When in Rome, Do as the Startups Do : Seedcamp

We reached a new landmark last week with our first ever Mini Seedcamp in Italy. With 10 startups and 12 speakers, the stage was set for a day filled with fantastico startups, experienced entrepreneurs, and lots of learning.

Cool stage today at @seedcamp Rome pic.twitter.com/oOyZxE6ANb

— Luca Sartoni (he/him) (@lucasartoni) June 5, 2014

After Carlos explained the history of Seedcamp, there was a lively discussion about the new technologies in health care. The Health 2.0 movement is rapidly gaining steam and traction, propelled by established and startup firms. It was great to hear from Roberto Ascione, President at Razorfish Healthware, Mario Merlo, Director Diabetes Business Unit at Sanofi, and Josipa Majic, Co-founder of Teddy the Guardian.

Then for the startup companies it was their moment to shine! Ten startups pitched and received immediate feedback from the panel. The companies who presented were:

Hairdressr: Client and customer solutions for hairdressers
Jaqard: Visual Q&A for fashion advice
Kickresume: Kick-ass resume maker
Listupp: The best way to discover fashion every day. Enjoy a better choice.
Makoo Jewels: Materialise your emotions
Movym: 2nd-screen technology for product placement
Nextome: Innovative indoor positioning system
Seejay: Give your stories SUPERPOWERS
VMS Me: The fastest push-to-talk app
WalletSaver: Free app for the comparison of mobile tarrifs
ZenQ: Tinder meets LinkedIn for personality endorsements

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Next up was a panel discussion on the digital startup ecosystem in Rome and how it can grow into European hub. Luigi Capello, founder at Luiss Enlabs, and Gian Paolo Manzella, the Regional Advisor to President of Lazio, provided some excellent viewpoints on this, including the importance of collaboration and transparency.

After a networking lunch the audience were treated to a lesson on Growth Hacking. Luca Sartoni, Growth Engineer at Automattic, explained the marketing technique developed by technology startups which uses creativity, analytical thinking, and social metrics to sell products and gain exposure.

Rome Seedcamp Carlos with some of the teams, giving them last minute advice

A highlight of the day was hearing from Nicola Mattina, co-founder at Stamplay, who shared some tips about startup story telling. This is the art of talking about you, your products and your company to different audiences, changing the details but mantaining an overall coherence. It’s a tricky skill that many struggle with but becomes increasingly important when meeting potential clients.

Overall it was a fantastic day and Seedcamp will definitely return to Italy soon! A big thank you to our partners that made this event possible.