Smau

What Smau does

Smau (legal entity SMAU Servizi Srl) is a Milan-based, privately held Italian event and business-matching platform founded in 1964 that connects Italian enterprises and public administrations with startups and innovation enablers. Its core product is the SMAU Roadshow, an annual circuit of territorial events across Italian regions plus international stops in London, Paris, Stockholm, New York, and Milan, where the company facilitates networking, speed pitching, Startup Safari guided tours, and case-study sharing. The platform is anchored by more than 1,000 participating innovative companies, 500+ selected startups, and a 50,000+ annual attendee base.

The company's product portfolio comprises four core modules: (1) SMAU Roadshow as the flagship physical platform; (2) SMAU Academy, a free digital training layer delivering 250+ podcasts and video workshops on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and smauacademy.it, with 200,000 cumulative podcast downloads; (3) Premio Innovazione SMAU, an annual award program recognizing corporate and public-sector innovation cases; and (4) a curated Startup Catalog of 500+ Italian B2B-ready startups filterable by sector. Underlying technology is a business-matching infrastructure for connecting corporates with startups rather than a proprietary software stack; no API, SDK, or mobile application is offered.

Revenue mechanics combine event sponsorships and partnerships from large enterprises (e.g., Eni, Edison, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, FS Group), startup participation fees for exhibiting and pitching access, and award-submission fees for Premio Innovazione. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and participation tiers appear to be negotiated by partner type. The GTM is event-driven: regional calls attract startups and corporates to in-person roadshow dates, supplemented by digital content channels (SMAU Academy, social media, email) that maintain year-round engagement between events. President Pierantonio Macola leads the company, which operates with a 11-50 employee headcount.

Name

Smau

Legal name

SMAU Servizi Srl

Website

https://smau.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smau is a Milan-based Italian event and business-matching platform, founded in 1964, that operates an annual roadshow plus international stops in London, Paris, Stockholm, New York, and Milan to connect Italian enterprises and public administrations with startups for open innovation, supplemented by SMAU Academy training content and the Premio Innovazione award program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Events and Innovation Networking

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE)

Keywords

• Business innovation events
• Open innovation platform
• Startup enterprise matching
• B2B event roadshow
• Professional networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorships and Partnerships: Large enterprises and corporations pay to participate as partners in SMAU events, gaining visibility among the innovation ecosystem and access to startup scouting opportunities.
2. Startup Participation Fees: Startups pay to participate in events and access business matching opportunities with corporate partners and investors.
3. Innovation Award Submissions: Companies and public administrations pay to submit their innovation cases for the Premio Innovazione SMAU award and receive media coverage and recognition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Smau organizes an annual roadshow of innovation events across Italian territories and international cities (Milan, London, Paris, Stockholm, New York), combining networking, professional training, and business matching between enterprises and startups. The platform supports open innovation by connecting large corporations with selected Italian startups, running the SMAU Academy free training content platform and the Premio Innovazione award program.

Product overview

SMAU is a business matching and innovation platform for Italian enterprises and public administrations. The core offering is the SMAU Roadshow—an annual circuit of territorial and international events combining networking, professional training, and case history sharing. Supporting modules include SMAU Academy (free online training platform with podcasts and videos), Premio Innovazione (innovation award program), Startup Safari (guided startup tours), and a Startup Catalog. The platform connects over 50,000 entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals annually with startups, big players, and institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMAU Roadshow Annual circuit of territorial and international events combining networking, professional training, business matching, speed pitching, and case history sharing between enterprises and startups. Features roadshow stops across Italian regions and international destinations, designed for corporate partners, startups, and innovation professionals.
• SMAU Academy Free professional training platform active 365 days a year, offering 50-minute workshop content in podcast format on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and video format on smauacademy.it, covering topics such as Generative AI, neuroselling, employer branding, metaverse, leadership, and gamification. Targets entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals seeking continuous innovation learning.
• Premio Innovazione SMAU

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals reached annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmplifoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare/audiology company serving as a corporate partner in the SMAU innovation ecosystem, engaging in open innovation activities and startup scouting through the platform.
• Chiesi ItaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company participating in SMAU as a partner seeking innovation solutions and engaging with the startup ecosystem.
• EdisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy company actively engaged in open innovation through SMAU, participating in events and seeking startup partnerships for innovation initiatives including HR-focused innovation calls.
• Eni SpAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy major participating in SMAU ecosystem for open innovation and startup scouting activities.
• FS Group (Ferrovie dello Stato)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational railway group actively engaged in SMAU's open innovation program, seeking technology solutions and startup partnerships for transportation innovation.
• FNMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobility company participating in SMAU, notably implementing AI solutions for smart procurement and engaging in open innovation initiatives.
• Hera GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiutility company engaged in open innovation through SMAU, seeking sustainable and digital solutions from the startup ecosystem.
• Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation center of Italy's major banking group supporting open innovation initiatives within the SMAU ecosystem.
• IrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiutility company actively engaged in SMAU, launching calls for Gen AI solutions for communication and seeking innovation partnerships.
• Gruppo Lactalis ItaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy giant participating in SMAU for open innovation, including business unit engagement initiatives and innovation testimonials.
• Simonelli Group SpAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoffee machine manufacturer with S4S (Simonelli for Startup) incubator program created in collaboration with SMAU and other partners, actively seeking sustainable innovation startups.
• Veolia ItaliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental services company participating in SMAU innovation ecosystem.
• Terna S.p.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational electricity transmission operator providing innovation testimony and engaging in open innovation activities through SMAU.
• TrenordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRailway company engaged in SMAU innovation activities, seeking solutions for mobility sector transformation.
• AgosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial services company participating in SMAU as partner showcasing innovation initiatives.
• Angelini IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial group participating in SMAU for open innovation and showcasing innovation efforts.
• DeloittecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional services firm engaged with SMAU ecosystem, providing innovation consulting and participating in events.
• EnelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor energy company actively engaged in SMAU open innovation initiatives and startup scouting.
• PelliconicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturing company participating in SMAU innovation ecosystem, presenting innovation metrics and measurement criteria.
• SnamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy infrastructure company engaged in SMAU, showcasing AI-driven innovation initiatives.
• UnipolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance group participating in SMAU, presenting AI and innovation strategies.
• AceacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility company presenting open innovation strategies at SMAU events.
• E.ONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational energy company seeking innovation partnerships through SMAU.
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal technology company participating in SMAU as a technology partner supporting Italian innovation ecosystem.
• QVC Italia S.r.l.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelevision retail company engaging with SMAU innovation ecosystem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• South Summit: Madrid-based startup and innovation conference. Closely comparable in operating a national innovation event with strong focus on corporate-startup matching, focused on the Iberian and Latin American ecosystems.
• TechCrunch Disrupt: TechCrunch's flagship startup conference. Comparable B2B tech/startup event model with strong brand recognition among the startup ecosystem, though anchored in San Francisco rather than Europe.
• VivaTech: Paris-based annual technology and startup event. Closely comparable in operating a national innovation expo with strong enterprise sponsorship and startup-enterprise matching, serving a large European market.
• 4YFN (Four Years From Now): Startup-focused event co-located with Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Comparable B2B startup-enterprise matching model with strong corporate sponsor base, though operating primarily as a satellite event to a larger anchor conference.
• Web Summit: Global technology conference organizer based in Lisbon, operating flagship events plus regional editions. Directly comparable B2B tech conference model focused on enterprise-startup matching, though at materially larger scale and global geographic footprint.
• Slush: Helsinki-based startup and tech event organizer. Closely comparable model — single anchor event in home market plus international expansion, focused on startup-enterprise matchmaking and community building.
• Codemotion: Italian tech community and conference organizer. Most direct domestic peer in Italy, operating developer- and innovation-focused events, though with a narrower tech-community niche versus Smau's broader enterprise open-innovation focus.
• TNW (The Next Web): Amsterdam-based tech media and conference operator. Comparable in combining a tech news/content platform with annual innovation conferences serving enterprise and startup audiences, with international brand reach.

Broad incumbents

• CES (Consumer Technology Association): The largest global consumer technology trade show, operated by the Consumer Technology Association. Comparable in operating a flagship innovation/tech expo with massive corporate sponsorship, though at an order-of-magnitude larger scale and a different vertical focus.
• Hannover Messe: Germany's flagship industrial technology trade fair. Comparable in operating a major B2B innovation/technology exhibition serving enterprise customers, though focused on industrial/manufacturing technology rather than digital innovation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smaunotes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/smau
• Facebookfacebook.com/smau.it
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smau
• Instagraminstagram.com/instasmau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smau