FLUX 26 Contact us
Rome, Italy 5 November 2026

Innovation Program Evolution

Annual Summit on how startup programs get rebuilt now that AI has broken the old playbook on supporting and mentoring founders. Welcome to FLUX 26.

dA THE OLD PLAYBOOK WHAT COMES NEXT
5 November 2026 3:00 PM to 7:30 PM
§ 01

The season

14 Oct → 3 Dec
Before and after

Side events

Eight events across seven weeks. The warm-ups, the reserved lunch, three nights of Book Week, and two European sessions in December.

5 November

The Summit

One room, eight sessions, free to attend. The startup ecosystem's playbook, rewritten live with experts from all over the world.

Full agenda +
3:00 PM

Doors, networking, coffee

Networking is part of the program, not an afterthought.
3:40 PM

Stage opening: about today

Simone Martinelli
4:00 PM

Startup Program Design: before and after

Moderators Paolo Lombardi, Adam Berk. Panelists Ozan Sonmez, Kavita Appachu
4:30 PM

Building the initial fort, and how AI changed it

Chris Heivly, Build The Fort, The StartUp Factory
5:00 PM

Keeping students focused in university hubs and incubators

Moderator Andrea Dal Piaz. Panelists Jeni Olney, Paul Orlando, Rizky Etika
5:30 PM

About the investors. Any changes so far? What is next?

Moderator Federico Belli. Panelists Wolf Starr, Earl Coleman
6:00 PM

Major changes within CVC and Open Innovation

Erika Lucciola, ELIS Innovation Hub
6:15 PM

Closing

Gianmarco Carnovale, President, Roma Startup
6:30 PM

Networking until 7:30 PM

Venue to be confirmed.
Sign up
6 – 8 November

The Executive Retreat

FLUX 26's speakers gather at an olive estate in Itri for executive workshops, roundtables and olive harvesting, plus local products and cuisine.

Retreat agenda +
DAY 1
6 NOV

Arrival and welcome dinner

Check-in at the estate, opening roundtable, dinner with local products and cuisine.
DAY 2
7 NOV

Olive harvest and executive workshops

Morning harvesting olives on the estate, afternoon closed-door workshops and roundtables.
DAY 3
8 NOV

The press, and closing

Visiting the press, producing our own extra virgin olive oil, closing lunch and departures.
Join the retreat

Six seats left

Tickets available soon
§ 02

Speakers

Seven countries · more to be announced
Chris Heivly
Chris Heivly
Build The Fort, The StartUp Factory
Durham, US
Jeni Olney
Jeni Olney
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, US
Paul Orlando
Paul Orlando
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, US
Kavita Appachu
Kavita Appachu
Moves The Needle
San Diego, US
Ozan Sonmez
Ozan Sonmez
The Brutally Honest Mentor
Helsinki, FI
Wolf Starr
Wolf Starr
The Venture Atlas
Columbus, US
Earl Coleman
Earl Coleman
Polyglot Ventures
Atlanta, US
Rizky Etika
Rizky Etika
The Hatchery, Emory
Atlanta, US
Gianmarco Carnovale
Gianmarco Carnovale
Scuter, Roma Startup
Rome, IT
Erika Lucciola
Erika Lucciola
ELIS Innovation Hub
Rome, IT
Candace Oceania Cavazos
Candace Oceania Cavazos
University of Michigan
Detroit, US

Panels grow as sponsors join. This is today, not the final line-up.

Startup ecosystems live in constant flux. AI disrupts how ecosystem players support founders and startups, validation processes, program management and the role of mentors. On 5 November in Rome, and across side events, international experts imagine a new playbook together.

Become a sponsor
§ 03

Partners

More joining
innovUp
Ecosystem association
Read bio+

InnovUp is the Italian association representing the innovation and startup ecosystem, born from the merger of Italia Startup and APSTI. It unites startups, scale-ups, innovation centers, incubators and accelerators across Italy and Europe, working on advocacy, networking and knowledge sharing as Italy's representative to IASP, the European Startup Network and EBAN.

innovup.net →
ELIS Innovation Hub
Open innovation
Read bio+

ELIS Innovation Hub is a structure within the ELIS consortium that fosters open innovation by connecting universities, research centers and startups with corporate needs. Through its OPEN ITALY co-creation program it has supported 58 corporate clients and a network of 542 startups, generating 134 projects since 2017.

elisinnovationhub.com →
Roma Startup
Action think tank
Read bio+

Roma Startup is an action think tank founded in 2012, working with public and private actors to turn Rome into a leading Mediterranean hub for entrepreneurial talent, technology and investment. It runs Rome Startup Week, the Angels of Rome investment community and the Allied4Startups global coalition.

romastartup.org →
Peekaboo
Startup studio & venture builder
Read bio+

Peekaboo is an Italian company supporting youth entrepreneurship by connecting young people's original ideas with corporations open to innovation. It acts as a bridge between aspiring founders and established companies looking for fresh perspectives.

peekaboovision.com →
Scuter
Mobility partner
Read bio+

Scuter is an Italian electric three-wheeled sharing mobility platform for cities, businesses and territories, combining vehicles, software and fleet operations into one system. As FLUX's Mobility Partner, Scuter supports getting attendees around during the event.

scuter.co →
Hi!Founders
Startup community
Read bio+

Hi!Founders is Italy's largest early-stage startup community, an almost 4,000-member Telegram community built by touring the Italian startup ecosystem for nearly three years. It connects founders, operators and ecosystem players across the country, and its network is central to how FLUX reaches early-stage founders nationwide.

Join the community →
Your logo
Open
Become a partner+

Partner slots are open for the 2026 edition. Ecosystem associations, hubs, universities and companies who want to be part of how the program is built.

See sponsorship →
§ 05

Organizers

Curation and moderation
Simone Martinelli
Simone Martinelli
Builder of the Hi!Founders community, Italy's largest early-stage startup community.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Adam Berk
Adam Berk
Co-author of Startup Program Design. Mentor at Google for Startups and Lean Startup Co.
Connect on LinkedIn →
Paolo Lombardi
Paolo Lombardi
Co-author of Startup Program Design. Director of Applied AI Solutions at Taylor & Francis.
Connect on LinkedIn →

Organize FLUX with us.

We are looking for a startup to build the 2026 edition alongside the team. Visibility across all ten events, a seat in the room where the program is decided, and your name on the summit.

§ 07

FAQ

Quick answers
Are sessions recorded or streamed?+
No. The 5 November sessions are in-room only. Some side events run online instead.
Do I register separately for side events?+
Yes. Each one has its own sign-up. Some are in person in Rome, some online.
What does it cost?+
The 5 November main event is free. The Executive Retreat (6–8 Nov, Itri) and the Executive Partner Lunch (5 Nov) are paid, open to anyone who books. Price and booking for both are on Luma, not listed here.
How do I sponsor or partner?+
Fill the sponsor form on the site. The deck arrives by email within a minute.
How do I reach the organizers?+
Write to simonemartinelli95@gmail.com or join the Telegram group linked in the header.
Before and after

Join Telegram

Start meeting guests and share your doubts or queries directly.

Join Telegram
Co-organizer slot, one available

We are looking for a startup to organize FLUX with us.

One company builds the 2026 edition alongside the team: ten events across seven weeks, the main stage in Rome, Book Week and the Executive Retreat. You get visibility on every surface, a seat where the program is decided, and the summit carries your name next to ours.

Tell us who you are and what you would want out of it.

Contact us
Acquisition request · FLUX 26 Library

Put a book on the shelf.

Tell us what belongs here and why. If it makes the shelf, your name and profile go under it as the person who suggested it.

Reviewed by hand · accepted titles are credited to you on the shelf

Received · under review

Filed. Thank you.

If it makes the shelf, your name goes under it
Before and after

All side events

14 OCT

In personRoad to FLUX: Rome meetup

6:00–8:00 PM. Rome. Venue TBC, link opening soon.
Sign up
27 OCT

OnlineRoad to FLUX: webinar and Q&A

2:00–3:00 PM. Part of the line-up, open questions. Link opening soon.
Sign up
5 NOV

In personExecutive Partner Lunch

12:30 PM–2:30 PM. Speakers, sponsors and partners only. No public ticket.
Sign up
23 NOV

OnlineBook Week: Chris Heivly

Build the Fort
Sign up
24 NOV

OnlineBook Week: Paul Orlando

Why Now: How Good Timing Makes Great Products
Sign up
25 NOV

OnlineBook Week: Adam Berk and Paolo Lombardi

Startup Program Design. Closing night.
Sign up
1 DEC

OnlineWhat is happening in each country in Europe?

6:00–7:30 PM. UK, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, more countries to be announced.
Sign up
3 DEC

OnlineJoint session with The Bologna Gathering

6:00–7:30 PM. Two Italian ecosystem builders comparing notes. Participation to be confirmed.
Sign up
Mockup · internal · not final