Market Meets Research: the second event of the RAISE up Mentorship Program
The second event of the RAISE up Mentorship Program took place at the PwC Arena in Piazza Piccapietra, reaffirming itself as an important opportunity to connect innovation and the market. Titled Market Meets Research, the event was promoted by Spoke 5 with the support of PwC Italy and I3P – the Incubator of the Polytechnic University of Turin.
The 12 participants selected for this first edition presented their innovative solutions with the goal of consolidating their business models. Through interactive sessions with an audience of companies, funds, and other community stakeholders, participants received valuable feedback to refine their strategies.
An Introduction to the Innovation Ecosystem
The day opened with welcome talks by Andrea Manchelli, Partner at PwC Italy, and Vincenzo Tanania, Innovation Ecosystem Leader at PwC Italy. Both emphasized the importance of creating targeted connections between market needs and research-developed solutions, highlighting how multidisciplinarity is crucial for technology transfer and innovation.
Following this, Andrea Pagnin, leader of Spoke 5, and Miriam Molinari, Project Manager for Technology Transfer at RAISE, presented the RAISE up program, which has already monitored 172 innovations with market potential. They outlined the four main phases of the journey:
1. Tech Lifting to enhance technological potential;
2. Strategic Acceleration to consolidate business models and plans;
3. Specialist Boost with industry experts;
4. Pitch Deck for direct engagement with key stakeholders.
Success Stories
Key moments included talks by Andrea D’Aietti, Co-founder and CEO of Underdogs Group, and Kseniya Lenarciak, Co-founder and CEO of SLY.
D’Aietti shared Underdogs’ experience in developing personalized strategies for companies, e-commerce platforms, and brands across various sectors, managing all stages of the sales funnel. He urged participants to focus on market problems rather than solutions, stressing the importance of deeply understanding the challenges faced by clients.
Lenarciak presented SLY, a startup using advanced AI technologies for early detection and monitoring of wildfires. By employing innovative air quality sensors, SLY has achieved significant results in fire prevention, positively impacting agriculture and environmental safety.
Team Focus
During the plenary session, moderated by Luca Passoni, Director at PwC, the 12 teams had the opportunity to showcase their solutions to a qualified audience of entrepreneurs, investors, and specialists. The direct interaction provided targeted feedback, helping improve business models and develop more effective market strategies.
Networking and Conclusions
The event concluded with a networking aperitif, offering further opportunities for connections between innovators and stakeholders.
With this second event, RAISE up is confirmed as a strategic program for technology transfer and innovation enhancement. For more information and to participate in upcoming initiatives, visit the official project channels.
