
Cariplo Factory, established to support Italy’s innovation ecosystem and steadfast in its belief that startups are the primary catalysts of transformative innovation, decided during the lockdown to highlight the tremendous efforts of Italian startups. The report captures a snapshot of the initiatives launched to mitigate the crisis. These initiatives span a wide range of actions, from direct interventions in the healthcare sector—such as converting snorkeling masks into respirators—to activities addressing new needs, like home grocery deliveries and entertainment solutions for children isolated from their classmates and friends.
The Startup vs Covid-19 project took shape as a national mapping of all the initiatives launched by startups during the lockdown period. While everything seemed to come to a standstill, there was a part of the country moving at full speed, questioning how to survive the worst crisis of the century, inventing and experimenting with solutions. This is the part of Italy we aimed to capture with our mapping, which today, enriched with data and insights, has been transformed into a concise report. The goal is to document the numerous valuable actions undertaken to support citizens and businesses during the darkest moments of the crisis. More importantly, it seeks to spotlight those typically small, agile, and always innovative businesses that are indispensable for driving change in our economic system.

A total of 150 startups answered our call.
Their efforts spanned a range of sectors, from healthcare to food delivery, digital edutainment platforms, and protecting vulnerable populations. Crises, even the darkest ones, can be opportunities for transformation and improvement.