THE FINALISTS of the "START-UP INITIATIVE / GLOBAL SOCIAL VENTURE COMPETITION "

 • 1st place: SwissLeg (Lugano) - Healthcare & Medical

• 2nd place: Charity Stars ( Milan) - Nonprofit

• 3rd place: Leevia (Trento) - crowdfunding platform

The event is organized by Intesa Sanpaolo Start-Up Initiative and Banca Prossima, in collaboration with Alta Scuola Impresa e Società dell'Università Cattolica di Milano (ALTIS), Italeaf, Fondazione Filarete, Associazione San Michele Valore Impresa, Associazione ProSpera and U-Start.

Milan - Nine start-up for as many innovative ideas with high social impact. It's the result of the Italian chapter of the "Global Social Venture Competition" (GSVC), the International Prize from the University of Berkeley designed to encourage and develop business ideas with high social relevance and environmental impact. "Global Social Venture Competition" in Italy uses the formula designed for "Intesa Sanpaolo Start-Up Initiative", the platform of Intesa Sanpaolo dedicated to entrepreneurial businesses highly innovative. The scope of the event is to facilitate the meeting between innovative businesses and investors that include investment funds, business angels, venture capital, institutions and companies.

9 startups have been selected among 80 business plans submitted. The criteria taken into account were the potential social impact and the potential business idea. At the end of the arena meeting the finalists were:

• 1st place: SwissLeg (Lugano) - Healthcare & Medical

• 2nd place: Charity Stars (Milan) - Nonprofit

• 3rd place: Leevia (Trento) - crowdfunding platform

The first two start-up classified will represent Italy at the "Global Finals" of GSCV, in Berkeley from 9 to 11 April 2014 where it will compete with business ideas from around the world for the top prize of $ 25,000; moreover they will participate to the 'U- Start Conference ", take advantage of the legal advice of "Bird&Bird" and the marketing advise for the web and new media of "Creare Valore".

Special prizes were awarded in relation to the area of operations:

• Best idea "Green and Circular Economy" to the start-up Diptera (Mestre - VE ): 1 year of incubation in Italeaf;
• Best idea "Bioeconomy" to the start-up Madegus : 6 months of incubation in Parco Tecnologico Padano;
• Best idea "Health" to the start-up On- Iris (Genova): 6 months of incubation in Fondazione Filarete;
• Best idea "ICT " to the start-up Leevia (Trento): 2 years of free membership U -Start on the platform and the opportunity to participate in "U-Start Conference "
• Best idea from Milan to start-up Intrart: services for start-ups by Crispy and Startmiup.

All nine finalists will have access to a free membership for one year on the platform www.u - start.biz .