Estra, in collaboration with BIBA Venture Partners, launches the first edition of E-Qube Startup Challenge to search for ideas and innovative projects in the field of energy, Internet of Things and Added Value services applications and solutions related with: Big Data; Business analytics, Marketing automation & Sales optimization; Retail Experience & Customer management.

This first start-up call, in collaboration with BIBA, aimed at selecting innovative ideas at Italian and international level, with strong scalability capabilities in Estra’s business areas. The areas covered by the call include following:

• Internet of Things: Applications and solutions related with: IoT Platforms, Smart Home & Smart Buildings; Smart cities:

• Energy, with particular regard for:

o Energy Efficiency: applications and solutions related with diagnosis and energy consumption
o Renewable Energies: applications and solutions related with energy generation, optimization and storage

• Added Value services applications and solutions related with: Big Data; Business analytics, Marketing automation & Sales optimization; Retail Experience & Customer management

This project is based on the desire of Estra to give voice and support to high-value-added ideas that, while highly promising, fail to fully develop their business due to the difficulties involved in obtaining the necessary financial resources.

The partnership with BIBA Venture Partners - a strategic consulting company based in Barcelona and specialized in open innovation and corporate venturing programs for large companies - demonstrates Estra's real commitment to contributing to the exploration and promotion of new approaches to innovation. Standing out from the masses represents an indispensable feature for achieving industrial and social goals.

The challenge is open to all companies who, in compliance with the criteria for participation, will submit their application by June 18th.

Ten finalists will be selected out of all the received proposals and will be invited to take part in the start-up challenge event, to be organized in July in Florence. Here they will compete to get prize awards, pitching in front of a jury composed by Estra, BIBA Venture and other external experts.
Prize awards will be in cash, with the aim of contributing to projects launch: first prize will be 20,000 Euros, second prize 10,000, and third prize will be 5,000.

“E-Qube challenge” – says Paolo Abati, General Director Estra Group – “launched by Estra and BIBA, aims to find and bring support to those technological solutions which will demonstrate a great market potential and consistency with Estra’s business. This initiatives represents a double opportunity: for Estra Group to open to start-ups; for startups to take advantage of the capabilities and the network Estra can bring them.”

“This startup call” – states Francesco Macrì, Presidente Estra Group – “represents for us at the same time an important milestone, and a starting point. A milestone, because Estra is finally perceived as a qualified partner for innovation; a starting point, because this is the just the first step of future collaborations with startups to come.”

“Thanks to the partnership between Estra and us” – underlines Alberto Ratti, Managing Partner of BIBA Venture Partners – “we have the opportunity to give room to emerging startups which can change business rules in strategic areas such as energy. BIBA’s expertise in corporate venturing, together with the deep knowledge Estra has in the focus areas of the Call, will help startups scale their business through strategic partnership with Estra.”

Apply now!