Boldbrain Startup Challenge is an accelerator for innovative ideas organized by Fondazione Agire with the collaboration of USI Startup Centre.
- Positioning Ticino as an innovation hub by fostering the establishment of high-growth-potential startups and attracting new investors.
- Attracting promising startups from across Switzerland and abroad, encouraging their settlement in Ticino to generate a positive impact on the region, both in terms of creating highly qualified jobs and contributing to tax revenues.
- Bringing back talent and ideas from Ticino natives who have moved abroad by offering concrete opportunities to return and develop innovative projects in the region.
- Providing winners with visibility and national recognition, increasing their chances of accessing funding and growth opportunities.
- Promoting Ticino’s Regional Innovation System (RIS), enhancing the network of stakeholders and resources available to support startups.
Becoming the leading acceleration program in Switzerland for early-stage startups.
Barbara Pin
Barbara Pin
Elia Luculli
Elia Luculli
Umberto Bondi
Umberto Bondi
Fiorenza Trento
Fiorenza Trento
Luca Lamoni
Luca Lamoni
Anastasia Bedova
Anastasia Bedova
In 2008, on the initiative of the then Centro Promozione Start-Up of USI (now USI Startup Centre), the first competition for the best entrepreneurial idea in Ticino was launched, known as the “Premio BSI.”
A few years later, in 2014, the competition was rebranded as “StartCup Ticino.” In 2016, the entry of the Department of Finance and Economy (DFE) of the Canton of Ticino marked a key milestone: for the first time, financial support was introduced not only for the five finalist projects but also for the StartCup Ticino acceleration program, a structured journey where entrepreneurs engaged with experts from various sectors to refine their business models and processes.
In 2017, to further enhance the preparation of finalist projects and foster an entrepreneurial mindset, a three-month intensive coaching period was introduced for 25 projects within StartCup Ticino, in collaboration with Fondazione Agire.
The outstanding results achieved led the organizers to take a bold step forward and redefine the identity of the program. In 2018, the ambition to expand beyond Ticino’s borders and compete with Switzerland’s top accelerators led to the birth of Boldbrain Startup Challenge, Ticino’s premier acceleration program for startups.
