Hello everyone! We are proud to announce you that our startup ImmotionAR is one of the 5 innovative projects selected by the Chamber of Customs of Turin, for a grant to participate to the European Innovation Academy (EIA) here in Turin in July!
We are very happy that we will be able to participate in such a cool event, where we will learn a lot and we will meet a lot of interesting people (and potential customers and investors). It is a three-week full immersion in the world of entrepreneurship, where they will help us to go from our business idea to a full-defined business model. It will be a hard acceleration program, but we are going there with the mindset of dedicating ourselves completely in making great our startup!
On Monday 9th, we (Gianni, the CEO of Beps Engineering Antonella and me) went to the Chamber of Customs of Turin to participate to the award ceremony. The President of the Chamber, with some people from EIA, made a short introduction about this program and why they are giving these grants. Among these presentations, there was the one by Kaarel Oja, a great guy that helped us for preparing this event and that I want to personally thank.
After this long introduction, they asked us to make a micro-pitch about our startup. They had told us they’d have given us 5 minutes to make a short pitch using some slides, but… the program changed, so we had only 1 minute with no slides… uh-oh… and guess who was the first company that had to talk so that had no time to organize itself for this surprise? Yeah, ImmotionAR. And who is the PR of ImmotionAR? Guess who? Me. (Oh God, why have I chosen this job? I’m a developer after all). This is a great lesson: be prepared for everything: whatever happens, smile, think as fast as a 1 bazillion teraflop super-computer, and come out with a fast solution. And so I did, and made a micro-pitch for my company with which I broke the ice for the others. Not super-great, but not that bad, so I’m satisfied.
After all the pitches, a new surprise came out: an interview for a local TV! And who is the PR that had to go in front of a camera for his first time? Yes, it was me!
Luckily, the reporter has been very kind with all of us: she asked me who I am and what my company does… so I just came out with the best fluff-story about VR (it’s magic, guys!) and my first time with TV has been alright! The TV that has interviewed me is Rete7 a local TV of Turin and the Piedmont (if you’re here around… look at my interview on the TV!). I tried to be the least technical possible, to speak easily and to do not speak too much, to not result boring. After the pitch, the interviewer said to me that I’ve been great respecting the TV times… wow, I’m ready to work in the show business! (Hollywood, I’m coming!!). Every time you pitch, you have to change what you say and how you say it, depending on the context, on your audience, on the particular media: don’t forget it!
During the event, we met very interesting people, like Elena, another startupper who has won the grant like us!
After the event, the President of the Chamber of Customs, received our five teams in his office. He looked at all of us and said: “Ok, now tell me… what do you think will be your income in the next years?”. Panic moments. That has been a question that has surprised us a lot: I tried to answer bravely, but it was very difficult to me to say numbers, when the virtual reality market is so unknown at this time. I’ve made some big errors in this little pitch (still have to learn) and this situation has taught me two great lessons:
1) Be always prepared to every kind of questions about your business: everywhere, everytime, about everything
2) In doubt, say big numbers about your possible future income!
After that, the event finished. It has been very interesting, a great day in which we’ve learned a lot of things! And we’ll learn a lot more in the acceleration program in July!!!
Hope to live this kind of events every day… wish you all luck, goodbye!