FiBAN & EstBAN Angel Study Trip to Bologna
Organised together with StartYouUp / The Bologna Gathering
Welcome to the FiBAN & EstBAN Angel Study Trip to Bologna — a curated two-day delegation to one of Italy's most dynamic regional innovation ecosystems. Emilia-Romagna is home to world-class research institutions, a thriving deep-tech scene, and the legendary Motor Valley, where industrial heritage meets cutting-edge mobility and defence-tech innovation.
This trip brings together a select group of Finnish and Estonian angel investors and VCs for direct ecosystem access: startup pitches, accelerator visits, and face-to-face meetings with local angels and venture capital — building real international bridges between the Nordic-Baltic investor community and the Bologna ecosystem.
Programme
(Arrive Monday evening Oct 19 — depart Wednesday eve or Thursday morning Oct 22. Some changes possible.)
DAY 0 — Monday, October 19 | Arrival
Evening — Participants arrive in Bologna. Check in at The Social Hub Bologna. Optional informal dinner for early arrivals.
DAY 1 — Tuesday, October 20 | Bologna Innovation Tour
09:30 — Breakfast & departure from The Social Hub. Bus departs for the day's circuit.
10:00 — BI-REX — Visit to the Big Data Innovation & Research Excellence Competence Center, including a guided tour of the shared Industry 4.0 Linea Pilota production line.
11:30 — Fondazione Golinelli Almacube G-Factor — Campus visit to the University of Bologna's accelerator, with startup pitches from 2–3 selected companies.
13:00 — Lunch — Working lunch in the Nanni Costa / Emilia Ponente zone.
14:00 — LandInBo — Introduction to the LandInBo project with presentations by CREDEM and Fondazione REI.
17:00 — ART-ER at Le Serre dei Giardini Margherita — Stakeholder gathering with regional players including MUG / EmilBanca and Italian Angels for Growth.
Evening — Networking dinner with the local ecosystem and Italian Angels for Growth. Venue TBC.
DAY 2 — Wednesday, October 21 | Modena & Motor Valley
09:30 — Bus transfer Bologna → Modena (~45 min via A1).
10:30 — Motor Valley Accelerator by Plug and Play — Startup pitches and meetings with innovation managers from PnP Motor Valley partner companies. Focus on automotive, mobility & dual-use tech.
13:30 — Lunch in Modena. Venue TBC.
Optional — Ferrari Museum visit at participant's own cost.
DAY 3 — Thursday, October 22 | Departure
Morning — Check-out & transfers to Bologna Airport (BLQ). Direct flights to Helsinki (HEL) and Tallinn (TLL).
Practical Information
Participation is open to FiBAN members/partners, EstBAN members/partners.
Places are limited — registrations require approval.
All costs are at the participant's own expense — flights, accommodation, and dinners are booked independently. The host provides a chartered bus for all local transfers during the programme.
Recommended base hotel: The Social Hub Bologna, Via A. Fioravanti 27. A discount code will be shared with confirmed participants.
Airport: Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ) — direct flights available from Helsinki (HEL) and Tallinn (TLL).
This is a FiBAN member organized event by Jorma Heinonen
Questions related to the trip should be directed to:
jorma@aidasweat.com
Organised in collaboration with
FiBAN · StartYouUp · The Bologna Gathering · ART-ER · Fondazione Golinelli · Almacube · BI-REX · CREDEM · Fondazione REI · Italian Angels for Growth · Plug and Play Motor Valley · MUG / EmilBanca · EstBAN