D-nest: The Crossroad To Innovation & Inventions

Last year, during a meeting at the University of Verona, I had the pleasure to come across to an ambitious project: D-nest. Their idea is to create a platform with the aim to foster innovation in a controlled environment. The founders’ background (IT University Professor, a designer and a financial advisor) helped to define the initial platform design and also stimulate them to move the project forward. Visiting international innovation fairs and incubators, motivated them to set new objectives going beyond the virtual space: they’ve created a more defined brand towards innovation and are organizing the largest EU event dedicated to innovation.

Following, some insights from one of the founders, Gianfranco Gramola:

Describe D-nest in 50 or less words.

D-nest is the place where ideas meet needs in a global environment. A place where innovators can promote, share and protect their innovative concepts through a certified platform. A place where inventors and investors may find their chance to succeed, to find qualified services or simply get informed. The world’s future depends on shared innovation and our mission is to make it happen.

What is your role at D-nest and how did you get involved?

I am the Chief Marketing Officer of D-nest and the director of our event, the International Inventors Exhibiton. I was one of the project’s three original founders, back in 2013. Beeing a designer by professional background, I knew first hand about the hurtles of developing new ideas, searching for investors and, ultimately, finding commercial opportunities. So it was a natural choice to put my experience to service with enthusiasm and passion.

Which technologies, industries or regions do you focus on?

Being a global project, except for weapons or harmful ideas, there are no limitations on what our platform can enlist and promote. Moreover, since sharing innovation is the foundation of humanity’s equal development, our priority are territories still with underdeveloped potentials, like South America or bubbling enthusiasm for a new growth like eastern Europe.

What’s the scope of D-nest?

Our mission is to give everybody a chance to develop their innovative ideas. To share them, possibly make them flourish into a business venture. We would like to become the global platform where innovation happens!

Tell us about your October event – why did you chose Venice and what are your expectations?

D-nest International Exhibition (IIE2016)will be the place where inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs and investors will have a chance to meet and evaluate new opportunities to develop their innovative concepts. Venice is by far the most amazing urban invention of human kind. It was an easy choice when we saw the new Pala Expo. Even if the IIE2016 is mainly a B2B event, it will be also open to the public.

Why should a startup or an innovator apply for a space at the event?

Startups and innovators in general will have a chance to present their innovative projects to the main stakeholders of the industrial and financial sector. It’s an opportunity to take their ideas from projects to business.

What do you think makes an innovative startup successful? Which are the main constraints limiting innovation transfer?

Every single venture is unique on its own. However, once the resources are there, it is a matter of planning and discipline, and the ability to understand immediately if you are on a wrong path. I would say that the main enemy of innovation is mentality. In order to bring an innovative idea to market you have to accept to fail: during planning, development or commercialization.

In what ways do you measure your success and how do you make sure you don’t lose track?

D-nest is or must become a brand. A worldwide brand. A name that people recognize immediately as related to innovation, inventions, creativity, development. Our priority and main goal is to be meaningful and helpful to inventors and innovators. Therefore, we will measure our success by the number of people who will join our platform and our events, globally.

What advice would you give an inventor with a promising idea before founding his startup?

Most of the times we are so much involved in our thinking that we tend to forget or oversee the negative or weak side of it. Well, the first advice to all inventors is to be open to critics. Passion is great and powerful if there is a rational approach to an idea’s development. A good planning will tell you immediately where to go, the time and money you need to reach the company’s break-even and the margin you have in case of failure.

As you have read above, there is still room to apply for a place in case you are interested in showcasing your innovative idea or startup at IIE2016. On the other side, if you are planning to visit the fair, drop me a message, and we might have a chance to get to know each other!

A special thank to Giulia Madeddu, who made this interview possible!

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