The competition
STARTUP MARATHON® is a national competition for startups, university spin-offs and innovative SMEs, promoted by Area Science Park, UniCredit Start Lab and Fondazione Comunica. Its aim is to connect innovative companies with investors, large corporations and industrial partners, fostering growth opportunities, investment and open innovation collaborations.
A distinctive feature of the competition is that startups cannot apply directly. Instead, applications are submitted by universities, incubators, accelerators and science and technology parks.
Who can participate?
STARTUP MARATHON® is open to Incubators, Science and Technology Parks, Universities and Accelerators (hereinafter referred to as “Supporting Organizations”), which may nominate the most promising startups, university spin-offs and innovative SMEs (Participating Companies) within their networks.
Two participation tracks are available:
- Growth-stage startups, with products already on the market (TRL > 5, Round A/B);
- Early-stage startups, still in the initial phases of development (TRL ≤ 5) but with strong growth potential.
How to apply
Deadline
The Scuola Normale Superiore may nominate participating companies by 15 September 2026.
Selected startups will then be required to complete their application by 30 September 2026, submitting a video pitch together with the required supporting documentation.
Further information
For more details about the competition, please consult the STARTUP MARATHON® 2026 brochure and the How to Participate section on the official website.