IT4LIA AI Factory is a partner of the AInnovation Startup Contest, an initiative promoted by IEEE Italy Section and dedicated to startups and pre-incubation teams developing Artificial Intelligence–based solutions in areas such as healthcare, energy, robotics, and sustainability.
For this contest, IT4LIA AI Factory provides selected projects with access to the computing power of Leonardo, one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers and a core infrastructure underpinning the AI Factory’s advanced services.
Startups reaching the final stages of the contest will benefit from high-performance computing hours, essential to develop, test, and optimize the Artificial Intelligence models presented during the pitch phase. This represents a unique opportunity to transform ideas into mature, scalable, and market-ready technological solutions, leveraging a world-class computational infrastructure.
The event will take place at DAMA – Tecnopolo Data Manifattura Emilia-Romagna and represents an important opportunity to showcase high-tech entrepreneurial ideas, fostering dialogue between research, industry, and innovation.
The goal of the contest is to support the growth of AI startups and to select the team that will represent Italy at the IEEE Region 8 Entrepreneurship Week 2025/26, a major international showcase for European innovation.
Submitted projects will be assessed based on key criteria, including:
- the level of innovation in the field of Artificial Intelligence
- clarity in problem definition and market understanding
- strength of the business model and scalability potential
- team skills and execution capability
A qualified IEEE committee will evaluate the applications and select up to 10 startups that will advance to the finals of the challenge. A cash prize will be awarded to the winning project.
🔗 Discover all the details of the contest and submit your application by January 31, 2026
