A Unique Accelerator for a Unique City

MITdesignX Venice is a new multi-year initiative bringing our Venture Design program to Venice in collaboration with local partner SerenDPT.

MITdesignX – the Venture Accelerator of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning – launched a new venture accelerator to support local entrepreneurs and help launch new firms and organizations 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.

Recruitment for the 2023 cohort starts soon!

 

Accelerator Details

MITdesignX Venice is hosting a diverse and interdisciplinary set of teams to design solutions and launch a business venture based in Venice. The inaugural cohort includes ten early stage startups dedicated to solving problems experienced in Venice as well as other coastal and historical cities in realms that include:

  • Historical Preservation: sustainability, fundraising and maintenance

  • Sustainable Tourism: accommodations, mobility and culture

  • Water, Energy and Environment

  • Engagement tools for cities and citizens

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.

The accelerator program is hosted at H3.

2022 Cohort

Fabbrica H3 Incubator and Co-working space

Accelerator Schedule and Program

Understand

Workshop 1 The first days of the accelerator are an intensive analysis of the problem being engaging. What is the core of the problem? Who's problem are you solving? Who else needs to be involved?

Needs Analysis
Market
Segmenta­tion
Stakeholder Map
Deconstruc­tion

Need/problem description based on interviews and data insights

Determine who are your customers

Analysis of all stake-holder groups and how they benefit from a solution

An analysis of your research and a check on venture feasibility

Team statement describing what the venture is designed to do

Statement and images describing why stakeholders / customers would apply / buy the solution

Map of what the user will experience

Turn your ideas into actual products or systems for testing

Mission Design
Value
Proposi­tion
User Journey
Rapid Prototyping

Solve

Workshop 2 Design a solution that best suits the problem and creates value. Test, learn and build your solution.

Envision

Workshop 3 Develop a business model and team to make the solution happen.

Team statement describing what the team aspires to achieve

Team manifesto outlining founder core values and leadership principles

How a venture creates, delivers, and captures value and generate revenue

Negotiation skills and learning how to recruit and partner with the right people

Vision Design
Founder's Values / Negotiations
Business Model
People and Partners
Action Plan
Financial Plan
Funding Strategy
Messaging And Pitches

A goal-oriented action plan for effective and fast scaling of your venture

Three year revenue and cost plans based on team vision and objectives

Introduction to funding options and calculation of funding needs

The venture storyline and key message to stakeholders and sponsors / investors

Workshops 4 Make a plan and apply the financial elements required to deploy and scale your solution

Scale

At the conclusion of the accelerator program, startups will pitch their new ventures and launch their products and services.

Supporters