Milan is the heart of the startup scene in Italy. The city is the centre of the Italian economy: many companies and multinationals have branches here, the Stock Exchange is here, main Italian media are here, investors are here. Historically, Milan is the economic engine of the country. Even if the city is internationally known mostly for food, fashion, design, it is also developing as a centre of innovation.
Startmap Milano is a digital platform aimed at mapping and valorizing the ecosystem of business creation in the metropolitan city of Milan.
Registration
There are many different forms of visas to stay in Italy. For a detailed guide, please refer to The Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Visa website. For more information, please refer to the Ministry’s Welcome to Italy website and the Ministry’s Entry and Stay in Italy website. For information about registering at the Registry Office, please refer to the Comune di Milano Certificates and Documents site.
Startup Permit
The Italian Government Italia Startup Visa policy attracts innovative entrepreneurs from all over the world to Italy. Since 2012, Italy has implemented a groundbreaking Startup Law to encourage the creation and development of innovative startups. Visit the Italia Startup Visa policy website to find out more.
Taxes
For more detailed explanations of different taxes for different legal entities and situations, please refer to:
Subsidies
For a detailed guide of Government Subsidies, please refer to the source: Investors in Milan, a Practical Startup Ecosystem Guide.
Public grants, allowances, exceptions and subsidies from The European Commission, Regione Lombardia, The City of Milan Government and The Chamber of Commerce of Milan can be found here:
For a detailed guide to Competitions, Contests & Showcases, please refer to the source: Investors in Milan, a Practical Startup Ecosystem Guide.
Startup Jobs
Milan has a large amount of skilled talent including students, employees and managers. Job opening and internships can be posted on a large variety of websites which are very useful in your recruitment process. These websites include:
Searching university websites which have their own study-specific job boards such as Bocconi, University Politecnico di Milano, Cattolica, Universita Degli Studi Di Milano, IULM and many more. You can explore opportunities by contacting their service desks.
Education
For more in-depth information regarding higher education institutions in Milan, please refer to the Study In Milan website.
In Milan, there is a variety of Tech and Startup Academies in which people can educate and re-educate themselves, such as:
Business Registration
To register a business in Milan, you will have to register at The Milan Chamber of Commerce.
The Milan Chamber of Commerce performs functions of general interest for the Milan metropolitan enterprise system.
The Italian Business Register provides a complete picture of the legal position of each company in the country, and it is another important organisation for settlement of new business enterprises.
Accounting
Italian companies and Italian branches of foreign enterprises are required to keep the following pieces of accounting books: Journal book, Inventory book, VAT registers, General ledger book, Register of fixed assets, Goods-in-stock book, Italian Companies and are required to maintain copies of all business related documents sent and received.
For more information regarding Accounting in Milan, refer to the Deloitte Report, ‘Taxation and Investment in Italy’.
Bank Account
To open a personal bank account in Milan for a non-Italian citizen or a non-Italian resident, the requirements are: valid passport, Codice Fiscale (Italian Tax number), Anti Money Laundry (AML) Compliance.
Business Location
Immobiliare.it and Instant Offices have large amounts of property on their sites. Large commercial real estate companies such as Knight Frank, JLL and CBRE are useful in finding offices in Milan.
For a detailed guide of the co-working spaces in Milan, check out The Practical Startup Ecosystem Guide in Milan Co-working Spaces.
Inspections
Businesses in Italy may be subject to inspections by Public Institutions. These inspections are held to check if Italian companies and Italian branches comply with Italian Law and rules.
In Milan, there is a large variety of professional lawyers and law firms. HG.org Legal Resources is great to find professional lawyers and law firms in Milan, their profiles and their contact information.
IP
To register a patent, the inventor must file an application to the Ufficio Italiano Brevetti e Marchi or a Chamber of Commerce, in Milan, it is the Chamber of Commerce of Milan. The application must provide the details of the invention including its title, claims and description. More details here.
