Infrastructure: CrossConnect Startups Debut in Catania

Infrastructure monitoring, predictive maintenance, energy efficiency and sustainable management of resources. These are the areas in which the startups that participated in Catania at CrossConnect Expo operate, organized by CrossConnect, an accelerator dedicated to startups that develop innovative solutions for physical and digital infrastructures, which is part of the National Network of Accelerators of Cdp Venture Capital, and is managed and co-invested by Plug and Play and Elis Innovation Hub and with the support of Eni, through Joule, its school for business, Saipem, Buzzi Unicem and Sonatrach Raffineria Italiana as corporate partners.

An event that was a concrete opportunity to enhance the network built around CrossConnect, with the aim of facilitating the meeting between the most cutting-edge startups in the sector and an audience of companies, investors, institutional stakeholders and industry experts. «A moment of discussion and shared vision, designed to grow the entire innovation ecosystem» explain the organizers. «We can say we are proud to have supported some of the most promising companies in the field of infrastructure present in Italy today - says Giuseppe Idone, Program manager of CrossConnect -. Offering them direct access to the know-how and support of our partners is not only a growth accelerator for the individual companies involved, but also represents a concrete investment in the development of a more competitive and resilient infrastructure ecosystem».

Indeed, ample space was reserved for the pitches of the startups of the first batch of the program, which presented innovative solutions to an audience of companies, investors, universities and research centers. "The synergic collaboration between startups and large industrial companies has accelerated growth and favored cutting-edge solutions, demonstrating the value of co-creation and our commitment to building a more competitive, resilient and sustainable ecosystem for the future" says Erika Lucciola, Head of corporate innovation at Elis Innovation Hub.

Among the leading startups are Archimede of Syracuse, which develops autonomous and satellite-connected IoT devices for remote monitoring in areas not connected to the traditional electricity grid; Displaid, founded in Milan, which offers a scalable solution for the monitoring and predictive maintenance of bridges, viaducts and other infrastructures, based on AI and Smart Sensors; Hyperwind of Naples, which increases the efficiency of wind turbines with an innovative active air flow control system; Reviway, which in Reggio Emilia has developed an automated system for road maintenance based on automated vehicles that detect and repair potholes by reusing existing asphalt; River Cleaning in Vicenza, has developed a modular floating barrier to recognize, divert and collect waste in waterways; the Milanese SunCubes, which uses laser technology for long-distance wireless energy transmission, suitable for drones and sensors for monitoring infrastructures; Trailslight of Bologna, which combines acoustic sensors and AI to improve the management of urban lighting and detect critical situations in real time.

"We are very proud to see the results achieved in the first edition of the CrossConnect Accelerator - says Stefano Molino, Senior Partner and Head of Accelerators Fund at Cdp Venture Capital -. Thanks to the talent of the seven selected startups and the valuable contribution of the co-investors and all the partners involved, we have stimulated the growth of entrepreneurial realities that develop innovative solutions to change the models of energy, water or road infrastructures. We look with enthusiasm to the next steps, certain that we will continue to make a difference together by supporting these realities in their development path".