Piquadro is ready to promote innovation and young entrepreneurship, supporting the best business idea in the technology area applied to the luggage field and fashion accessories.
The prizes are up to € 100K and a period of acceleration program in Silicon Valley to train and help the business development.
Piquadro has been incorporating innovative technologies in its products: for example, for the Bagmotic capsule collection.
The collection includes a computer backpack able to communicate with smartphones thanks to a powerbank wireless, that allows to recharge devices and to connect them with the Connequ app, created by Piquadro.
This app manages a lot of functions, and it can be used for different purposes. It alerts in the case of theft, or loss of the luggage. It can weigh the baggage, for instance, among many other features.
Furthermore, a lot of products present a socket integrated to the bags that allow recharging all the devices.
Last but not least, recently a smart-lock easy to manage from smartphones has been developed.
The aim of the Funding Program is to find innovative and exciting ideas grown outside Piquadro, to create stimulating activities in different fields.
The contest will end with an event, in which Startups will pitch their ideas to a judging board including some internal advisors and some investors.
Prizes for € 100.000 have been allocated for the winners, to allow a capital increase in return of percentage of shares from the company’s capital.
Through Piquadro investment company, named PIQUBO, Piquadro has gained experience in the startup field, and it will be used to evaluate all the applications received considering the fit they may have to Piquadro company’s values.
Piquadro is open and willing to invest in other categories but fashion and travel accessories is priority.
Further than the investment part, Piquadro will support the winning team widely, to help with some assets and company know-how. That could go from hosting the startup in the headquarters in Italy to supporting it within the company’s network.