Startups and Innovation: The World of Innovative Startups
10 March 2025The term startup is now commonly used to refer to new evolving businesses, often in the technology sector, with creative business models that address market challenges. Innovative startups are businesses that go beyond traditional models, seeking ideas capable of revolutionizing entire industries. But what does it mean to start an innovative startup? And how can one navigate its creation and financing?
An innovative startup is a company that aims to develop a product, service, or technological solution capable of having an innovative impact on the market.
To be recognized as innovative, a startup must introduce technological innovations, have a scalable business model (where production and sales increases do not result in a proportional increase in costs or cause only a slight rise); be active for no more than 5 years and have an annual turnover of less than 5 million euros.
The cost of starting an innovative startup varies by industry and project complexity, but tends to be higher than for a traditional startup. The expenses include legal company formation, but above all, research and development, technological equipment, a qualified team, marketing, and intellectual property protection. The initial investment can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros.
A startup is considered innovative for the first five years of its activity; after this period, the company loses its status, and consequently, the tax advantages associated with it.
Compared to SMEs, with a stable and established structure, an innovative startup is in the early stages of its journey, and its first goal is to produce innovation. It can finance its activities through various means: venture capital investment funds, crowdfunding, public funding, and bank loans.
Startups are made up of a team of founders with expertise in the sector, and they may involve investors, professionals, companies, or public and private entities.
In Italy, innovative startups are on the rise and are primarily related to the fields of digital technologies, fintech, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence.
Innovative startups are a driving force for economic growth and innovation, capable of transforming the industrial landscape, creating new jobs, and promoting global technological progress. With the right idea, a scalable model, and adequate funding, a startup has the potential to radically change the market.
To become market leaders through an innovative startup, high-level education is an essential prerequisite. Bologna Business School, at the forefront of researching pragmatic and market-oriented educational programs, is a direct bridge between theoretical knowledge and application, between education and the market.
Created with the aim of equipping new managers with the necessary skills to become protagonists of technological innovation, the Professional Master in Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Management is a full-time, 12-month program in English, sponsored by Lab Cini, a reference point for academic research in the IT sector. It is a training path that, thanks to its connection with CINECA, an inter-university consortium and home to the supercomputer Leonardo, is aimed at young graduates who want to become professionals capable of managing innovations.
The Master Executive in Technology and Innovation Management (EMTIM) is a part-time, weekend program lasting 12 months in Italian, aimed at training professionals capable of managing technological innovation while tackling both technical and managerial issues.
The Master Executive in Artificial Intelligence for Business is a 12-month, part-time hybrid program in English, designed for professionals who want to acquire a solid skill set to leverage the potential of artificial intelligence in the business context.
As with all areas of study at the School, BBS offers, alongside its traditional and innovative Master’s programs (MBA, Professional, or Executive), vertical courses focused on a specific topic.
The Open Program in Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI, part-time on campus, in Italian and lasting 5 days, is designed to provide an in-depth and practical understanding of how generative AI can be integrated into business processes to enhance productivity and accelerate innovation.
The Open Program in Technology & Innovation Management, part-time on campus in Italian and lasting 8 days, focuses on acquiring the necessary skills to address strategic, organizational, and operational challenges related to innovation management.
With specific days dedicated to meetings between investors and innovators, Bologna Business School is a forum where students, faculty, alumni, and stakeholders have continuous opportunities for interaction and exchange, as the BBS network has always been one of its key elements of success.
