Hubble is an acceleration program dedicated to developing the best pre-seed and seed stage digital startups..
The program is characterized by selective screening activities and is aimed at transforming startups into strong entrepreneurial entities, improving their market position, as well as growing and scaling their business models.
Given the program's high socioeconomic impact, Hubble will see the selected startups grow through mentorship, training and networking during a 4-month acceleration period.
Each year, from hundreds of applicants, Hubble selects up to 6 projects which will then be supported financially with a grant and accompanied on their acceleration path through supportive professionals and mentors, as well as physical spaces to work in.
The program was born from the collaboration between Fondazione CR Firenze, Fondazione per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione and Nana Bianca, and its first objective is to create a digital ecosystem of impact on the territory and support new, innovative startups.
Each selected startup will receive a grant of up to 100k for the development of its business.
You will have access to digital services and plans at favorable prices, from the main players of the digital world, for the value of 250.000 euros.
The program provides work stations for the whole team, inside our coworking space located in the Florence Fondazione CR Innovation Center.
The program provides all teams with the opportunity to take advantage of a precise and customized formative plan, consisting of 1to1 entrepreneurial counseling with professionals, experts and mentors of Nana Bianca’s network.
We offer the coaching of a highly experienced mentor for each accelerated startup.
You will become part of our network of investors, entrepreneurs and local businesses.
We offer support and counseling during your startup’s fundraising process.
Throughout the year, the batch will be enriched with a series of key events including convergence days with the network and the local area, as well as workshops open to the city. These include, for example, the end-of-term Demo Day, an event also open to international investors and stakeholders.
First, we will analyze and improve your business plan: we will do this together with you, your team and your mentor, to get you off to the best start.
We will test your business idea, putting together everything needed to make your project market-ready in the shortest time possible
An ad-hoc data collection where we will give you everything you need to make your business fully sustainable and scalable
The right managerial preparation to launch your venture to the marketplace: this phase will define the roles, tasks, goals, and intermediate milestones to be achieved
Do you have questions? Our team can help you find the answers.
Selected startups will receive a grant of up to 100,000 euros in cash. The program consists of 16 weeks of training, dedicated mentorship and acceleration activities. It will take place in Florence within the spaces of Nana Bianca and the Innovation Center of Fondazione CR Firenze. In exchange for the support provided, Nana Bianca reserves the right to acquire up to 15 % in equity options, which will be divided between Nana Bianca and the sponsoring entities according to varying shares.
We prefer applications from teams with a marketable prototype, but we also consider prototypes in beta stage that need some further development. You will be required to submit an Investor Deck containing the following information:
Problem Solution - Growth Stage Traction / KPI's Value Proposition (What's different?) Competitive Landscape Customer Segment - Revenue Model Team - Details on legal constitution of the company Total Funds Raised Current CAP table (Max 12 slides!).
The Hubble accelerator program is dedicated to startups with a strong digital connotation. At this stage, we are happy to support projects in the areas of Saas, Mobile App, Blockchain, Dapp & Web3, Smart Cities Solutions, IoT, Sharing Economy, Circular Economy, Energy, Health and Bioinformatics. We have great experience in online marketing, advertising tech, mobile, and e-commerce, but we believe in synergies and rely on a valuable network of mentors.
The program is 16 weeks long and requires your team to relocate to Florence. It is intensive, comprehensive and geared toward global competition. You will have the opportunity to interact with our pool of mentors and industry professionals, who will be available to you for a total of +60 hours during the 4-month acceleration. Training sessions and workshops will also be organized to help you achieve the metrics and traction you need to proceed to future investment rounds
No. We are only interested in your business idea and the demo you have prepared. Our program follows a standard approach, both established companies and teams yet to be established are accepted.
For companies incorporated abroad (EU): not necessarily, but you still need to register a company headquartered in Florence in order to participate in the program.
For companies incorporated in Italy: it is' required to register the registered or operational office in Florence in order to participate in the program. We will help you with the paperwork.
All selected teams must be legally or operationally based in Florence. Incorporation of the company based in Florence is mandatory, and you will have 60 days from the time of admission to the program to register the new entity. Don't worry though, we will help you with the paperwork.
No. You will receive the grant in tranches, contingent on reaching milestones, that you will be notified of once you are admitted to the program. At the end of the program you will have received the full amount. Some of the milestones are generic and pertaining to the program, while others will be specific to your team. Generally speaking, milestones pertaining to the program will be communicated once you are admitted, while specific milestones may be awarded as the program progresses.
We expect 250% commitment from you and your team. Our program is intensive and structured to help promising entrepreneurial projects become globally competitive. You and your team will be immersed from day one and are expected to participate and bring out the most from every input you receive.
