Authentica, the business idea originating from the Scuola Normale’s Nest Laboratory, was one of the 10 finalists of the Start Cup Toscana 2024, the Region’s initiative this year organised by the University of Florence on Monday 14 October and awarding prizes to the best high-tech entrepreneurial initiatives from regional university research.
The Normale startup won the prize provided by Rubino&Partners, sponsors of the initiative, which consists of a free service for filing a patent or other industrial property title to protect and enhance the innovative idea.
Authentica has developed a smart system that can estimate the life expectancy of works of art, automatically correct any environmental anomalies to ensure maximum longevity of the works, and upload certificates attesting to their correct conservation, providing collectors with tangible proof of their due diligence, i.e. their good conduct in preserving their collection.
It was devised by Francesca Di Turo, currently a post-doctoral student in the Class of Sciences at the Scuola Normale Superiore, who in her academic career has dealt with the application of scientific methodologies for the historical and artistic knowledge of artistic materials, by Fabio Azzarello, a PhD student in Nanosciences at the Scuola Normale Superiore, and by Professor Francesco Cardarelli.
The Start Cup Toscana 2024 prizes were presented by Professor Francesco Cardarelli, Pro-rector of Technology Transfer at the Scuola Normale.