The pre-acceleration program really helped us to hone in on critical areas of our business, and also gave us access to an incredible network of mentors and advisors, many of whom we are still in touch with even after the end of the program!
Dayana Yermolayeva and David Linsey, JiPay
The Pre-Acceleration program is a unique opportunity to turn your business ideas into reality, supported by a network of professionals with extensive experience in creating successful startups.
Clarice Buonsante, Tipicality
The Pre-Acceleration program is one of the best opportunities for young startups in Italy. Thanks to B4i, we understood how you can shift from Idea to Startup in the right way.
Alessandro Puppo, Green Games
Our Pre-Accelerator is a 3-month training program designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who are working on early stage business ideas. It aims at helping them develop an MVP (minimum viable product) and validate their business ideas.
Sessions, in the format of practical training and lectures, will cover different aspects of starting up a business, from customer discovery and market assessment to business model and MVP design, operations and financial planning. While attending the program, entrepreneurs will be supported by a dedicated mentor and have access to legal and technical counseling services.
The program is held twice a year and welcomes up to 20 teams per batch. It is completely free and runs online: Saturday morning sessions and evening workshops during the week. This will also allow entrepreneurs who work or study full-time to participate.
There will also be face-to-face networking events at Bocconi University throughout the program (these events might be held online if f2f will not be viable).
Some highlights from our 3rd batch
280+
applications
15
selected teams made of 4 members on average
50+
hours of training
17
speakers
1
mentor assigned to each team
60+
mentorship sessions
The third batch of the Pre-Acceleration program will end in May 2021, after 3 months full of learning, iteration and knowledge sharing.
The group of participants brought together people with very different ages and educational and professional backgrounds. During the program, several topics have been covered and insights have been shared by entrepreneurs and professionals with consolidated experience in varied entrepreneurial ecosystems.
To mark the end of the program, in July, selected teams will participate in a Demo Day pitching their ideas in front of a panel of experts and potential investors.
Applications deadline
The application period closes and our team begins the process of candidates selection
Start of the program
The selected candidates begin their 3-month program
End of the program
The initial ideas of entrepreneurs have now taken the form of a minimum viable product
Demo day
Participants will pitch their ideas in front of a panel of evaluators including potential investors, customers and advisors
Our application calls open twice a year in May and November.
Piero Almiento
Professor of Marketing Management, SDA Bocconi
Fabio Azzolina
Founding Partner, LA&P
Luca Barboni
Independent Consultant, Peekabo
Carlotta Cattaneo
Co-founder, Codemotion
Francesco Ecclesie
Operations Manager, Le Wagon Italy
Rossano Gagliardi
Independent Consultant
Andrea Giannangelo
Co-founder, Iubenda
Francesco Inguscio
CEO, Nuvolab
Jegor Levkovskiy
Independent Consultant
Paolo Lombardi
Independent Consultant
Guido Magrin
CEO & Co-founder, teiacare
Marco Morelli
Professor of Management Accounting and Control Systems, SDA Bocconi
Irene Nocivelli
Manager, Founders Intelligence
Cinzia Parolini
Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship, SDA Bocconi
Giorgio Ponticelli
Executive, Investor
Mauro Pretolani
Senior Advisor, Fondo Italiano
Nicola Redi
Managing Partner, Venture Factory
Filippo Satolli
Co-founder, Instal
Silvia Zamboni
Professor of Operations and Technology Management, SDA Bocconi
Duccio Alberti
Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship, SDA Bocconi
Piero Almiento
Professor of Marketing Management, SDA Bocconi
Simone Autera
Lecturer Dpt. Management and Technology, Bocconi University
Paolo Barbanti
Chief Executive Officer, Pharma & Biotech Advisor
Giovanni Berti
Partner Corporate Hangar, SDA Bocconi
Paola Roberta Boscolo
Account Management, B4i
Antonello Carlucci
Partner, Innovative-RFK
Sabino Costanza
Risk & Strategy Officer - Co-founder, Credimi
Anna De Stefano
Independent Consultant, Italian Angels for Growth
Mikkel Draebye
Professor - Strategy & Entrepreneurship, SDA Bocconi
Vitaliano Fiorillo
Professor of Operations & Supply Chain Management, SDA Bocconi
Francesco Gallmann
Senior Lecturer Operations and Technology, SDA Bocconi
Antonello Garzoni
Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship, SDA Bocconi
Marianna Lo Zoppo
Junior Fellow, Operations & Technology Management, SDA Bocconi
Marco Mottolese
Co-founder, Foorban Srl
Steven Pace
Director of Strategy and Business Development, BLM Group
Cinzia Parolini
Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship, SDA Bocconi
Paolo Pascarelli
Banker, Corporate & Investment Banking, UniCredit
Riadi Piacentini
Lawyer, Thinklegal
Guia Pirotti
Professor - Strategy & Entrepreneurship, SDA Bocconi
Stefano Pogutz
Head of Sustainability Vertical, B4i
Laura Puricelli
Director (Fashion & Luxury) Digital Practice, PwC Italy
Jody Saglia
CTO, Movendo
Filippo Satolli
Co-founder, Instal
Alessandro Tanno
Managing Associate, Linklaters, Angels 4 innovation
Guido Teot
Sales Director Italy, LINK Mobility Group
Silvia Wang
President & Co-founder, Prontopro
Silvia Zamboni
Professor of Operations and Technology Management, SDA Bocconi
If you are a skilled and motivated professional, our Mentorship program is a great opportunity to join a dynamic environment where to share your experience and skills to support our startups and expand your business network.
