Rome Future Week
Rome Future Week is a private Italian company that organizes an annual distributed innovation festival in Rome, aggregating independently hosted events from startups, universities, institutions, and enterprises into a single curated program, and monetizing through multi-tier sponsorship packages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersRome, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rome Future Week does
Rome Future Week (RFW) is a privately held Italian innovation festival operated by SCAI Comunicazione srl Società Benefit, founded in Rome in 2023 by Michele Franzese. The company organizes an annual distributed (city-wide) innovation event that aggregates hundreds of independently organized events — talks, workshops, hackathons, contests, and cultural programs — into a single curated program aligned with a yearly theme (e.g., "Mutazioni" in 2025, "Materia Prima" in 2026). RFW serves three primary constituencies: event organizers (companies, startups, universities, cultural institutions, schools, and public bodies) who submit and host events through a self-serve platform; attendees (innovation professionals, students, entrepreneurs, and the general public) who discover and register for events free of charge; and sponsors and partners seeking visibility within Rome's innovation ecosystem.
The underlying technology is a web-based event aggregation and management platform that supports event submission, registration, ticketing, RSVP tracking (with CSV/Excel export), and program publication. This is layered with a multi-channel communication stack: a website and blog, an email newsletter, four official podcast series (Rome Future Week, EduTech Frontiers, Roma si fa spazio, Racconti di Passaggio), and active accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. The 2026 edition introduces 13 thematic Future Hubs (AI, Startup, Space, Cybersecurity, Cinema, Business, Health, etc.) hosted at partner venues, providing vertical depth within the distributed festival model. Supporting programs include Corti Futuri (short-film contest with RAI Cinema), Rome Future Night (evening venue network), Rome Future Days (year-round bridge programming), Future Explorer (under-30 program with certifications), and the FutuROMA speculative-fiction anthology. Brand identity is protected by the registered "Rome Future Week®" trademark and reinforced by the Pinnacle Awards 2024 (USA).
RFW's business model is platform- and sponsorship-mediated rather than ticketed. Attendees participate for free; event organizers submit events at no charge and bear their own production costs. Revenue is generated primarily through multi-tier sponsorship packages (Main Sponsor, Main Partner, per-hub sponsorship, and Boost visibility packages for individual events) and through media/patronage relationships. Distribution is regional (Rome metropolitan area within roughly 20–30 km), with institutional backing from Roma Capitale providing legitimacy and access to public venues. Across three editions RFW has aggregated 974 events, 75,000+ participants, 2,500+ enterprises, 250+ venues, 250+ ambassadors, and 1,000+ organizers, with no external funding raised to date.
Rome Future Week firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rome Future Week
- Legal name
- SCAI Comunicazione srl Società Benefit
- Website
- https://romefutureweek.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rome Future Week is a private Italian company that organizes an annual distributed innovation festival in Rome, aggregating independently hosted events from startups, universities, institutions, and enterprises into a single curated program, and monetizing through multi-tier sponsorship packages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rome Future Week industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Innovation Events and Festival Management
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM)
Keywords
Where Rome Future Week is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rome
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rome Future Week business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Event Production Services to Organizers: Rome Future Week provides the platform, branding guidelines, central communication infrastructure, and program curation. Individual event organizers bear their own production costs (location, technical equipment, hospitality, staff, materials, permits). RFW acts as an aggregator and amplifier rather than a direct event producer.
- Sponsorship and Partnership Programs: Sponsorship packages are offered at multiple tiers: becoming a sponsor gives brand visibility within the RFW ecosystem. The 2026 sponsor tiers include options such as Boost packages for additional event visibility, Main Partner and Main Sponsor roles for thematic hubs, and general sponsorship of the overall festival. Media partnerships and patronages (Patrocini) also feature.
- Boost Visibility Packages: Optional paid Boost packages allow organizers to amplify their individual events on RFW channels, providing additional promotional visibility beyond the standard program listing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Standard event listing — free participation in the official program |
| Subscription | Annual | Boost visibility packages for enhanced event promotion |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Rome Future Week product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rome Future Week organizes a week-long distributed innovation festival held annually in Rome, aggregating independently organized events by companies, startups, universities, institutions, and communities into a single curated program. The core offering combines an event aggregation/management platform, thematic Future Hubs, sponsorship programs, and year-round Rome Future Days programming, supported by digital content (podcasts, blog) and initiatives like Corti Futuri and FutuROMA.
Product overview
Rome Future Week is a distributed innovation festival ecosystem rather than a single software product. The core offering is the annual Rome Future Week event—a week-long festival with hundreds of events across Rome. This is supported by year-round Rome Future Days programming, 13 thematic Future Hubs (2026), the Rome Future Night venue network, the Corti Futuri short film contest, and an Ambassador network of approximately 55 members. Digital content products include four official podcasts (Rome Future Week Podcast, EduTech Frontiers, Roma si fa spazio, Racconti di Passaggio) and the FutuROMA science fiction anthology book. The organization also operates an event management platform for organizers to submit and manage events within the festival ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Future Hub: Thematic spaces where ideas, people and skills concentrate for vertical immersion during the event week. 13 hubs planned for 2026 edition covering topics like AI, Startup, Space, Cybersecurity, Business, Design, Cinema, Health, and more.
- Rome Future Days
- Rome Future Night
- Corti Futuri
- FutuROMA
- Future Explorer
Products and services
- Rome Future Week (Main Festival) Italy's largest distributed innovation festival held annually in Rome, bringing together companies, startups, universities, institutions, and communities for a week of events focused on technology, culture, and future-oriented themes. The 4th edition is scheduled September 21-27, 2026 with the theme 'Materia Prima'.
- Sponsorship Packages Tiered sponsorship packages providing brand visibility within Rome's innovation ecosystem. Tiers include Main Partner and Main Sponsor roles for thematic Future Hubs, plus general festival sponsorship options.
- Boost Visibility Packages Optional paid Boost packages enabling event organizers to amplify their individual events on RFW channels, providing additional promotional visibility beyond the standard program listing.
- Future Hub Thematic spaces across 13 locations where content, relationships, and communities concentrate for multi-day vertical immersion on specific topics including AI, startups, space, cybersecurity, and creative industries.
- Rome Future Days Year-round thematic events bridging editions of Rome Future Week, organized by companies, startups, universities, and cultural spaces to explore future aspects including technology, sustainability, work, health, culture, and urban transformation.
- Rome Future Night Network of selected venues aligned with RFW spirit and values (bars, restaurants, cultural spaces, clubs) that open doors to the community during evenings of the innovation week.
- Corti Futuri Creative contest challenging participants to write, film, and edit original short films inspired by secret themes within 6 days, with winning works featured on Rai Cinema's platform.
- FutuROMA Science fiction anthology book curated by Andrea Angiolino and Luigina Sgarro, featuring stories by Italian authors including Premio Urania winners, exploring Rome's possible futures.
- Event Platform Digital platform for event submission, registration, and management, enabling organizers to create events, manage registrations, track attendees, and publish to the official RFW program. Includes CSV/Excel export capabilities for RSVP tracking.
Quantifiable outcome
- 75,000+ participants across 3 editions (2023–2025)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Rome Future Week
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Rome Future Week technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Rome Future Week partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Roma Capitale — Assessorato alle Attività Produttive, alle Pari Opportunità e all'Attrazione InvestimenticoreRoma Capitale is a central institutional partner, providing political and administrative support for the festival. The Assessorato alle Attività Produttive co-brands the event and facilitates participation of city entities, schools, and public institutions.
- Open FibermajorOpen Fiber was a partner of the 2025 edition, hosting 'Re-thinking innovation' programming focused on research and next-generation digital connectivity infrastructure.
- RUFA — Rome University of Fine ArtsmajorRUFA collaborated with Rai Cinema and Rome Future Week for cinema-focused programming, including the Corti Futuri short film contest where winning works were made available on Rai Cinema's platform.
- Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale (ACN)majorACN held an Open Day at RFW 2025 to raise awareness of cybersecurity careers and the national cyber security professional ecosystem.
- Lazio InnovamajorLazio Innova presented EU funding opportunities managed by the Lazio Region at RFW 2025, connecting enterprises and organizations with European investment programs.
- AMA (Azienda Municipale Ambiente)minorAMA opened the U.c.r.o.n.i.a. space to students and startups during RFW 2025, supporting urban innovation and circular economy projects.
- SCAI Comunicazione srl Società BenefitcoreSCAI Comunicazione srl Società Benefit is the company that conceives, organizes, and promotes Rome Future Week. It operates the event platform, manages communications, and coordinates the overall festival production.
- INDIRE and IUL (Università degli Studi Giustino Fortunato)majorPartners for the EduTech Frontiers podcast series, exploring the transformation of education — from schools and universities to professional training — as part of the RFW content ecosystem.
- RBS Research CenterminorRBS Research Center co-authored the 'Roma, Milano, Torino: l'innovazione a confronto' report with RFW, analyzing players, infrastructure, and innovation metrics across Italy's three major cities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Rome Future Week competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wired Next Fest: Wired Italy's annual innovation and future-themed festival, hosted in Italy with multi-stage programming, sponsors, and a similar audience of innovators, professionals, and youth. Competes for the same national sponsor pool and media coverage that RFW targets.
- TechCrunch Disrupt: Flagship startup and technology conference with global brand recognition, sponsor tiers, and a heavily curated program. Comparable to RFW in audience (founders, investors, enterprise) and GTM (open call applications for speakers and exhibitors) but operates as a single venue event.
- Maker Faire Rome: Italy's flagship innovation and maker event held annually in Rome. It overlaps directly with RFW on target audience (innovators, startups, families, students), geography (Rome), and thematic focus on technology, and is the closest direct competitor for sponsor mind-share in the Italian capital.
- Milano Digital Week: A city-wide distributed digital and innovation week in Milan, structurally identical to RFW's model: an aggregated program of independently organized events under a unifying brand. The closest analogue to RFW in operating format and a direct reference for any future expansion to other Italian cities.
- Slush: Helsinki-based startup and tech conference with strong founder brand and curated thematic programming. Comparable to RFW in scale (tens of thousands of attendees), target audience (startups/tech), and emphasis on a flagship annual moment anchored by sponsors and media partnerships.
- Torino Digital Week: Turin's distributed digital and innovation week, run on the same aggregated-event model as Milano Digital Week and RFW. It is a structural peer for measuring the portability of the city-wide festival format across Italy's major innovation hubs.
Broad incumbents
- South by Southwest (SXSW): Austin-based multi-track festival combining technology, music, film, and culture — the original 'distributed-across-a-city' innovation festival model. RFW mirrors SXSW's city-wide approach and multi-stakeholder programming at a regional scale.
- CES (Consumer Technology Association): The largest global consumer technology trade show. While not a distributed festival, CES is the benchmark for technology/innovation expos on sponsorship tiering, brand packaging, and ecosystem positioning — directly relevant to how RFW structures its Main Partner and Hub packages.
- Web Summit: One of the world's largest technology and innovation conferences. While Web Summit operates a single-venue mega-event model rather than RFW's distributed city-wide model, both curate technology-forward programs that aggregate startups, enterprises, and media sponsors around an annual flagship moment.
Emerging players
- Luiss Enlabs: Rome-based innovation program and accelerator connected to Luiss University, hosting events that overlap with RFW's enterprise/startup audience. Comparable as a Rome-anchored ecosystem builder competing for the same community of founders, students, and corporate partners.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rome Future Week social profiles
Digital presenceRome Future Week financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rome Future Week leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Rome Future Week funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rome Future Week M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rome Future Week
What does Rome Future Week do?
Rome Future Week organizes a week-long distributed innovation festival held annually in Rome, aggregating independently organized events by companies, startups, universities, institutions, and communities into a single curated program. The core offering combines an event aggregation/management platform, thematic Future Hubs, sponsorship programs, and year-round Rome Future Days programming, supported by digital content (podcasts, blog) and initiatives like Corti Futuri and FutuROMA.
Is Rome Future Week a public or private company?
Rome Future Week is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rome Future Week founded?
Rome Future Week was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rome Future Week based?
Rome Future Week is headquartered in Rome, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Rome Future Week make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Production Services to Organizers are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship and Partnership Programs and boost Visibility Packages.
Who are Rome Future Week's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wired Next Fest, TechCrunch Disrupt, Maker Faire Rome, Milano Digital Week, Slush and Torino Digital Week. Broad incumbents are South by Southwest (SXSW), CES (Consumer Technology Association) and Web Summit. Luiss Enlabs is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rome Future Week have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rome Future Week.
What industry is Rome Future Week in?
Rome Future Week's product category is Innovation Events and Festival Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHABAE, Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers, with a secondary code of THAHACAM, Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management. Its NAICS code is 711320.