Within the WMF - International Fair and Festival on Innovation AI, Tech & Digital - the 2025 edition of the World Startup Fest will take place: the international reference event for innovative SMEs, startups, scaleups, and investors.
The 2024 World Startup Fest welcomed over 3,000 innovation stakeholders from 90 countries. In this new edition, the opportunities to meet a global community committed to defining the future of innovation will be even greater.
During the World Startup Fest, you will have access to a wide range of events and initiatives designed to connect the best of global innovation and offer founders and investors continuous opportunities for B2B meetings, networking, growth, and visibility.
Discover below the opportunities reserved for startups and investors, and the events scheduled at the World Startup Fest 2025!
Through a series of business-focused activities designed to support the founders of the most innovative projects in accelerating development and growth
The WMF expo area is dedicated entirely to startups, designed to facilitate meetings, exchanges, and collaborations. Here, you can showcase your products or services, arrange appointments, receive feedback, and connect with other industry experts.
Get ready to experience the excitement of the most coveted startup competition: the top 6 startups will compete to win the audience award, the jury prize, and attract the attention of investors during the Final on June 5, 2025, on the Mainstage.
The competition is entirely dedicated to AI applications across various sectors and industries that define the present and future of Artificial Intelligence. The best entrepreneurial projects will be selected based on their ability to generate a positive impact on society through the use of AI.
A competition dedicated to startups aiming to make a positive impact on the 12 Challenges of the Future identified by the WMF. The Challenge final will take place on the Mainstage on June 6th, where we will see how innovative solutions can change the world we live in.
The initiative, born from the collaboration between WMF - We Make Future, and Hospitality - Il Salone dell’Accoglienza, to support innovative projects and solutions in the Ho.Re.Ca sector, with a particular focus on accessibility and inclusivity in services.
The call is closed.
At the WMF, you can schedule meetings with potential clients, international investors, and Open Innovation stakeholders. It's a unique opportunity to present your idea to those who can help you take it to the next level. In the last edition, over 3,000 participants attended, including startups, investors, incubators, VCs, business angels, corporate representatives, and international accelerators.
An event where startups and investors can engage in constructive dialogue in a relaxed atmosphere, fostering the exchange of ideas and the birth of future collaborations.
An innovative format for rapid and direct meetings, ideal for startups seeking funding, investors scouting promising projects, or expanding their network.
A recruitment service tailored for digital professions, designed to facilitate the meeting between job demand and supply. A unique opportunity to find professional profiles suitable for your company.
On this stage, hundreds of founders from top startups will come together to present the progress of their projects and illustrate how each one is contributing to creating a global innovation ecosystem.
Every year, the best entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation leaders gather at the WMF to participate in panels and round-table discussions to explore the keys to success of various 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 industry players. Join us to build the future of innovation.
The pursuit of a sustainable development model has become the primary 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 contributing to positive change in social or environmental areas.
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Discover all the opportunities for investors, VC firms, corporate Open Innovation Arms, and investment funds to join the WMF community, participate in the jury, award prizes, and connect with Italian and international startups that present their projects at WMF every year. Visit the Open Innovation & VC Fest page and explore all the activities dedicated to Open Innovation stakeholders.
