Meet the 10 most talented Italian entrepreneurs and their startups

Women's entrepreneurship has been a hot topic for a long time now. But are we really moving forward or are we just talking about it? 🤔

At Plug and Play Tech Center we strongly believe in a more equal and inclusive future for entrepreneurship, that's why in this article we will present the situation in Italy and globally and introduce you to the 10 most interesting female-led Italian startups known through our FoundHER program 🚀 aimed at facilitating the success of female entrepreneurs through opportunities and connections related to our network. 

To celebrate our program, we are organizing an aperitivo 🍸 with Eleonora Chioda in our office in Milano, on December 14th, from 6.30pm! Join the event to learn more about the initiative, our programs, and to meet some of our successful startups. Click 👉 here to register to the event.

Now let's go back now to the female entrepreneurship scenario 🔎 in Italy, which unfortunately is not encouraging: today according to the Osservatorio sull’Imprenditoria femminile by Unioncamere, out of 6 million businesses in Italy, only 1.3 million are led by women, meaning 22 % of the total, and if we consider #startups, the situation gets even worse: the report on innovative startups in Italy tells us that women's businesses represent only 13.4 %.

These numbers do not make us happy, but they are quite consistent with what we observe globally: Statista analyzed that 20% is the share of startups with at least one female founder globally, and according to the World Economic Forum women entrepreneurship is growing around the world (especially in the US , but obstacles remain and men still outnumber women 3-1 when it comes to business ownership).

So, is there any magic formula 🔮🪄 to solve this situation and increase inclusion and diversity in the startup world? We don't believe in magic (only unicorns! 🦄) but we are confident that collaboration and valuable networking are the building blocks for building a more equitable and richer future (yes, because more diversity is proven to lead to better outcomes). 

Based on this premises, we present you the Italian edition 🇮🇹 of our program FoundHER: a strong and tangible commitment to scout for the most talented foundHERs around, make them visible to the world, and support them in their growth! Together with us Angels4Women - the first Italian Business Angels group dedicated to female-led startups, B Heroes - a holding company focused on investing and accelerating early-stage companies with high scalability potential with their call dedicated to female founders B Wonder, GammaDonna - the Community promoting youth and female entrepreneurship, SheTech -the association founded to bridge the gender gap in the world of technology, digital and entrepreneurship, and UniCredit Start Lab, a multi dimensional business platform to help drive business ideas forward. Not only external partners, but of course all our Corporate Partners who share our same vision. Thank you all, the road is long and uphill, but together we can make a difference! 💪

But let's start: meet our 10 FoundHERS!

Aroundrs

Aroundrs, led by Giulia Zanatta is the Italian startup ready to disrupt the world of disposable packaging with its fleet of reusable containers! Did you know that packaging makes up the 36% of all waste produced in Europe? 🍔 Here comes Aroundrs to help increasing the sustainability of food packaging! 🍕

No matter what you’d like to eat and drink, if it is pizza, burger, sushi, or coffee, because Aroundrs offers the whole package against disposable packaging waste. 🍣

And do you know what’s more? The reusable containers are also take-out and delivery friendly! Also, no worries, the package is dishwasher 🫧 and microwave safe.

🥇 Aroundrs won the program and has access to 5-month acceleration program (fee free ed equity free) with Plug and Play

OutlierZ

Let’s face reality: did you know that 87% of millennials and Gen Z say they have work-related problems? 😔 Unfortunately we live in a context of "great resignation", and feeling well at work is becoming more and more crucial.

How many times have you had a work-related problem and didn’t know who to talk to? 🤐Now you don’t have to deal with them all by yourself, OutlierZ, led by Letizia Martelli is here to help: connect with a network of great minds who don’t think alike and get a different perspective that boosts your career!

But how does it work? You can choose a professional from their community based on your needs and talk it out, taking that weight off your chest. 😌

OutlierZ was also reward with the access to the "Beesness Class" "Finance is Cool" by GammaDonna.

SiriusGame

How can a game be serious? SiriusGame is a gamified platform ideated by Laura Cesaro , dedicated to the teaching and learning of humanities in Italian secondary schools. 🤓

SiriusGame is a win-win app for everybody: students can have fun while learning, and teachers 👩🏫 can take advantage of the most innovative teaching methodologies to make their classes far more entertaining and engaging. No more sleep in class! 💤

The app has the goal to propose an inclusive teaching, by supporting each student. 📚Among the theoretical roots of the app we find pedagogical theories such as Social Constructivism, Immersive Learning, Socio-Emotional learning, Positive Psychology, with special attention to the development of critical thinking, the exploration of diversity and activism for the social. 

OutlierZ and Sirius Game were also rewarded with 2 office hours at Plug and Play and 2 office hours with B Heroes.

RooFinders Milan

Roofinders, born from an idea of Belén A. creates experiences to remember for life! ✈️ This startup creates hustle-free experiences for international, off-site students and young professionals, offering amazing places to live, a community of wonderful people to share them with and good vibes! ☀️

You don’t even have to worry about paperwork 📝 or going crazy with the planning, because Roofinders offers life-facilitating services and helps you with everything you need for a memorable stay, keeping the troubles away, from paperwork and airport pick up, to bike rental 🚴, gym passes, and also Italian lessons. Roofinders is active in Milano, but promises to launch in other cities soon. 

GRLS

GRLS is a networking platform ideated by Benedetta Tornesi dedicated to women and non-binary people with the aim to fight the gender gap. The community today counts with 20k professionals, managers, freelancers and entrepreneurs. GRLS offers opportunities to meet and connect with professionals from different sectors to encourage the collaboration between women 👭 to make the working world more inclusive and accessible. 

Among their services, the startup includes GLRS Club, a safe space, both physical and digital, created to get in touch with ambitious and curious people who share the same values; GRLS Academy 🎓 where you can find useful materials to boost your career, and there is also GRLS Magazine. 

Family+Happy SB | Soluzioni di Employee Retention & Engagement

Family+Happy led by Cinzia Tessarolo wants to solve parents’ problems in a short time and with an affordable price. The startup provides a service that shapes, profiles, and associates the ideal nanny for your child based on your kid's needs and age. 🍼

Are you in a hurry? 🆘 No problem, the service has you covered: using SOS, Family + Happy allows you to find a babysitter in just 90 minutes, thanks to the technology that makes a faster and safer selection process to find the perfect match. 

But how are the nannies selected? Each babysitter is certified 📜 with a unique system based on emotional intelligence, first aid skills and final interview. 

ClioTech

ClioTech is an innovative start-up born from an idea of Paola Maresca specialized in the design and implementation of IT solutions and digital marketing in support of smart mobility 🚗 and also in consulting and operational management of CRM and customer loyalty activities for automotive dealers.

The startup has developed LIVE CAR, an innovative mobile app fully customizable to the needs of the automotive dealer 🚙 through which the dealer will be in constant contact with his customer file and update at any time. The startup’s aim is to be the strategic reference in understanding their customers and in identifying medium/ long-term decisions maximizing investments. 📈

Green Growth Generation (GGG)

GreenGrowthGeneration led by Gabriella Esposito wants to develop a green generation able to create a positive impact. ✌️ The startup is a community accelerator platform aimed to boost green growth and sustainability, promoting the connection of eco-communities. 🌱

The objective is to embrace inclusion, giving the opportunity to communities to grow together, and through the platform communities exchange experiences, methodologies, projects and knowledge with the support of community experts.

GreenGrowthGeneration counts 3 pillars: food and sustainable agriculture; sustainable cities and communities; education, art and culture. 

Duck Internship

Are you looking for an internship? 💼 Duck Internship, founded by Anita Da Ros helps high school students, undergraduates and recent graduates to carry out highly professional internships at companies and institutions around the world, and guess what, language certifications are not required! The platform helps you to find the perfect work experience abroad 🌎 to shape your future, taking care of everything, including paperwork and accommodation. And then? Duck Internship claims that in 80% of cases the trainees are offered a job!

Afraid to leave alone? No problem, Duck Internship allows you to bring a friend with you 🤝 sharing the accommodation and working in the same city. 

Sphera Encapsulation S.r.l.

Meet Sphera Encapsulation, presented by Martina Vakarelova , the first Italian biotechnology company dedicated to research and development in micro and nano-encapsulation. 🧪 The innovative technology has many potential applications, and today the startup is specialized in: food and nutrition, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetic industry, agro-chemical products, and animal feed. 🔬

Maximum customization and state-of-the-art techniques combined with a creative approach are among the many benefits for the client. 🔬 Sphera Encapsulation takes inspiration from nature and pays attention to sustainability, using only 100% biodegradable shells. 

What's next?

Here we come to the end of this article. We wish our 10 FoundHERs best of luck 🍀 with their projects and a successful journey, and we hope to see in the future a lot of blossoming 🌸 realities led by women. Let's keep on supporting women!