PROMOTING FEMALE INNOVATION

From 2-5 November, the UniCredit Tel Aviv Bootcamp kicks-off to discover how Israel’s innovation ecosystem works and give practical support to 20 Italian start-ups and scale-ups led by female entrepreneurs.

The initiative is dedicated to start-ups and scale-ups who have taken part in UniCredit Start Lab, the bank’s business platform for innovative Italian start-ups. The programme includes virtual meetings with main players from Israel’s innovation ecosystem.

The initiative will give us an opportunity to analyse the dynamics that have taken Israel to the top of the world ranking for innovative companies and for patents. The country has an extremely vibrant start-up market and attract capital billions in investment capital each year. In 2019, Israeli start-ups and high-tech companies completed over 500 investment deals, raising $8.3 billion.

The boot camp will also offer the opportunity to present entrepreneurial projects to an audience of Israeli corporates and investors.

The programme is dedicated to scale-ups and start-ups led by women that have been helped by the bank in recent years through the UniCredit Start Lab project. Francesco Giordano, co-CEO of Commercial Banking Western Europe at UniCredit, said: ‘The Tel Aviv Bootcamp initiative combines two topics which are of strategic importance for UniCredit. First, equal opportunities and diversity and inclusion, which are key values for our Group and the focus of dedicated activities to increase and support diversity at all levels. Second, innovation, which is among the most effective growth vectors for the economy and a key pillar of UniCredit’s actions. I’m delighted to see the continued success of our UniCredit Start Lab business platform and its impact on innovative start-ups.”