• The 2025 edition of startup barbecue, organised by LifeGate Way in partnership with Hearts & Science, will take place on 15 September at Villa Aida, in Milano.
• This year's theme? Digital loneliness: a collective call to rethink our relationship with technology, starting from education, awareness and relationships in the age of hyperconnection.
• Among the startups selected for this edition, several ventures are using innovation to create bonds and support wellbeing.

On 15 September, starting at 11:00, against the green backdrop of Villa Aida in Milano, startup barbecue returns — the networking event by LifeGate Way in partnership with Hearts & Science. A format that blends professional encounters with conviviality, and this year takes on a new and deeper significance. Alongside the traditional speed dates between startups and investors, followed by an entirely vegetarian barbecue — designed to foster more authentic networking, far from the formality of conference rooms — the 2025 edition turns the spotlight on one of the greatest contradictions of our time: loneliness in the hyperconnected age.

The theme of startup barbecue 2025: living hyperconnection without becoming isolated

startup barbecue is one of the flagship events of Villa Futura, the exclusive format devised by Hearts & Science to promote and strengthen connections among market players in Italy. Guiding the discussion will be the original research "Le solitudini tra noi" ("The loneliness among us"), which explores the relationship between loneliness, sociality and digital use, and will be presented for the very first time on this occasion. The study analyses how online relationships influence social satisfaction, the impact of technology on personal bonds, and the often-overlooked potential of online communities to enrich our lives.

"In the previous edition we investigated parents' concerns about their children's online lives. Loneliness and isolation turned out to be two very widespread worries. With the research 'Le solitudini tra noi' we wanted to delve deeper into young people's perspective on how technology changes not only relationships, but also the different experiences of loneliness," explains Hearts & Science managing director Emanuele Giraldi. "The most interesting finding is that there is no single way of being connected, nor a single way of feeling alone or together. The digital world and sociality are evolving, mutually influencing each other. startup barbecue will be an opportunity to spotlight innovative realities that help people find their own dimension and interpretation of sociality and loneliness, including through the digital world. In this way, the event stays true to its vocation and its mantra, creating connections, bringing investors and startup founders together in an informal setting."

As Omar Bertoni, CEO and founder of LifeGate Way, explains: "We live in a hyperconnected age, yet more and more people feel lonely. The paradox between digital presence and real-life isolation is one of the defining issues of our time. With this new edition of startup barbecue we want to shine a light on a social urgency, promoting innovative solutions that help rebuild bonds, strengthen relationships and restore centrality to the human dimension, even through the digital world. This is not just about technology, but about impact. The goal is to build an ecosystem capable of responding to deep-seated needs, by bringing visionary entrepreneurs, investors and agents of change into dialogue."

The theme is anything but abstract. In Japan they are called hikikomori: young people — and increasingly adults — who choose to withdraw from social life for months, sometimes years, shutting the world out and confining themselves to their rooms. A phenomenon born far away, but one that speaks to us too. In Italy, recent research shows that more than 11 per cent of adolescents aged 15 to 19 have experienced periods of total withdrawal from social life during the week, and around 2 per cent have gone through prolonged voluntary isolation lasting at least six months. Even amid hyperconnection, one can be alone. So what does it truly mean, today, to be present?

startup barbecue sets out to tackle precisely this challenge: to unite worlds, bridge distances and build bridges between technology and people. The goal is not merely to exchange ideas, but to seek together a concrete answer to the question: how do we transform digital connection into human connection?

Innovating to reconnect: startups that create bonds

The startups taking centre stage at this edition share a common thread: using technology not as a barrier, but as a tool to create connections and support wellbeing. Among them, Ciao Elsa, which makes supplementary pension schemes transparent and accessible, helping people plan their future with greater peace of mind. Comestai, meanwhile, addresses eating disorders through platforms that interweave psychological, medical and nutritional support, offering answers to those who often feel invisible. Mykes weaves communities of parents around the early years of their children's lives, transcending languages and borders, while Hindeep creates opportunities for authentic encounters, turning the digital world into a bridge towards new friendships, and Sbam! encourages young people and university students to build new friendships through a social ecosystem that includes themed groups, live events and instant connections. Bmind, finally, helps people find the right psychologist through an algorithm that reduces the risk of therapy dropout and opens up new possibilities for care.

In a global context where nearly one in four people regularly feels lonely, the message is clear: technology alone is not enough. It is the intention with which we use it that makes the difference. We can keep scrolling through screens, chasing notifications, filling chats with words and images — or we can use those very same tools to build bonds that last and make us feel good. In a world that often connects us without making us feel close, sitting around a table — or a barbecue — can be a first step towards rebuilding that sense of proximity we have forgotten. And from there, imagining new forms of shared future.