If you set up a company at the age of 19, and moreover on September 11, 2002, on the first anniversary of a fatal date that gave way to an increasingly critical future for the West, it means that you have very little fear of that future. Indeed, you throw yourself into it, with the competence and enthusiasm of a well-experienced hi-tech addicted. Or even try to anticipate the future. With the awareness of the risk (“Here none of us had and has our backs covered”) and clear ideas: “To make a change, a non-political government is needed, and the Digital Agenda (being examined by the executive precisely in these weeks, ed) is a fundamental reform”.
Claudio Bedino is a young Piedmontese from Bra, who exactly ten years ago, just out of school (“But I was already thinking about it before”) gave birth to AV&OC, a well-established communication agency in the area, which takes care of the image of, among others, Ferrero, Azimut, the Dimar large-scale distribution group and various local banks. Now, after having dreamed of her on a strange night last December ("It was 4.04 in the morning"), he is ready for a new adventure. It's called Starteed, it's the new all-Italian crowdfunding platform and the CEO & Co-Founder (the partner is Valerio Fissore) presents it today at the Social Media Week in Turin.
The ideal occasion, that of the international digital and technology review, to launch a tool that in Italy, for a change, there are only two realities, in the presence of over 450 all over the world for a phenomenon, online funding, which is growing everywhere and which already in 2011 created a global turnover of 1 billion dollars (in 2012 only kickstarter.com, the reference portal, expects to invoice 350 millions).
Italy's delay is only partially attributable to the crisis: "We are in a very critical context - confesses Bedino - the difference with when we started is evident: now it would be almost impossible to start a business, due to the costs involved and the market conditions. It has become impossible to plan, going beyond the next six months is a leap in the dark”. But the real problem is cultural and legislative.
While in fact the United States is making great strides (in April, President Obama signed the law that introduces the equity system in crowdfunding, enabling donations of up to 1 million dollars for what becomes a real widespread shareholding), and Berlin is confirmed as the startup capital of the world, in the beautiful country “not only do we not yet have the culture of donations and in particular of online payment, but above all we are still bound by unacceptable costs and bureaucratic procedures. We are pending approval of the Digital Agenda, which among many very important things will introduce the i-srl and the possibility of distributing stock options among shareholders, as happens in the American system, which is not possible with the old scheme of the srl" .
Expensive scheme, embalmed and above all that alienates foreign investors, in a world, that of startups and crowdfunding, in which the free circulation of ideas and money is the essential prerequisite. "That's true - reveals Bedino in the company headquarters of the Cuneo town where the future is breathed, starting with eco-sustainability ("We have solar panels that make us 100% energetically autonomous") - that at one point, a month ago, I was seriously considering setting up the company in London, where everything is much simpler".
The provocation does not sound like the classic whim of the average Italian, for which the neighbor's grass is always greener: "In Italy setting up a limited liability company costs at least 4 euros for a notary (in many countries it is free and can even be done online, as in New Zealand, ed), without counting the consequent and physiological subsequent statutory changes, which cost another thousand euros and long times, and not to mention the tax and legal system which I consider insane: there are too many taxes from us, so investors turn away”. Lastly, without counting the problem of reputation, considered not indifferent by Bedino: "Yes, because when abroad they read 'srl' it is not exactly synonymous with a guarantee, except in the case of established Made in Italy excellences such as luxury cars, food and wine and fashion".
And the legislation, in some cases, has even gotten worse: "Until 2008 you couldn't set up a company abroad if the core of the business was in Italy, and this is legitimate, but with the Visco reform even if the business is international, like ours, if 51% of the board is of Italian nationality you cannot go outside the borders”. Were there at least the conditions, one wouldn't even try to go there, outside the borders.
Starteed was therefore born in Italy (registration on 23 July) and is proposed as a new product, which will not be satisfied with bringing crowdfunding to a country, Italy, where these innovations seem almost unwelcome, but will go on to conquer the world with a much more ambitious project. And that is already being talked about abroad: "The site is not yet operational (it will be from today, ed) but we are already inundated with contacts, above all from India".
Starteed indeed is crowdfunding, fundraising, but also creative participation and possible business within everyone's reach. With revenues for the platform ("We take, as usual, 5% on all transactions and 8-10% on final sales"), for the creator of the object (usually hi-tech or design ), who will produce it thanks to the contribution of supporters and will collect 80% from its marketing, and for the supporters themselves, who they can also be 'influencers', i.e. participants in the launch of the product through advice, creative contributions and advertising promotion (on social networks, for example). This promotion can also consist in the very fact of bringing the creator to the Starteed platform, which yields an additional 2% of the so-called scout prize, as well as the cash return proportionate to the amount donated and calculated on the basis of a score that takes into account of all the participatory elements and not only of the quota offered.
“The goal – explains the 29-year-old from Piedmont – is to propose ideas and divide the profits, along the lines of the American portal Quircky.com, which combines social product development with the so-called co-working, i.e. an interaction that gives visibility and credibility to the projects themselves. A another added value of Starteed will be e-commerce: in addition to raising funds, we also offer the platform tool for marketing”.
Basically, it's enough to have an idea: if it's interesting, the money comes from the fans (usually a few tens of euros are enough, there are many of them), and Starteed will take care of the rest. Much simpler (and faster: 42 days on average to finance the product) than to create a startup in Italy.
