The Italian Startup Renaissance

Italy is a large, innovative and entrepreneurial economy, but it is not recognized for its technology start-up companies.

From the vantage point of a venture capital firm, Andrea Baldini will present trends and signals pointing towards the evolution of an ecosystem of startup companies with the potential for fostering an "Italian Start-up Renaissance".

New laws and government policies are facilitating innovation, investments and the creation of innovative new companies. Simultaneously the financial and labor crisis is changing the popular mindset and driving a renewed interest in launching entrepreneurial ventures.

The conditions are now ripe for the birth and growth of small Italian businesses with big ambitions. 

Presenter's bio 

Andrea Baldini, Principal, Earlybird 
Andrea Baldini managed Earlybird’s Italian operations since their inception and he is a Principal in the Milan office. Andrea has several years of experience in the high-tech industry, having worked first as a Software Engineer and then as an Engineering Manager for Cisco Systems in Silicon Valley. 

Andrea holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD in Singapore and France, a Master of Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino in Italy.