CONFARTIGIANATO, DIGITAL MAGICS AND ULAOLA WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE AN INTERNATIONAL AND ONLINE PRESENCE FOR MADE IN ITALY

CONFARTIGIANATO, DIGITAL MAGICS AND ULAOLA WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE AN INTERNATIONAL AND ONLINE PRESENCE FOR MADE IN ITALY 

The certified innovative business start-up incubator and the marketplace of Italian excellence for export have signed an agreement with Confartigianato to support Italian artisans

 

Milan, 8 May 2014 – Digital Magics, certified innovative business start-up incubator listed on the AIM market of the Italian Stock Exchange (symbol: DM), and ulaola, incubated start-up which promotes and sells Made in Italy products at home and abroad, signed a structured agreement with Confartigianato, the largest organisation representing more than 700.000 artisanal companies in 120 territorial associations, to support Italian artisans encouraging them to create an international and online presence for their company and products which represent Italian excellence.

The specific goal is to fill the gap of small Italian companies selling online, today standing at 5% compared to a European average of 14%, with peaks of 11% for France and 22% for Germany. Markets for Italian excellence will continue to develop outside Europe and therefore an online presence will be increasingly important to reach new customers for our products.

The agreement provides the opportunity for all companies associated with Confartigianato to use ulaola – www.ulaola.com – which they will find is an environment specifically developed to promote beautiful and well-made Italian craftsmanship. The artisanal marketplace will bring together Italian excellence in the sectors of design, fashion, vintage, cooking design and food on a special technological platform, with innovative marketing tools to internationalise the sales of artisans and Made in Italy. The 5 year plan aims to cover all of Europe starting with the “Nordic” countries which have the largest number of online shoppers and reach the USA by 2018.

Furthermore, Digital Magics will host a permanent desk for Confartigianato to monitor the progress of the Italian “makers” and the digital innovations linked to the production and export of Made in Italy, organise digital training events for the “makers” of the Association, lead studies and take part in projects to monitor and encourage new start up artisan businesses throughout Italy with an online presence and provide a continuous mutual exchange of information and analysis in reciprocal fields.

Cesare Fumagalli, Secretary General of Confartigianato states: “The future of Italian craftsmanship is online. Italy is becoming increasingly an export country and our excellent products will be the true ambassadors of this reality. Therefore, our companies must use new technology to increase their sales effort abroad. Ulaola seems to be one of the best tools for starting this process. Moreover, the agreement provides for Confartigianato and Digital Magics to continue to work together with the aim of reinforcing the online core of the Association”.

Paolo Manfredi, Digital Innovation Manager of Confartigianato confirms: “Digital Magics is our ally in completing the digitisation process already underway”.

Enrico Gasperini, Founder and President of Digital Magics stated: “I am convinced that makers and digital are a winning combination. Artisans are the backbone of the economy of our Country and an online presence will be the new innovative thrust. The synergy between Digital Magics, ulaola and Confartigianato will be of the utmost importance and fundamental for the development of Made in Italy exports. Together with our incubator, we support Italian companies in their internal innovation process. This agreement with Confartigianato is an integral part of our program of ‘Open Innovation’, we choose start-ups, research projects, patents, technologies and online innovations in the sectors of reference of the partner companies”.

Enrico Majer, Managing Director of ulaola, and Diego Masi, President of ulaola said: “The main scope of the agreement is based on the encounter between two businesses, ulaola and Confartigianato, that believe in a ‘disruptive experience’ – to be implemented as a structured joint venture with Digital Magics – of the relationship between export, online and artisans. An online presence represents one of the main factors for the development of artisanal products, especially in the context of one of a kind products. Exports are the only way to increase the turnover of makers in Countries where Made in Italy is loved and respected; ulaola is the first marketplace portal which has understood that this combination is the unique factor of the project and how it can represent the development capacity of the Italian artisans”.

 

Digital Magics – www.digitalmagics.com

Digital Magics is a certified, innovative, online start up incubator venture which offers high value technological services and content. Digital Magics is listed on AIM Italia, Alternative Capital Market for small and medium sized Italian companies with high growth potential, organised and managed by the Italian Stock Exchange. Digital Magic works with the founders to create and develop Internet start-ups, investing its own capital and providing acceleration services. It takes talent and ideas and transforms them into disruptive businesses which are successful in the Italian and international online economy. The incubator promotes a culture of entrepreneurship and risk, contributing to economic growth and employment for young people. Digital Magics offers services to support innovation, creation and development of online start-ups, and supports the search for new private and public investors, both Italian and international, to fund the next phases of development. The Digital Magics model is unique in Italy and is based on the Digital Magics LAB: The team that identifies analyses and launches new initiatives, providing start-ups with innovative mentorship, financial, administrative, strategic, logistical, technological and marketing communications services, as well as business management support capable of accelerating the process of growth.

Ulaola – www.ulaola.com

Ulaola is an Italian start up, jointly owned by the certified incubator Digital Magics and other businesses. It is the first marketplace to bring together Made in Italy products: Italian excellence, artisans, designers, creative people, small fashion houses, art houses and food producers which produce innovative Italian products and want to export them abroad. Ulaola offers the merchants support services via an advanced, e-commerce platform. Italian growth will be achieved through exports and ulaola wants to provide an access portal to Northern Europe for small businesses that otherwise could not reach these countries. It puts itself forward as the premier online channel for the export of Italian brands for the future. Ulaola works with, supports and promotes the merchants via any service which can usefully further their international presence. Being on ulaola is not just about promoting a product and taking advantage of the supply chain, it means above having their own online shop in the marketplace, where they can display the distinctive values and characteristics of their products, use professional photographs to show individual products, increase sales opportunities with promotion tools and have the opportunity to make themselves known to international buyers from retail chains through the B2B tool.

For further information:

Digital Magics – Press Office

Giorgio Bocchieri – Mail: giorgio.bocchieri@digitalmagics.com

Tel. 02 52505202 – Mob. 334 6853078

IR Top – Institutional and Financial Communication

Floriana Vitale – Mail: f.vitale@irtop.com

Domenico Gentile – Mail: d.gentile@irtop.com

Tel. 02 45473884

Confartigianato Imprese – Press Office

Lorenza Manessi – Mail: lorenza.manessi@confartigianato.it

Tel. 06 70374410