Ceetrus and PoliHub award € 25 thousand to each of the three Italian startups, winners of the Ceetrus 4 Innovation contest
LIFEdata, Sooneat and Hexagro emerged victorious at the Ceetrus 4 Innovation final, the Call 4 Startups organised by Ceetrus Italy in collaboration with PoliHub, to identify innovative solutions and technologies which make shopping centres places for sustainable and smart living, reference points for the local area and citizens.
The first phase of “Ceetrus 4 Innovation – C4I” – the Ceetrus Italy startup scouting platform, in collaboration with PoliHub – concluded on 25th June with the first live PoliHub event held in the wake of the Covid emergency.
The decision to physically host the final at PoliHub aims to be a sign of are launch, also thanks to Ceetrus, a company which continues to invest in the future, bringing to life mixed-use real estate projects, integrated within the urban fabric with the aim of connecting citizens.
LIFEdata, Sooneat and Hexagro are the winners of the competition which encouraged startups to focus on three specific topics: Building – for the construction of sustainable places, with particular attention to recycling and the intelligent use of resources, Customer& Tenant Experience – to always place direct and indirect customer needs at the centre and Local Community – to create a strong and tangible bond with the local area.
A special mention went to Manufacty, founded with the aim of passing on artisan tradition, enhancing its culture and supporting ancient workshops.
The jury, made up of Marco Balducci, CEO of Ceetrus, Simona Portigliotti, Head of Marketing, Ceetrus, Raffaella Colacicco, Head of Property, Ceetrus, Ettore Papponetti, Head ofLeasing, Ceetrus, Stanislas Rohmer,Head of Asset Management, Ceetrus, Roberto Marini, Head of Technical, Ceetrus, Anand Remtolla, Site Leader, Ceetrus, Claudia Pingue, General Manager, PoliHub, Stefano Mizio, Head of Startup Acceleration Program & International Project, PoliHub, Fulvio Matteoni, CEO, Decathlon Italia and Giuliano Sala,Regional North West Director, Leroy Merlin Italia, ruled that these three startups were the best out of 10 finalists which participated in the Training Weeks on the run up to the final.
The winners
LIFEdata– People First Artificial Intelligence. A Business Operations Management SaaS which is transforming the way in which people and systems generate profit for their business, with the simplicity of Voice and Instant Messaging, like WhatsApp.
Sooneat – a “make eat easy” initiative which implements an innovative platform to guarantee safety and efficiency forcaterers and their customers in the post Covid-19 era.
Hexagro – a startup founded by a team of engineers, designers, project managers, marketing experts and agronomists from six different countries which aims to reconnect mankind with Nature, through interactive indoor farming experiences.
The teams won a 25 thousand euro grant each, destined to fund technology development & validation activities and the creation of aProof of Concept (PoC) which will be followed-up by a market validation process and an accelerated path at PoliHub, during which time a prototype will be activated at a Ceetrus shopping centre, selected on the basis of specific project characteristics and the centre’s requirements.
“Even at such a delicate time as the one we are currently experiencing, we decided to invest resources and energies for this project”, Marco Balducci, General Manager of Ceetrus Italy, declared, “and our efforts have been rewarded with the results: we are delighted to promote the talent of young professionals who accepted the challenge and submitted truly useful and innovative projects. We look to the future with optimism, with the conviction that there need to be more initiatives of this kind, to give increasing opportunities to a generation so rich in potential. These projects contribute towards the transformation of our current assets and the creation of future living spaces, nurturing a climate that encourages the development of business in our country”.
“We are proud to be able to work with acompany like Ceetrus, which has chosen to invest in innovative startups to design shopping centres of the future. PoliHub will now work alongside Ceetrus to concretely implement the innovative solutions proposed by the winners”, affirms Claudia Pingue, General Manager of PoliHub. “Startups have a fundamental role to play in relaunching the economy. Never before has rethinking new products and services which respond to the evolved needs of people, society and the environment been so important, especially in the industries which are bearing the brunt of the pandemic”.
