SXSW

Italian Innovators at South by Southwest in Austin: Twelve Startups Among Creative Giants

Italian creativity in the arts meets and stimulates technological innovation at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the Italian pavilion at the SXSW Creative Industries Expo will feature twelve innovative startups, demonstrating the country's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creativity and entrepreneurship on a global scale.

Italy returns to the Texan event after its inaugural participation last year with a pavilion hosting 12 innovative startups—AR Market, Èlevit, Ganiga, Hòra, MYWAI, Pinpoint, Retail Hub, SLY, The Nemesis, TMP Group, Volumio, Volvero—showcasing solutions such as an AI-powered "digital sentinel" detecting fires preemptively, an app for private car sharing, connecting car owners with spare capacity to those in need, AI platforms for retail and the oil industry, a comprehensive operating system for audiophiles integrating all functions for digital music playback available across various platforms, among others.

Alessandra Rainaldi, Italian Trade Commissioner in Los Angeles, states, "Following the tremendous success of our startups at CES in Las Vegas, we continue to support Italian innovation at major exhibitions in the United States, complementing a rich program of initiatives that this year also includes two cohorts of the Global Startup Program and a new edition of Smau in San Francisco. We return to South by Southwest in Austin drawing on the experience of last year, which confirmed that the synergy between creativity and technological innovation is an added value of the Made in Italy brand and an important opportunity for our young companies."

SXSW's Creative Industries Expo, open between March 10 and 13, serves as a nexus for innovative companies worldwide, offering insights into how creativity, powered by technology, will shape future societies. Italy's participation in this event marks a strategic move to engage with key players in the global creative industry and to showcase Italian ingenuity to an international audience.

Scheduled events include the "Spritz, Tech & Sounds" evening at Parkside in Austin, organized by the ITA on March 12: an opportunity for networking with industrial players and investors, featuring pitches from Italian innovative talents alongside showcases from some Italian music representatives at SXSW: Palermitan singer-songwriter Aurora D'Amico, Daniela Mariti, aka Danxgerous, and Turin-based band Plastic Palms.

The ITA Office in Los Angeles coordinates the SXSW mission with its specialized team in innovation and audiovisual-music sectors. The Innovation Desk supports the Italian startups and SMEs in their access to the US Market, through a soft landing platform of services, connections and programs designed for any fundraising, market validation and talent acquisition needs. The Audiovisual Team promotes Italy as a film making destination and synergy between Italian and American industry players, also through the dedicated platform italymeetshollywood.com.