DesignX Venice

Venice, Italy

DesignX Venice supports local entrepreneurs and helps launch new ventures dedicated to solving problems experienced in Venice as well as other coastal and historical cities, and places experiencing a major loss of full-time population. The program, called Vortex, is hosted and run in collaboration with local partner SerenDPT.

SerenDPT (Serenissima Development and Preservation through Technology) is a benefit company founded in Venice, by Venetians. Their mission is to repopulate the city by inspiring and supporting the creation of startups and creating high-skill jobs that will attract young people of all ages and Venetians of any origin and welcome them as new inhabitants of the historic city.
SerenDPT operates a startup incubator and co-working space, called Fabbrica H3, inside the ex-church of Saints Cosmas and Damian on the Giudecca island in Venice.

Admission Process

Partners

SerenDPT

Location

Fabbrica H3

Dates

15–16 September
22-23 October
04–05 November
16–17 November
25 November – Pitch Day

Open to

Early stage startups

Each year we call on our students and faculty to apply to  the DesignX accelerator with their ideas to improve the quality of cities, our environment, and the human condition. We seek diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas with clear vision, passion and a drive to design solutions and launch real ventures or organizations.

Applicants go through a rigorous selection process that reviews ideas based on human and social impact, feasibility, uniqueness, and scalability as well as team composition, diversity and skillset. Finalists pitch before a panel of judges to enter the program.

Learn more here.

Timeline

Applications Open 29 JUNE
Applications Close 1 AUG

Applications for the 2026 cohort opened in June. A selection committee will review all applications, and advance up to 12 teams for participation in the program.

Program Starts SEPT
Program Ends NOV

The program includes a series of two-day workshops where participants apply DesignX tools and methods to map their innovation opportunity, build solutions, and design sustainable models for impact.

Pitch-out NOV

At the end of the program, teams pitch to a large audience and a panel of professionals who provide valuable feedback.

FAQs

This program is open to teams of 2+ members. It is not necessary to have a registered startup at the time of application. Ideas can be submitted by anyone, regardless of age and origin or background (whether students, professionals, or community members).

An individual cannot apply as a single proponent and cannot apply as a member of more than one team. Participants are required to speak a good level of English. The entire program (workshops and final pitch) will be held in English.

We are looking for ideas or early stage startups dedicated to solving problems in the following sectors:
Art and Architecture: sustainability, maintenance, and preservation
Tourism of the future: fair accommodations and sustainable mobility
Water, Energy and Environment
Smart tools for cities and citizens

We seek diverse, interdisciplinary teams working on challenging ideas to design high-impact solutions and launch a real venture based in Venice. Ideal candidates are ideas with a connection to Venice, or to the problems the city experiences.

DesignX Venice is a IN-PERSON PROGRAM on site, at H3 Factory, in Venice, Italy. SerenDPT provides free workspace for the selected teams during the on-site workshops. In-person attendance (at all fall workshops and Final Pitch) by at least 2 applicants for each team is mandatory to access prizing and benefits. All the expenses for attending the program in person are borne by the participants.