The Winners of Start Cup Padova 2025
23.10.2025
Start Cup Padova is a competition organised by the University of Padua to promote innovative entrepreneurial ideas. With over twenty years of experience, it has involved more than 1,760 groups and generated over 5,000 business plans, contributing to the creation of 81 spin-offs and startups. The prizes include funding (€6,000 for the first place, €5,000 for the second, and €4,000 for the third), training, and business consulting. Additionally, special mentions are awarded for ideas on social innovation, female entrepreneurship, and climate change.
The Start Cup Padova 2025 final took place on Wednesday, 22 October, and the winners, who will participate in the National Innovation Award (PNI) in Ferrara on 4 and 5 December, are:
1st place: SuperUnit (Industrial category)
The team of Riccardo Zulli, Filippo Fabrizi, and Fabio Santi, led by Professor Sara Spilimbergo, developed a technology based on pressurised CO2 for the preservation of fresh food, ensuring microbiological safety and extended shelf life without high temperatures.
2nd place: B-APP (Life Science category)
Ilaria Toniolo, Gianluca Mazzucco, Emanuele Luigi Carniel, Chiara Giulia Fontanella, Alice Berardo, and Beatrice Pomaro created software that integrates Digital Twin, Augmented Reality, and Artificial Intelligence to support surgeons in planning bariatric surgeries, improving safety and awareness in the operating room.
3rd place: DOM-SYSTEM (Industrial category)
Matteo Paganelli, Lorenzo Rostro, Enrico Paganelli, and Kevin Ceccarelli developed a wearable intra-oral device for continuous monitoring of occlusal forces, improving the diagnosis and treatment of occlusal dysfunctions.
Special Awards:
Social Innovation Award: WeTambara (ICT category)
Diego Benna and Nicola Lovo created an educational platform that automates exercise correction and offers personalised support to students through artificial intelligence.
Female Entrepreneurship Award: Kairòs (Culture Creativity & Inclusive Society category)
Anna Sammassimo and Cornelia Luciana Campean developed a management platform for religious organisations and the Third Sector, integrating accounting, impact assessment, and access to grants and funding.
Climate Change Award: Sorti (CleanTech & Energy category)
Alvise Barbaro, Paolo Calvanico, Lorenzo Cimarosti, and Jacopo Garau designed a smart bin based on artificial intelligence for automatic waste separation.
Youth Entrepreneurship Award: Pink Moon (Culture Creativity & Inclusive Society category)
Sabrina Cuogo, Alberto Garilli, Lorenzo Sambataro, and Daniele Volpe founded an independent publishing house that uses board games as a cultural and social medium.
