GoBeyond: the responsible innovation platform

The contest conceived by Sisal was born in 2014 to encourage the development of new business ideas and to reward startups with a high impact on the community and the territory. The initiative was born with a pure purpose of social responsibility, aimed at generating value for the benefit of the community, young entrepreneurs and startups.

Over the years, the project has developed with the aim of offering continuous support to the startup ecosystem, transforming itself into an integrated platform in the company's business strategy. GoBeyond contributes to increasing and expanding the impact of ideas that respond to the problems and needs of the community and the environment.

The winning startup of the 2025 edition of GoBeyond will receive a €50,000 prize provided by Sisal and will gain access to a mentorship program available to all six finalists. The program is supported by an extensive partner network offering expertise and know-how to meet the startups' development needs.

This edition also introduces a significant new feature: the Internationalization Award powered by INNOVIT, established in memory of Emilio Petrone, who championed the creation of GoBeyond during his time as CEO of Sisal. The award will go to the startup that best embodies the values of innovation, impact, and international openness—hallmarks of Petrone’s entrepreneurial vision. The prize includes free participation in an acceleration program at INNOVIT – Italian Innovation Center in San Francisco. This program offers strategic preparation, investor and partner meetings, mentorship, and development of an operational internationalization plan. The initiative supports the global expansion of the winning startup, with a particular focus on the U.S. market and ESG-related themes.

For the second consecutive year, the GoBeyond Challenge returns—a strategic initiative designed to support corporate Open Innovation and act as a true driver of internal innovation.

The project fosters venture clienting collaborations, and thanks to the previous edition’s Call for Ideas, three collaborations have already been launched.

This year’s Challenge is aimed at established startups with validated solutions that can be integrated into business processes, making them more efficient, sustainable, and digital. The focus areas are: Intelligent Workflows & Employee Empowerment: solutions that simplify daily operations in corporate departments; Knowledge Orchestration & Mapping: tools that organize, connect, and activate internal company knowledge; Responsible & Trusted Solutions: technologies that ensure secure, compliant, and ethical internal processes.

This edition also continues the partnership with Startup Geeks to provide an online incubation program for the three most promising "idea-stage" startups—those not yet established and without a tested product or service.

Six special mentions will be awarded by partners Mamacrowd, Google, SheTech, Alkemy, Carter & Benson, and Zest.

GoBeyond collaborates with prominent organizations from various sectors that provide crucial support to finalist startups by sharing their expertise:

Carter & Benson, Mamacrowd, Google, Zest, Startup Geeks, frog – Part of Capgemini Invent, SIT – Social Innovation Teams, NTT DATA, A4W (Angels for Women), SheTech, Alkemy, StartupItalia, Foundation-C, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, INNOVIT, and Chiomenti – International Law Firm.