes, talent pools, and regulatory environments, focusing on opportunities for cross-continental scaling and how these two major economies are defining 'what matters' for the Americas.
Julian Lucchesi
Senior Director, Programs and Global Operations
Centech
Sam Ramadori
Director - Strategic Partnerships and Open Innovation
LawZero
Fabiano Lazzari
Director
TOTVS
Marcos Mueller
CEO
Darwin Startups
24 june
12:10 - 12:25
Mainstage
Information and Journalism in the Digital Era
Enrico Mentana
Journalist & Director
La7
24 june
12:20 - 12:40
Startup & VC Plenary
Advancing Cross Border innovation and entrepreneurship support for ecosystem enablers in the EURO-MED region
This session will explore how cross-border cooperation in the Euro-MED region can advance innovation and entrepreneurship support by strengthening the role of ecosystem enablers, including incubators, accelerators, entrepreneurship centers, and support organizations. Drawing on the Ripple initiative, the discussion will showcase how regional collaboration, peer learning, and strategic partnerships can enhance the capacity of enablers to support startups, connect ecosystems, and drive more inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial growth across the region.
Wael El Desouki Beddah
Secretary General
SKSEED
Heba Al Ashry
Director
AAST Entrepreneurship Center
Jane Hanna
Deputy Director
AAST Entrepreneurship Center
24 june
12:25 - 12:40
Mainstage
Beyond Every Border: War and Society in the Technological Age
Cecilia Sala
Journalist
Chora News
24 june
12:40 - 12:45
Mainstage
Closing Session 1!
Day 1
24 june
12:40 - 13:00
Startup & VC Plenary
Japan on the Cutting Edge of Hardware and Digital Life
A joint perspective from two economic powerhouses, Japan and South Korea. This roundtable will contrast their innovation styles—Japan's focus on robotics and precision engineering versus South Korea's rapid-fire digital consumer tech—to understand their collective strengths and the common challenge of navigating rapid demographic change.
Javier Mata
Head of Ecosystem & Learning
Fujitsu Launchpad
Jerem Kai Proctor
VC
Headline Venture Capital
Konno Shinichiro
Corporate Venture Capitalist
SEKISUI Chemical
24 june
14:30 - 14:50
Startup & VC Plenary
Title coming soon
Hub Brussels
24 june
14:50 - 15:10
Startup & VC Plenary
The European Tech Mosaic: Blending Central & Western Innovation
Bringing together perspectives from the burgeoning tech scenes of Bulgaria and Croatia with the established financial and innovation hub of Belgium. The discussion will cover how CEE's cost-efficiency and talent can interface with Western Europe's stability and market access to build resilient, pan-European ventures.
Max Gurvits
Partner
Vitosha Venture
Todor Mladenov
CEO
Sofia Tech Park
Frane Sesnic
Director of ZICER
Aleksander Potocki
COO
AIP Seed VC
Aleksander Klosek
Managing Partner, Member of the Board
YouNick Mint VC
24 june
15:10 - 15:30
Startup & VC Plenary
Swiss Tech Excellence: Balancing Innovation with Stability in the Heart of Europe
An in-depth look at Switzerland's unique innovation model, characterized by high-value deep tech, world-class research institutions, and a stable regulatory environment. This roundtable addresses the challenges of high costs, the competition for specialized talent, and the ethical role of financial and biotech innovation.
Fulvio Maccarone
CEO and VC
EQNEXT
Alberto Giovanni Busetto
Managing Partner
On Venture Studio
Alessandro Dini
Founding Partner
Elevate Momentum Partners
24 june
15:30 - 15:50
Startup & VC Plenary
Mittelstand Meets Deep Tech: The Future of Innovation in German Engineering
Focusing on Germany's strength in 'Mittelstand' (small/mid-sized industrial leaders) and its push into deep tech, especially in Industry 4.0 and green energy. Speakers will discuss the challenges of bureaucratic hurdles, the need for faster digital transformation, and how to define 'what matters' for a sustainable, industrial future.
Benjamin Scheidt
Partner
Redstone VC
Anvar Asanov
Advisor
Davidson
Jonathan Eade
Venture Partner | Early Stage & Impact VC Investing
Sansar Ventures
Christian Hennings
Data & AI Manager
Vsquared Ventures
24 june
15:45 - 16:05
Mainstage
Live Show!
Francesco Cavestri
pianist, composer and producer
24 june
16:00 - 16:10
Startup & VC Plenary
Title Coming Soon
Teda Tirane
24 june
16:05 - 16:10
Mainstage
Opening Session 2!
Day 1
24 june
16:10 - 16:20
Mainstage
Rockin’1000: When a Thousand People Become One Band – From a Wild Idea to a Global Movement
Fabio Zaffagnini
Founder
Rockin'1000
24 june
16:10 - 16:30
Startup & VC Plenary
Albania: The Adriatic Gateway to Digital Transformation in the Western Balkans
A dedicated discussion on Albania's emerging innovation landscape. The focus is on leveraging a young, digitally-savvy population and strategic geographic location, while addressing the need to strengthen institutional support and attract foreign direct investment to define "what matters" for sustainable national growth.
Mima Ravik
CEO
Keiretsu Forum Southeast Europe
Ermelinda Hajdari
Founder & Managing Director
ALBAN Global Network
Fatiola Hoxha
R&T group
24 june
16:20 - 16:30
Mainstage
GETEC - Shaping the energy transition
Arthur Gebhardt
Senior Manager Business Development & New Technologies
GETEC PARK.SWISS
24 june
16:30 - 16:45
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Luca Carabetta
Country Manager Italy
Trade Republic
Luigi Traldi
Head of Southern Europe
Klarna
24 june
16:45 - 16:55
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Surprise Guest
24 june
16:55 - 17:05
Mainstage
The Future of AI Infrastructure: Bologna and the European AI Ecosystem
Francesco Ubertini
President
Cineca
24 june
17:05 - 17:25
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Francesca Albanese
UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur
24 june
17:25 - 17:40
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Surprise Guest
24 june
17:40 - 17:50
Mainstage
Robotic Natives: Imagining a World Shared with Robots
Manuel Catalano
Head of the NuBots Research Unit and Coordinator of JOiiNT LAB
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
24 june
17:50 - 18:00
Mainstage
Stereotypes, Irony, and Other Serious Matters
Pierluca Mariti
Comedian
24 june
18:00 - 18:10
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Giuseppe Lombardo
Deputy Public Prosecutor
Court of Reggio Calabria
24 june
18:10 - 18:30
Mainstage
The New Public Information Architecture: AI, Media, and Politics
Corrado Formigli
Journalist
La7
24 june
18:30 - 18:35
Mainstage
Closing Day 1!
Day 1
24 june
Startup & VC Plenary
Program in progress!
New Speakers Coming Soon
Session for 25 june
25 june
Mainstage
Co - Hosting
Cosmano Lombardo
Chairman
WMF - We Make Future
Veronica Maffei
Journalist
Alicia Hanf
Head of Institutional Ecosystem Partnerships
LG NOVA - LG Electronics
25 june
09:45 - 10:05
Mainstage
Live Concert!
N.A.I.P - nessun artista in particolare
25 june
10:05 - 10:20
Mainstage
Opening Ceremony - Day 2!
Surprise Guest
25 june
10:20 - 10:30
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Surprise Guest
25 june
10:20 - 10:35
Mainstage
Institutional Greetings
Elena Mazzoni
Regional Minister for the Digital Agenda, Promotion of a Culture of Legality, Poverty Reduction, and the Solidarity Economy
Emilia-Romagna Region
Dimitri Tartari
Director of Digital Agenda Policies
Emilia-Romagna Region
Elisabetta Bracci
Manager
Service Innovation Clust-ER
25 june
10:35 - 10:45
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Alberto Barachini
Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for Information and Publishing
Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Italy
25 june
10:45 - 10:55
Mainstage
Living the Future: The City of the Fourth Space
Maurizio Carta
Councillor for Urban and Strategic Territorial and Coastal Planning
Municipality of Palermo
25 june
10:55 - 11:10
Mainstage
Humanistic Capitalism: Enterprise, Sustainability, and the Creation of Human Value
Brunello Cucinelli
Founder & Chief Executive
Brunello Cucinelli
25 june
11:00 - 13:00
Startup Arena
Build What Matters: Technological Disruption, Finance, and Scalable Infrastructures
This session explores the frontiers of deep tech, focusing on artificial intelligence, robotics, aerospace, and cybersecurity. As a core element, this part of the program also explores financial innovation (FinTech, InsurTech & Blockchain), thus showcasing the infrastructures that are redefining industry paradigms.
Luigi Perrone
Head of R&D
Cyberating Srl
Ahmed Amin
Founder & CEO
Steel pyramid
Alessandra Pennuto
COO
smartFAB
Jean-Sébastien Moulet
CEO
Wormsensing
Martin Pecar
Partner, Europe Zone
QuikBot
Yagiz Abik
Founder/CEO
5U AI
Synne Sauar
CEO
Litech
Kristen Menou
CTO
Cobalto
Alaa Elshimy
Founder and group CEO
Genesi AI Marketplace
Andrea Martra
Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder
SentinelForge AI
Riccardo Chebac
CEO
GraphiCore
Stefano Melchior
CEO & Founder
BeChained
Odysseas Gkallios
Operations Manager
BuildingHow Team
Jonjan Hoxha
CEO & Founder
Astreo
Gianluca Di Francesco
Founder & CEO
Opseed
Todd Peterson
CEO, Founder
Niva Manifold
Ivan De Leonardis
Co-Founder & CMO
Fluid Wire Robotics
Andrea Giustina
Chief Executive Officer
Fundo.one
Manfredi Domina
Co-Founder&CEO
Keplera
Federico Andrea Maccari
CEO
Bandit
David Lee
CEO
WealthRyse
Giuseppe Tortorelli
Co-founder & CTO
Visada
Hasnad Lodhi
CEO
TuPack
Margherita Moro
Marketing Manager
Linknovate
Sebastiano Andreis
CEO
Navisio AI
Alfredo de Candia
CTO
TrustWatch
Kamila Zahradnickova
Founder & CEO
Lakmoos AI
Ruben Arena
CEO & Founder
Emome Technologies
Tasos Vogiatzis
Managing Director
Brainfood Intelligent Media Cloud
Luigi Goulianos
Founder & CEO
Doitforme.eu
Sano Musab Hijazi
CEO & Founder
Prodigy Products
Tony Branfield
CEO
Livener Ltd
Anders Hammarback
CEO
Redpine AI
Marco Signorelli
CEO
Ginga
Peter Kanda
Founder
Impactio
Tomislav Lang
Founder
Flyvini
Alberto Rovera
CEO
Theia Sense
Francesco Marino
CEO, CTO
Capsule Corporation
Antonella Rondinone
Strategic Lead
ReQurv
Hassan Al-Shama
Co-Founder and CEO
SupraOS
Luigi Francesco Cerfeda
Sales Director
Zerynth
Yige Huang
CEO & Co-Founder
Orbiant
Denis Sandu
CEO / CTO
ShareAI
Gabriel Patru
Founder
Refyner
Volodymyr Leshchenko
CEO & Founder
Getpin
Milas Levent
Director of Growth
MaestroHub
Luciano Belviso
CEO and Co-founder
Mirai
Domenico Cerbone
CRO & Co-founder
Now Vision
25 june
11:10 - 11:20
Mainstage
Three Lessons from Two Decades Inside Google
Aprajita Jain
Chief Brand
Google
25 june
11:20 - 11:50
Startup & VC Plenary
International scaling of mobility startups: bridging Italy and Europe
The roundtable will address the specific struggles of mobility startups (including policies, investments, network connections), and how these startups have dealt with them, working towards a better-connected Europe and more liveable cities
Matteo Consonni
Head of Investments & Portfolio Managers
EIT Urban Mobility
Carlo Mallone
CTO & Co-Founder
Arxax
Berit Inga Stranz
VP Sales & Strategic Partnership
NexDash
25 june
11:30 - 11:45
Mainstage
Dual-Use Technologies and Strategic Sovereignty Across AI, Cybersecurity, and Capital Ecosystems
Federico Menna
Chief Executive Officer
28 Dgtl
Adam Durica
General Partner
Zero One Hundred VC
Ivan Cazzol
Partners Growth Lead
Zest Group
25 june
11:45 - 12:05
Mainstage
The Business of Global Success: Music, Brands and Leadership
Mathew Knowles
Founder & CEO, Strategic Consultant, Keynote Speaker, and Corporate Trainer
Music World Entertainment (MWE)
25 june
11:50 - 12:10
Entrepreneurship
The financial statement is a dinosaur: the AI enterprise that measures itself in real time.
The annual financial statement is a twentieth-century industrial model. SMEs make decisions based on delayed and fragmented data. In the age of AI, this paradigm is obsolete. The Sempi® Method introduces a different architecture: accounting automation, a 0-100 Governance Score, and a continuous compliance dashboard. The enterprise does not merely record the past; it measures its own solidity in real time and anticipates risks and opportunities.
Liana Gabriela Rotariu
Founder & CEO
Sempi
25 june
11:50 - 12:10
Startup & VC Plenary
The next capital stack: Why community belongs at the table
The best European companies aren’t choosing between institutional capital and the crowd, they’re combining both. Three Community Funding protagonists operating in some of Europe’s most strategic verticals share what co-investment with VCs actually looks like from the inside: how community rounds validate markets, de-risk institutional bets, and turn thousands of small investors into the kind of ambassadors no marketing budget can buy. Anchored in data from the European Community Capital Landscape 2025 by Over Ventures, this panel makes the case for a new capital stack, one where democratizing access to venture-grade deals isn’t idealism. It’s just good finance.
Giancarlo Vergine
Founder & Managing Partner
OverVentures
Nuno Brito Jorge
CEO
Goparity
Wouter Hagoort
CEO
Broccoli
Marcus Tempte
Head of Europe
Republic
25 june
12:05 - 12:20
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Nino Cartabellotta
President
Fondazione Gimbe
Giorgio Metta
Scientific Director
IIT Italian Institute of Technology
25 june
12:20 - 12:30
Mainstage
Reasoning Models for Physical AI
Marco Pavone
Director of Autonomous Vehicle Research
NVIDIA
25 june
12:20 - 12:40
Entrepreneurship
From Excel Chaos to AI-Native Governance: Optimizing Software Costs for Business Scalability
The gap between business speed and IT infrastructure often results in runaway costs and forgotten licenses. Drawing on experience from complex environments like Lamborghini, this talk explores how to move beyond manual Excel management through AI-native governance. We will analyze how to automatically capture every renewal and transform software spending into a lean strategic asset, giving control back to decision-makers for deliberate and sustainable growth.
Lorenzo Cavicchi
Co-Founder & CEO
Kontai
25 june
12:30 - 12:40
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Filippo Caccamo
Comedian & Content Creator
Chimera Agency
25 june
12:30 - 12:50
Startup & VC Plenary
Deploying capital across Europe
Leonard Burger
UK Venture Partner
Over Ventures
Kaan Akin
Managing Partner - COO
Tenity
Ermelinda Hajdari
Founder & Managing Director
ALBAN Global Network
25 june
12:40 - 12:45
Mainstage
Closing Session 1!
Day 2
25 june
12:50 - 13:20
Startup & VC Plenary
London’s Fintech and AI Bridge: Innovating in a Post-Brexit Global Context
An exploration of the UK's position as a global finance and AI leader. Speakers will analyze the competitive edge of its regulatory sandboxes and academic excellence, while addressing the weaknesses of attracting and retaining global talent and the strategic need to define its independent innovation pathway.
Thomas-Cotter Huw
Head of Growth & Partnerships
Rainmaking
Min Boghaita
Chief Scouting Officer
Nobody studio
Antonio Baccari
Partner & CFO
Feel Venture VC London
25 june
14:00 - 16:00
Startup Arena
Build What Matters: Human Empowerment and Communities of the Future
The second part of the Startup Arena program gathers human-centric innovations that enrich people's daily experiences. An exploration of solutions that improve health, education, and the working world, all the way to innovative services for entertainment, tourism, and e-commerce.
Ehab Gamal Ibrahim Aboutaleb
Founder & CEO
DoctorVoice
Agnes Kimweri
CEO & Founder
AGKI Medical laboratory
Lorenzo Mauri
CEO
Magic Vision
Mattia Ugliano
Co-founder
IamHero
Antonio Ferrara
COO
Zeta Industries
Matteo Boldreghini
CEO
BM Diagnostics
Laura Morchi
CTO
Soundsafe Care
Marco Giacosa
Co-founder & CTIO
Salute360
Anna Cacopardo
Cofounder & CMO
Kymia
Stanley Kinyanjui
Co-founder & Managing Director
Maritest
Simon Mnyele
Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer
Lishe360
Safaa Abou Helou and Doaa Al Balawi
GrowApp
Fabian Curzio
CEO
Eldes
Chiara Montaldi
Founder & CEO
Working Mom
Arnab Datta
CEO & Founder
EngloVoice
Ahmed Fathy Mohamed Soliman
CEO
isharty
Mariam Nusrat
Founder/ CEO
Breshna
Iacopo Livia
Co-founder & CEO
play2match
Gabriel Iobbi
Co-founder
PROVUU Enhanced Visibility XR Technology
Rojeh Maher
CEO and Founder
Rojeh Video Games - Coco's Fashion
Emanuele Sanfelici
CEO
HAT Music
Jorel Tchana
Founder
Suniter
Leopoldo Angelini
CEO
Menumal
Sabina Hulsebusch
Co-founder
Grimmor
Daniel Mkongo
CEO
Medilink
Alberto Ronco
CEO
Trainect
Emanuele Chiusaroli
CEO
Handy Signs
Gabriele Zangara
Co-Founder & CEO
Blue Innovation
Cristina Pianura
CEO & Co-founder
Audioboost
Federico Girelli
CEO & Founder
Cora Hospitality
Alessia Roncati
Sales developer
Myndoor
Alessia Roncati
Sales developer
Myndoor
Dario Taborelli
Founder | CEO
DatAIMed
Damiano Avellino
CEO
MemorAIz
Christian Nwachukwu
CEO
10mg Health
Ahmed Fathy Mohamed Soliman
CEO
isharty
25 june
14:20 - 14:40
Entrepreneurship
The future of work: streamlining the nexus between job seekers and talent recruiters.
Workface stems from a real-world problem: today, thousands of Italian SMEs struggle to find operational personnel. Restaurants, cleaning companies, workshops, and construction sites lose time, opportunities, and growth because recruiting is slow and ineffective. As an entrepreneur, I have experienced this frustration firsthand. For this reason, I created Workface: an app that, through a matching algorithm and geolocation, connects job seekers and employers simply and swiftly.
Serena Murante
Founder
Workface srl
Alessia D'Agostino
Co-Founder
Workface srl
25 june
14:30 - 14:50
Startup & VC Plenary
Human-centric AI: the competitive advantage of Italian companies in the era of automation
An opportunity to explore how to build organizations capable of combining advanced automation, human capital development, and industrial growth within the context of the Italian innovation ecosystem.
The discussion will also introduce the key themes of the subsequent meetings with investors and the Italian success stories present at WMF, offering a strategic perspective on collaboration opportunities among corporations, startups, and capital.
Silvia Pugi
Board Member & Deputy Secretary General
CEC European Managers
Bianca de Teffe Erb
Director, Data & AI Ethics Leader
Deloitte
Francesca Boccia
Avantage Reply
Senior Manager
Stefano Mizio
Scientific Director
AI4Innovation Observatory - Politecnico di Milano
Simone Conia
Principled Intelligence
CEO
25 june
14:40 - 15:00
Entrepreneurship
"Trust is the Only Data Point We’re Missing": Choosing in the AI Era
In a fast-paced job market driven by AI and data, companies and candidates face the same paradox: making a choice has become more complex. More information and automation don't reduce uncertainty; they multiply options. Hiring or changing jobs isn't easier, just faster. In this scenario, the real differentiator remains trust: in reading the context, in assessment, and in decisions—all of which remain profoundly human.
Alberto Gioia
Director – Technology Practice
WeHunt /W-Executive
Olimpia Ricci
Senior Consultant – IT & Digital
WeHunt /W-Executive
25 june
15:00 - 17:00
Startup & VC Plenary
Building the Italian Tech Future
A platform to explore best practices selected by key players in the Italian ecosystem who are transforming startups, companies, and tech communities. An international vision, hands-on experience, and cross-industry synergy to accelerate the ecosystem's growth.
Augusto Coppola
Managing Partner
Cloud Accelerator
25 june
15:10 - 15:30
Entrepreneurship
Stop chasing AI Models. Why the real game is Governance, Data, and Independence.
Every month a new model is released, and companies start from scratch: new contracts, new training, new risks. But the right question isn't "which model should we use?" — it's "how do I stop depending on any of them?" In this talk, we’ll explore why the future of enterprise AI is multi-model and on-premises, why your internal Knowledge Base is your true competitive advantage, and how ClosyTalk tackles this challenge with an architecture that decouples intelligence from the infrastructure it runs on.
Andrea Virgilio
Founder & CEO
ClosyTalk
25 june
Startup & VC Plenary
Italian Tech Alliance
Francesco Cerruti
General Director
Italian Tech Alliance
Alessandro Pontari
Partner
Vertis SGR SpA
Maicol Verzotto
CEO
Soource
Emilio La Pera
Head of Corporate Venture Capital
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane SpA
Luca Foresti
CEO & Founder
Niulinx
Chiara Castelli
Member Board of Directors
Moonstone VC
Filippo Nigro
Founder &. CEO
YOUTH HealthTech
25 june
15:30 - 15:40
Startup & VC Plenary
Title coming soon
Marco Dotto
COO & Limited Partner
Rubedo Life Sciences & Unruly Capital
Paolo Binetti
Dealflow and Portfolio Lead
VitaDAO
25 june
15:30 - 15:50
Entrepreneurship
The Future of Entrepreneurship: Trust, Learning, and Distribution in the AI Era
Creating products is increasingly accessible, yet building enduring companies has become more arduous. In 2026, three variables are shifting: speed, competition, and replicability. This presentation translates the future of entrepreneurship into a practical playbook based on three key currencies: rapid market learning, trust (privacy, security, transparency), and distribution. Featuring concrete examples and actionable steps applicable immediately.
Imre Guaglianone
CEO & Founder
Fred The User Research Shepherd
25 june
15:40 - 15:50
Startup & VC Plenary
Title coming soon
CREDEM BANCA
CREDEM BANCA
25 june
Startup & VC Plenary
Techshop
Giovanni Strocchi
Venture Partner
Techshop
25 june
16:00 - 16:20
Entrepreneurship
Hacking for better: how automation changes the game against cyber-crime
In a landscape of diverse industry players, we demonstrate how our EVA and CRI software leverage automation and AI to level the playing field against cyber-crime. CyLock presents an innovative approach to cybersecurity, capable of identifying vulnerabilities and measuring risk in a continuous and scalable manner through advanced testing and intelligent analysis. We bring concrete, operational evidence to the stage.
Diego Padovan
CEO
CyLock S.r.l.
25 june
Startup & VC Plenary
Innovup
Giorgio Ciron
Director
InnovUp
Andrea Birolo
Head of Corporate Venture Capital
Reale Group
Tommaso Lemessi
Founder & CEO
Charlie24 Italia Srl
Luigi Pagnozzi
Manager of Italy Innovation Hub
ENEL
25 june
16:00 - 16:40
Mainstage
Live Show!
Valerio Lundini & I Vazzanikki
25 june
16:20 - 16:40
Entrepreneurship
Selling in the Conversion Economy
In this speech, Valerio Girolami will delve into the concept of the Conversion Economy: a new strategic vision where the true competitive advantage is no longer about generating attention, but about converting customers and relationships into real economic value. During the session, he will present the Conversion Quadrant, a framework based on four key levers: Conversion Rate, Average Ticket, Sales Network, and Lifetime Value.
Valerio Girolami
CEO & Founder
Twenty Formula
25 june
Startup & VC Plenary
IAG
Emanuele Torlonia
Managing Director
IAG
25 june
16:40 - 16:45
Mainstage
Opening Session 2!
Day 2
25 june
16:45 - 17:00
Mainstage
International Panel
A. Burak Dağlıoğlu
President
Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye
Leyla Elchekhly
TV Presenter
Al Jazeera Media Network
25 june
17:00 - 17:20
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Filippo Ghirelli
Infracorp
Investor and Explorer
25 june
17:20 - 18:00
Mainstage
Startup Competition - The Final
The Final of the largest International Startup Competition
25 june
18:00 - 18:20
Mainstage
The 28th Regime: One Market for Innovation
Gianmarco Carnovale
CEO & President
Scuter & Roma Startup
Lucien Burm
Boardmember
Allied for Startups
Tomáš Pospíšil
Chief Analyst
Czech Startup Association
25 june
Startup & VC Plenary
Closing of the Afternoon Program
Gabriele Ronchini
CEO
Zest Group
Gianluca Galgano
Head of Venture Capital and Startup
EY Italia
Gianmarco Carnovale
CEO & President
Scuter & Roma Startup
Giovanni Zazzerini
Secretary General
INSME
Massimo Calzoni
Promotion Manager, Support Services and Coordinator of the Invitalia Startup System
INVITALIA
25 june
Startup Arena
Jurors
Ramanan Ramanathan
Board Member and Advisor
Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India
Anagh Singh
Founding Member
MountTech Growth Fund
Manu Iyer
General Partner
Blue Hill Capital
Jung YoungDoo
General Manager
FIDA
Jonathan Speed
Coach and Chair of the Alchemist Alccelerator Memphis Hub Advisory Board
Alchemist Accelerator
Angelo Del Priore
Partner
HP
Dan Radomski
Director
Centrepolis Accelerator
Denis Hristov
Head of Business Analytics
Fund of Funds in Bulgaria
Todor Mladenov
CEO
Sofia Tech Park
Max Gurvits
Partner
Vitosha Venture
Tomasz Poninski
Managing Partner
Montis Capital
Gabriele Ronchini
CEO
Zest Group
Ivan Cazzol
Partners Growth Lead
Zest Group
Giulio Montoli
Chief Investment Officer
Zest Group
Massimo Calzoni
Promotion Manager, Support Services and Coordinator of the Invitalia Startup System
INVITALIA
Mattia Lecchi
Program Manager
Immediate Accelerator
Federico Davini
Investment Board
A11 Venture
Daniele Alberti
Founder and President
Starboost
Luca Ruggeri
Consigliere di Amministrazione
Associazione Roma Startup
Angelo Morini
Angel Investor
IAG
Angelo Morini
Angel Investor
IAG
Andrea Conti
Ecosystem Lead South Europe - Italy
28 Digital
Alessandro Tavecchio
Partner
P101
Sandro Moretti
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Blacksheep
Elisabetta Bracci
Manager
Service Innovation Clust-ER
Matteo Consonni
Head of Investments & Portfolio Managers
EIT Urban Mobility
Ivan Maltsev
Partner
3x Capital
Tiarne Hawkins
AI Leader & Host
You & AI - Stealth Mode
Anastasios Avranas
Partner
Pella Ventures
Cristian Frigo
Ecosystem Lead Southern Europe
28 DIGITAL
Giancarlo Vergine
Founder & Managing Partner
OverVentures
Daniele Maria Luridiana
Partner
Actyus
Ilaria Navoni
Startup Program Manager
OVHcloud
Andrea Basso
Managing Director
MITO Tech Ventures
Francesca Badiali
Senior Ventures Associate
Plug and Play Tech Center
Ivan Cazzol
Partners Growth Lead
Zest Group
Giulio Montoli
Chief Investment Officer
Zest Group
Karo Hajduk
Managing Partner
Growth&Glory
Lorenzo Beliusse
Direttore Marketing
Reti SPA
Phoebe Tseng
Deputy Project Manager
Industrial Technology Research Institute Taiwan
Laura Di Santolo
Managing Director
Forward·Inc
Serle Siliani Esclapon de Villeneuve
Project Manager
Nana Bianca
Lorenzo Congiu
Venture Capitalist
Azimut
Hanna Sterzik
Project and Innovation Manager
Techprnrs
Agne Kelminskiene
Founder & CEO
Fragile Consultants
Tamas Szeker
Director
iScale Group Director
Kristina Moncekova
Head of Value Creation
Zero One Hundred VC
Paolo Binetti
Dealflow and Portfolio Lead
VitaDAO
Emilio La Pera
Head of Corporate Venture Capital
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane SpA
Maicol Verzotto
CEO
Soource
Vittorio Palma
Investment Manager
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane
Gianluca Fiorindi
Operations Manager
Digital Innovation Hub Toscana
Simona Fontana
COO
Finnovaction
Simone Chiesi
Head of Innovation
Credem Banca
Andrea Notari
Corporate Venture Capital & Open Innovation Manager
Credem Banca
Raffaella Lebano
Founder & Ceo
Trending Peace Index
Dritan Delija
CEO
TEDA Tirane
Anna Zò
Head
Music Innovation Hub
Andrea Gorini
Sr. Account Executive
AWS Startups
Jacopo Mele
VC
Moonstone VC
Letizia Zuffi
Operating Partner
VC Partners
Giorgia Ponti
Legal
VC Partners
25 june
18:20 - 18:25
Mainstage
Startup Competition Awards Ceremony
The Final of the largest International Startup Competition
25 june
18:35 - 18:40
Mainstage
Closing day 2!
Day 2
25 june
Entrepreneurship
Program in progress!
New Speakers Coming Soon
25 june
Startup & VC Plenary
Program in progress!
New Speakers Coming Soon
Session for 26 june
26 june
Mainstage
Co - Hosting
Veronica Maffei
Journalist
Cosmano Lombardo
Chairman
WMF - We Make Future
Gabriele Vagnato
Host, Comedian & Content Creator
26 june
10:00 - 10:40
Mainstage
Urban Impression Live Concert
Dardust
Producer & Artist
26 june
10:40 - 10:50
Mainstage
Opening Ceremony - Day 3!
Surprise Guest
26 june
10:50 - 11:00
Mainstage
Institutional Greetings
Henna Virkkunen
Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
European Commission
26 june
10:50 - 11:00
Impact To Business
Title Coming Soon
Piero Ingrosso
Director of Innovation
Coopfond
26 june
11:00 - 11:10
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Claudio Iacopino
Head of Φ-lab Explore Office
ESA
26 june
11:00 - 11:30
Impact To Business
Innovation we like
In this roundtable discussion, we will explore how organizations can move away from cutthroat competition to embrace empathetic coopetition. This approach transforms competitors into strategic partners working toward shared goals, enabling them to tackle systemic challenges—such as narrowing the gender gap or advancing the ecological transition—that no single actor can resolve on its own. It is an innovation that prioritizes human synergy as an alternative to aggressive “disruption.”
Vittoria Sanpietro
Responsabile Innovazione e Startup
Emilbanca
Carla Bertuzzi
Head of Sellalab Torino
Gruppo Sella
Giulia Marsaglia
Head of Startup Program
Forest Valley Institute
Giuliano Antonicello
Co-Founder & CEO
Carpe Carbon
Michela Taccheri
Head of Innovation
Save The Children
Agnese Vellar
Marketing Manager
Orbyta Tech
Damiano Avellino
CEO
MemorAIz
26 june
11:00 - 13:00
Startup Arena
Build What Matters: Planet, Smart Cities & Impact-Driven Innovation
This session emphasizes high-impact sustainable and ESG projects.
It gathers startups committed to tackling global climate challenges, evolving Smart Cities, regenerating the Food & Agriculture ecosystem, and providing services for public administration.
Simplice Zambo-Bedos
Founder & CEO
TOUAWEN
Alessandro Nora
CEO
Metrikflow
Jasper Deprez
CEO
TerraSpark
Alessandro Gallani
CEO
Heiwit - Sodium Ion battery
Paul Monroe
U.S. Lead
Licube
Dan Roman
CEO
Quicks
Alessio Iuvara
Founder & CEO
CAELUS S.R.L.
Emmanuele Maria Petruzziello
CEO
Koala
Carlo Bettini
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Wayla
Giorgio Muchacho
Chief of Sales
Meddle
Andrea Buri
CEO
CityZ
Scipione Maggi
Founder
Pythagor
Francesco Papa
CEO
LOKI
Daeun Choi
Director of Global Strategy
Studio Galilei
Michele Galetta
Ceo
Oraigo
Rossen Kolev
Head of Board
Smart Farm Robotix
Amr Gamal
CEO & Co-Founder
OZ-TECH
Kamogelo Thumankwe
Tsarona
Tsarona
William Konstantinos Tzimenakis
Co-Founder, Head of Finance and Sales
Wasty
Julieth Tarimo
Co fouder & COO
Afya Ya Mnyama Digital Limited
Shalom Nyende
Trusource
Trusource
Valerio Laudi
Co-founder & AI Solution Engineer
CultureAid
Rafael Bonel
Founder and CEO
RegeneraCidade
Muhammad Agung Saputra
CEO & Founder
Surplus Indonesia
Federico Bottaro
Weather AI Developer
Hypermeteo
Cristina Di Carlo
CEO & Founder
CDC Studio
Ashish Sonkusare
CEO & Co-Founder
eVerse.AI
Igor Kolovrat
CEO, founder
MatanX
Marco Centurioni
CEO
HMDRIVE
Eugenio Borgialli
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
Nezedi AI
26 june
11:10 - 11:20
Mainstage
When Earth Speaks, Satellites Listen: Local Events with Global Echoes
Veronica La Regina
Space Mentor
26 june
11:20 - 11:30
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Karma B
Drag Artists
26 june
11:30 - 11:40
Mainstage
Beyond AI: Creativity, Intuition, and Judgment
Matteo Mille
Chief Sales Enablement & Operations
Microsoft Italia
26 june
11:30 - 11:50
Entrepreneurship
Easy subsidized finance with AI
How Fundo.one simplifies access to funding for SMEs with its agentic artificial intelligence. Discover how to automate the search for funding calls, improve matching with the most relevant opportunities, and efficiently manage both applications and reporting—for your SME and your network. More and more players are choosing fundo.one as a competitive advantage tool, both for their corporate finance and as a commercial leverage solution.
Andrea Giustina
CEO & Co-Founder
Fundo.one
26 june
11:30 - 12:00
Impact To Business
Longevity Economy: Social and Digital Innovation for an Actively Aging Italy
The demographic transition demands a profound overhaul of welfare, labor, consumption, and participation models: by 2050, one-third of the global population will be over 65. In Italy, this threshold will be reached by one in three citizens as early as 2030.In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a crucial enabling factor, capable of intervening across various fronts: from preventive and predictive medicine to drug discovery, and from the personalization of care pathways to the redefining of productivity in older age.This panel discussion aims to explore how a purpose-driven alliance between social innovation, open innovation, and digital technologies—with AI acting as a cross-cutting infrastructure—can promote active and sustainable aging, transforming demographic challenges into genuine levers for development.
Sharon Cittone
Executive Director
Milan Longevity Summit
Alberto Giusti
Co-founder & General Partner
P3 Ventures
Paolo Binetti
Dealflow and Portfolio Lead
VitaDAO
Luca Tarasco
Founder
Life Plus Studio
Marco Dotto
COO & Limited Partner
Rubedo Life Sciences & Unruly Capital
26 june
11:40 - 11:50
Mainstage
Europe’s Strategy for Deep Tech and Innovation Leadership
Michiel Scheffer
President of the Board
European Innovation Council | European Commission
26 june
11:50 - 12:10
Entrepreneurship
AI as a super HR: reducing friction, boosting performance
We offer training, benefits, smart working, and better environments. Yet, it’s never enough. An organization simply cannot truly understand everyone’s individual needs, but it should. Satisfied people perform better, frustrated ones slow everything down. With Hvalues, we’ve built a rapid assessment system and an 'AI Super HR' that listens, advises, and acts, proposing targeted solutions and improving performance in a continuous, measurable way.
Daniele Salvati
CEO & Founder
Hvalues
26 june
11:50 - 12:10
Mainstage
Physical AI: The Next Work Revolution
Daniele Pucci
CEO
Generative Bionics
Bryan Madden
Global Head of Developer, Sovereign AI & Physical AI Marketing
AMD
Claudio Cisilino
EVP Operations, Corporate Strategy and Innovation
Fincantieri
26 june
12:00 - 12:30
Impact To Business
The Green Shift
A discussion on the technologies and strategies that are transforming energy, energy independence, and global competitiveness into levers for a more sustainable future.
Alberto Lombardi
Advisor & Mentor
A4i
Emmanuele Maria Petruzziello
CEO
Koala
Claudio Colombo
General Partner
NextStep
Maurizia Brunetti
Innovation Manager
HERA Group
Elin Flyger
Co-Founder & CEO
Tinental
26 june
12:10 - 12:25
Mainstage
AI and Labor: Between Transformation and New Social Challenges
Pierpaolo Bombardieri
General Secretary
UIL
Cosmano Lombardo
Chairman
WMF - We Make Future
26 june
12:20 - 12:40
Entrepreneurship
Conversation Intelligence: The New Competitive Advantage for Sales Teams
Every company has a sales team. Almost none of them truly know what happens during their negotiations. Conversation Intelligence brings visibility where there used to be only intuition: it analyzes every sales conversation and turns it into data to drive revenue growth. In this talk, we will explore: the numbers emerging from 10,000 negotiations, the market that is opening up, and why the competitive advantage of the coming years is being built right inside conversations with customers.
Andrea Aureli
Co-Founder
Aiclo
26 june
12:25 - 12:35
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Surprise Guest
26 june
12:30 - 13:00
Impact To Business
Leapfrogging Development: Digital Solutions and Social Impact in Africa
Focusing on the foundational digital needs and mobile-first innovation in Ethiopia and Uganda. The discussion highlights the strengths of local entrepreneurship in financial inclusion and essential services, and the challenges of limited infrastructure and the need for scalable, needs-based technology.
Elias Yirdaw
CEO
FARIS Technologies
Sharon Tumushabe Tuhiirwe
CEO
Legacy Hills Investments
Andrea Censoni
Founding Partner & Co-Founder
Kili Ventures
Simon Mnyele
Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer
Lishe360
Peter Kanda
Founder
Impactio
Julieth Tarimo
Co fouder & COO
Afya Ya Mnyama Digital Limited
Daniel Mkongo
CEO
Medilink
Stanley Kinyanjui
Co-founder & Managing Director
Maritest
Shalom Nyende
Trusource
Trusource
26 june
12:35 - 12:40
Mainstage
Sky-High Clash: the 1st European Drone Soccer Championship
Drone Soccer
26 june
12:40 - 12:45
Mainstage
Closing Session 1!
Day 3
26 june
13:00 - 13:20
Impact To Business
SportTech and Startups: New Solutions for the Future of Sports
By exploring business ideas, emerging technologies, real-world applications, and market insights, the event will highlight how startups are helping to transform key areas such as performance, fan engagement, sustainability, data analysis, media, and services for clubs, athletes, and organizers, as well as the value of collaboration between universities, businesses, investors, and emerging talent.
Vincenzo Filetti
Partner
Theorema
Jacopo Naidi
Senior Pj Manager
INNOVIT
Gianfilippo Valentini
Founder & Ceo
Go Project e Social Football Summit
Elena Nanni
Murate Idea Park
Coordinator
Iacopo Livia
Co-founder & CEO
play2match
26 june
14:00 - 14:30
Impact To Business
Awards Ceremony
26 june
14:20 - 14:40
Entrepreneurship
Startup and Innovation – How every entrepreneur can finance an innovative project without investments
In this speech, the topic of innovative startups is explored as a “tool” for positioning and diversification for entrepreneurs, useful for generational transition, ideal for fundraising, and for accessing subsidized finance grants. Various case studies are examined, along with the fiscal and market benefits that can be obtained.
Massimo Ciaglia
CEO
Grownnectia srl
26 june
14:30 - 15:00
Impact To Business
Coming Soon
Edoardo Nicolini
Principal
Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell'Amore
Stefano Alexander Martini
Senior Project & Deal Flow Manager
LifeGate Way
Leonardo Daniele
Acceleration Program Manager
Impact Deal
26 june
14:40 - 15:00
Entrepreneurship
The quote is in the founder’s head: how AI restores the entrepreneur’s strategic role
Every manufacturing entrepreneur started as their company’s first salesperson. Costs, margins, possible combinations: a wealth of knowledge layered over years, often locked inside their head. As the company grows, the quoting process remains a fragile and slow bottleneck, dependent on just a few people. AI allows this implicit knowledge to be externalized without losing it, giving the entrepreneur back the time and space to return to what they do best: strategic decisions, relationships, and vision.
Amarjot Singh
CEO & Co-founder
Bonobo srl
26 june
15:10 - 15:30
Entrepreneurship
The First Solution for Instant Cervical Cytology Diagnosis in Real Time
CLARA is a real-time cytology solution designed to transform cervical cancer screening. By combining rapid slide analysis, tele-microscopy, and instant diagnostic support, CLARA can deliver Pap smear interpretation within minutes, even in underserved regions. The project aims to reduce diagnostic delays, democratize access to high-quality healthcare, and redefine how cytology is performed worldwide.
Claudiu Mirescu
Pathologist
Clara
26 june
15:30 - 15:50
Entrepreneurship
One Photo at a Time: How AI and Citizen Science Are Reinventing Preventive Monitoring
Bridges collapse. Buildings degrade. Landslides advance. Yet systematic monitoring remains a privilege of the few. ProteGO by IntelligEarth changes the paradigm: an AI SaaS platform that turns smartphones into professional monitoring tools for infrastructure, cultural heritage, and territory. A new model where prevention is collaborative, accessible, and built for enterprise. Because the most distributed sensor network already exists. It's us.
Claudia Masciulli
CEO & Co-Founder
IntelligEarth
26 june
16:15 - 16:35
Mainstage
Live Show!
Surprise Guest
26 june
16:35 - 16:40
Mainstage
Opening Session 2!
Day 3
26 june
16:40 - 17:00
Mainstage
Language and Storytelling in the Age of AI
Stefano Massini
Author & Playwright
26 june
17:00 - 17:20
Mainstage
Organized Crime, Technology, and the New Frontiers of Crime
Nicola Gratteri
Public Prosecutor
Court of Naples
26 june
17:20 - 17:30
Mainstage
Title Soon Online
Surprise Guest
26 june
17:30 - 17:40
Mainstage
The Italian Dream: from Cultural Heritage to Global Innovation
Alec Ross
Distinguished Adjunct Professor
Bologna Business School
26 june
17:40 - 17:50
Mainstage
Innovation & Design in the Digital Era
Chris Bangle
Managing Director & Former Design Lead
Chris Bangle Associates & BMW
26 june
17:50 - 18:00
Mainstage
Europe: The World's Largest AI Use Case. A System Destined to Win
Uljan Sharka
CEO
Domyn
26 june
18:00 - 18:15
Mainstage
No Filter: The Complex Relationship Between Social Media and Authenticity
Camihawke
Content Creator
26 june
Startup Arena
Jurors
Thomas-Cotter Huw
Head of Growth & Partnerships
Rainmaking
Min Boghaita
Chief Scouting Officer
Nobody studio
Eda Taskin
Business Development Manager
Tenity
Madéleine Pilstrand
CEO
Create Business Incubator
Anvar Asanov
Advisor
Davidson
Florin Catalin
Operations Director
Silicon Allee
Jonathan Eade
Venture Partner | Early Stage & Impact VC Investing
Sansar Ventures
Fulvio Maccarone
CEO and VC
EQNEXT
Davide Delfrate
Business Developer
EIT Manufaturing
Enrico Cereda
Senior Advisor
Klecha & Co.
Tiberiu Iacomi
Business Mentor
Endeavor Romania
Federico Menna
CEO
EIT Digital
Taylor McPartland
CEO
ScaleHealth
Nasser bin Saeed Al-Hajri
Memeber & Chairman of the Board of Directors
Saudi International Council for Business and Investment
Gianluca Cristallo
Innovation Manager
Gruppo Camst
Gabriele Gandolfi
Manager
Deloitte Consulting
Lorenzo Zatini
Ecosystem Marketing Manager
Qonto
Stefano Orani
Managing Director of Applied AI
BOI (Board of Innovation)
Peter Kruger
Founder and Chairman
Big Idea Ventures
Paolo Tacconi
Producer, entrepreneur, founder
AIgeist.ai, Finambolic.com & Valuelead.com
Roberto Beragnoli
AI & Tech Expert
Mamazen
Alessandro Mina
Co-founder
Mamazen
Sasha Komarevych
Acceleration Program Manager
Bocconi For Innovation
Lorenzo Cordin
Head of Digital & Open Innovation - Chief Innovation Officer Area
UnipolSai Assicurazioni
Alessandro Annovi
Partner & CEO
Space for Imagination
Fabio Boiani
Segretario Generale
Fondazione COTEC
Alessandro Dini
Founding Partner
Elevate Momentum Partners
Massimo Canducci
Innovation and Strategy Director
Spindox
Marco D'Angelo
CEO
Beeco
Paolo Licata
CEO
Clover Venture
Marco Rizzelli
Chief Investment Officer & Portfolio Manager
Nova Ventures
Marta Carboni
Head of Innovation & Business Development
IFAB
David Pagnini
Investment Director and Portfolio Manager
TIM Ventures
Federico Moro
Head of Venture Studio
e-Novia
Emilio Tropea
Global Open Innovation and Venture Manager
CRIF
Mara Guzzetti
Head of Business Development Mutli-Client Sites
GETEC Switzerland
Ottavio Maria Campigli
Senior Equity Partner & Founder
W Executive
Giovanni Righi
Coordinatore e Rapporti con le imprese
San Marino Innovation
Alessandro Basile
Managing Partner
AB Innovation Consulting
Paola Zaccheroni
Public affairs manager
Autopromotec
Jacopo Naidi
Senior Pj Manager
INNOVIT
Lorenzo Antonini
Account Manager - Startups
Amazon Web Services
Giacomo Bizzarri
CIO
The Hive
Andrea Parmeggiani
Direttore
Fondazione REI
Ivan Tizzanini
Tech & Innovation Lawyer
Ivan Tizzanini Law Firm
Massimo Ciaglia
CEO & Senior Advisor
Grownnectia
Loris Lanzellotti
Founder & CEO
Entrepreniston
Matteo Cavagnis
Managing Director
Idea Cinquanta
Maren Frey
CEO
PAWAO Capital
Stefano Gallinaro
Business Development & Innovation Manager
EIT Manufacturing
Christian Clarizio
Head of Open Innovation Center Biella
Sellalab
Lorenzo Ferrara
Founder & CEO
Open Seed
Luca Toma
Startup Business Consultant and Acceleration Programs PM
I3P
Luca Iaia
Marketing Manager
CNA - National Confederation of Craft and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Alessandro Immobile
CEO
Imment
Pietro Catello
Board Member
Associazione Startup Turismo
Andrea Di Benedetto
Presidente & Amministratore Delegato
Polo Tecnologico Navacchio
Andrea Solimene
Co-founder & CEO
Seedble
Andrea Beretta
Startup Relations & Investment Manager
Cariplo Factory
Selvaggia Fagioli
Project Management Officer
TechBricks srl
Giannandrea Giammanco
CEO & Founder
FVTURA
Salvatore Viola
Founder & Business Development Manager
Dynamo Lab
Sebastian Caputo
Co-Founder, Project Manager, CEO
012 Factory
Andrea Dal Piaz
CEO
Unfold Tomorrow
Pasquale Brancaccio
Innovation Manager
INHUSE - Innovation Hub South Europe
Denis Jaromil Roio
Scientific Director
Lugano's Plan ₿
Lara Auguin
Program manager
Impact Deal
Lorenzo Padella
Investment Associate
Azimut Libera Impresa SGR SpA
Luigi Montemurro
AI Innovation Manager
Guanxi
Alberto Lombardi
Advisor & Mentor
A4i
Nicolas Rossini
Head of Innovation
San Marino Innovation
Maximilian Rupprecht
Managing Director
Techprnrs
Paola Bonomo
Angel Investor
IAG
Francesco Murras
Angel Investor
IAG
Francesco Zorgno
Angel Investor
IAG
Simone Zinanni
Angel Investor
IAG
Francesco Acabbi
Angel Investor
IAG
Letizia Mansutti
Angel Investor
IAG
Maurizio Fiumi
Innovation manager
Hera
Gabriele Luciani
Project Manager Innovation
AUTOTORINO SPA
Paolo Raineri
AI Brand Ambassador
Linkalab
Elisa Bodini
VP
JP Morgan
Tomáš Pospíšil
Chief Analyst
Czech Startup Association
Lucien Burm
Chair
Dutch Startup Association
Alessandro Pontari
Partner
Vertis SGR SpA
Piero Ingrosso
Director of Innovation
Coopfond
Andrea Gennarini
Managing Partner
2100 Ventures
Adam Durica
General Partner
Zero One Hundred VC
26 june
18:15 - 18:25
Mainstage
Beyond the Algorithm: The Evolution of Digital Creativity
Awed
comedian, actor & content creator
26 june
18:25 - 18:30
Mainstage
Closing Ceremony WMF 2026!
Day 3
26 june
18:30
Mainstage
Live Concert - Ditonellapiaga
Ditonellapiaga
26 june
Entrepreneurship
Program in progress!
New Speakers Coming Soon
26 june
Mainstage
Program in progress!
New Speakers Coming Soon
26 june
Impact To Business
Program in progress!
New Speakers Coming Soon
The main opportunities reserved for investors
B2B, B2C, B2G
At WMF, thousands of meetings take place every day between innovative companies, Business Angels, Corporates, Venture Capital, and delegations of international investors engaged in the world of open innovation. Organize your meetings if you don't want to miss the unique opportunity to connect with key players in the global innovation ecosystem. Join us and become part of a global community.
Startup District
We can help you design a space in the Exhibition Area entirely dedicated to a delegation of startups from your portfolio, to exponentially increase the number of meetings, exchanges, and collaborations.
Do you want to organize a branded event within the World Startup Fest (vertical calls, hackathons, competitions, training and dissemination events, or networking and B2B meetings)? Among the brands that have organized their events at WMF: MiC, GoDaddy, Sole24Ore, Mediaset, Zendesk, Salesforce, European Parliament, EURid, Oplon.
The opportunity for investors, VCs, Corporate Open Innovation Arms, and investment funds to access the WMF Community, the International Fair on Technological and Digital Innovation, and connect with thousands of international startups within the WMF ecosystem. You can be part of the Jury of thematic initiatives and award prizes to international startups that present the progress of their projects at WMF every year.
The best entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation leaders gather at WMF every year to participate in panels and round-table discussions to explore the keys to success of different international ecosystems, the latest investment trends, open innovation strategies, and the peculiarities of local entrepreneurial ecosystems. It's a unique opportunity for quality networking and to activate strategic collaborations with key players in the industry. Join us to build the future of innovation.
Impact to Business Stage
The search for a sustainable development model has become the main objective and driving force for most organizations and institutions worldwide.
On this stage, we compare business models, policies, and experiences characterized by their ambition and commitment to contribute to positive change in social or environmental areas.
Networking Activities
Networking moments are the beating heart of the event, offering opportunities to create meaningful connections. The main initiatives you can participate in are
Innovation Night
The event to share innovative ideas and have fun creating new relationships. The perfect opportunity for informal networking and to enjoy a stimulating and festive atmosphere.
Investors Night
An exclusive evening for investors from the WMF international network, who will have the chance to meet, share insights, and explore synergies in a completely informal and private environment.
Speed Meeting
The innovative formula for quick and direct meetings, ideal for startups seeking funding, investors looking for promising projects, or who want to expand their network.
Job Placement
The recruitment service for Digital Professions, to facilitate the meeting between job supply and demand! A unique opportunity to find professional profiles suitable for your company.
Join the VCs & Open innovation Fest
Get access to all VCs & Open Innovation Fest events with the Visitor Ticket, available in both 3-Day and 1-Day options for single-day access.
Want to take advantage of the world's most comprehensive digital training and access all WMF internships?
For those who want access to all the Mainstage events, speeches, shows and concerts, together with all the opportunities and activities of the Exhibition Area, including B2B meetings, tech shows, thematic exhibition districts, gaming and open stages.
For those who want access to all the Mainstage events, speeches, shows and concerts, together with all the opportunities and activities of the Exhibition Area, including B2B meetings, tech shows, thematic exhibition districts, gaming and open stages.
WMF IS A CERTIFIED INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR
Would you like to be part of VC & Open Innovation Fest?
Fill out the form: our team will analyze your request and respond to you as soon as possible.
With the support of:
WMF Innovation Ecosystem
Are you a founder?
Join the international community of WMF
Within the WMF - International Fair and Festival on Technological and Digital Innovation - the 2026 edition of the World Startup Fest will take place: the international event of reference for innovative SMEs, startups, scaleups, and investors.
Startup Competition
The top 6 international startups selected from our call will have the opportunity to showcase their innovative idea on the Mainstage and access other opportunities in the WMF ecosystem.
Global Impact Challenge
A competition dedicated to startups that will have the opportunity to showcase on the Mainstage how innovative solutions can contribute to changing the world we live in.
WMF Global Startup Program
An exclusive visibility opportunity for startups selected among the best internationally. Join the global community of founders who are building a shared innovation ecosystem.
Discover all the opportunities of the World Startup Fest
