Call for start-up

• To offer new entrepreneurial realities wide national and international visibility to create exchanges and share ideas: the perfect environment where tradition and innovation meet.
    

• Create meeting opportunities between the companies attending the event and Start-Ups that can promote product and/or service innovation.
    

• Encouraging the identification of the Italian Innovative System as a primary interlocutor in the product development of the renewable energy and sustainable mobility industry at national and international level. 
    

• Giving voice to Italy's best innovators by bringing together the testimonies of those who innovate and promote the major themes of the ecological transition, in terms of development, culture and skills.

The initiative is addressed to innovative start-ups and SMEs registered in the special section of the Companies Register (pursuant to Law No. 221 of December 18, 2012) that satisfy the following requirements:

• development of technologies and solutions in line with the themes of KEY - The Energy Transition Expo, in the field of renewable energy and energy transition, which can demonstrate products and services with a highly innovative character. The minimum requirement is an available prototype or Minimum Viable Product (MVP);
• Having completed at least one seed round or actively operating in the B2B market with a client portfolio;

Not having already taken part, as selected participants, in the Innovation District at the 2025 edition of KEY

Selected start-ups and innovative SMEs may participate upon payment of an administrative fee of €889 + VAT.  

Please note: Admission and scheduling of start-ups will be handled at the discretion of the project management, organized by IEG in collaboration with its partners, based on the stated requirements and space availability.

Start-ups meeting the eligibility criteria outlined above may submit their application from 30 September (when the call will open) by completing and submitting the dedicated online form, and providing consent for the processing of the data included in the application.

At the end of the application period, the organizing team will carry out a formal check to verify that all submitted projects meet the minimum eligibility requirements.

Following this, a specially appointed Evaluation Committee will review all eligible applications and assign each project a score from 1 to 10, based on the following criteria:
 

• Business potential of the idea
• Development stage of the product/service
• Degree of innovation and its defensibility
• Team expertise
• Competitive landscape and positioning
• Market needs alignment and market size
• Project impact on future global challenges
•  
• In order to highlight younger and early-stage companies, start-ups may be awarded an additional score of up to +1 compared to innovative SMEs. In the event of a tie in the overall score, priority will be given to start-ups.

At the end of the evaluation phase, all applicants will receive an official communication from Italian Exhibition Group at the email address provided during the application, informing them of the outcome—whether accepted or not.

Subject to the availability of exhibition space, up to a maximum of 36 start-ups/innovative SMEs may be admitted, selected from those achieving the highest scores in the ranking.

Selected participants must confirm their attendance within 2 working days from the receipt of the official communication by replying via email. Failure to respond within the specified timeframe will result in automatic forfeiture of the application.

Once participation is confirmed, admitted participants will receive the participation form (contract), which must be completed, signed, and stamped, and returned along with the following documentation:

• Proof of payment of the participation fee via bank transfer

• Updated Chamber of Commerce registration (mandatory only for Innovative SMEs)

• High-resolution logo in vector format (preferably .ai, .svg, or .eps)

In the event of withdrawal by one or more selected participants, Italian Exhibition Group, in agreement with the initiative’s partners, will proceed with the ranking list and admit the next eligible candidates.

• Your benefits:

• All-Inclusive Start-Up Package: full exhibit space, with desk, stool and logo graphics
• Included registration fee and access to the event as official exhibitors
• Subscription to the event's digital catalog
• Online visibility: appearance on a dedicated web page on the official KEY website and within the event app
• Access to “My Agenda ”platform - Business Meeting: to book One-to-One meetings with international hosted buyers
• 1 free outdoor parking pass
• 2 stand staff accreditation
• 50 free invitation tickets for your contacts
• Dedicated Info Point: reception and information about the startups in the Innovation District
• Media coverage: national and international promotion services
• Pitch: 3-minute slots to present your start-up during vertical conferences dedicated to innovation in the Innovation District arena
• Networking: possibility to initiate networking through the KEY app even before the event, with a dedicated profile page to find strategic contacts
   

Please note: It should be noted that in addition to the registration fee, all out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel, lodging and transportation, remain the responsibility of the participants.

To further highlight the presence of start-ups and Innovative SMEs within the Innovation District, IEG – in collaboration with its partners – will award a special plaque to the three most innovative and impactful projects among those exhibiting.

The winners will be selected by the Evaluation Committee based on the same criteria outlined above.
>> Learn more on the prize

The evaluations will be carried out by the Evaluation Committee, composed of the following members:

• Alessandra Astolfi | Global Exhibition Director – Green & Tech Division, IEG

• Daniela Sani | ART-ER – Research and Territory Activities, Sustainable Development Division

• Nicoletta Amodio | Executive Adviser for Research and Innovation, Confindustria, and Director of the Mai Foundation

• Gabriele Ferrieri | President, ANGI (National Association of Young Innovators)

• Antonio Grifoni | PR & Comms and Partner Success Manager, Plug and Play Tech Center

• Francesca Zagro | Senior Ventures Associate, Plug and Play