BUILD YOUR TEAM

REALIZE YOUR STARTUP

2026 APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

Build Your Team

— Realize Your Startup

Dock is the startup founder academy that serves as a steering early-stage ventures towards success. Like a ship embarking on a bold journey, we guide founders through uncharted waters, offering direction, resources, and a crew of experts to ensure you stay on course from idea to impact.

✓ Find your co-founder among 100 participants

✓ Get mentorship from 50+ entrepreneurs and industry experts

✓ Validate your idea and present it to dozens of investors

✓ Access a life-time community of startup founders

As seen on

4 Months

to launch your own Startup

For each edition, we identify the best talent from more than 300 applicants to find the right people to join the journey. We select 100 startup founders, and support them with the foundational skills they need to start their entrepreneurial journey.

You don't need to have a fully-formed idea to apply. You can co-create one with other motivated people like yourself, or join an existing team.

Key dates

March 14

Applications deadline
The application period closes and our team begins the process of candidates selection.

March 24

Start of the program

The selected candidates begin the entrepreneurial program.

Apply now

July 16

Demo Day

The best teams will pitch at the Demo Day in front of the investors and jury.

Watch the highlights from the last edition of the program

Join a community of passionate startup founders and be part of something extraordinary.

What sets Dock Startup Lab apart?

We are a growth ecosystem where aspiring entrepreneurs, experienced mentors, and valuable resources converge in a journey of cultural cross-pollination.

Dock Startup Lab is completely free for all selected participants.

There are no registration fees, tuition costs, or hidden charges.

1.000+

Innovators trained
75+

Higher education institution involved
€300K+

Awards distributed
€ 6M+

Investments raised from the startups in our program

How the Program Works

The journey unfolds primarily online, featuring practical expert-led masterclasses, and actionable video content that you can revisit anytime, ensuring you build the foundational skills needed to launch and scale your venture.

Throughout the program, we bring you face-to-face with Rome's startup community through in-person meetups at the city's most dynamic innovation hubs: CTE, Zest, Talent Garden, and PiCampus.

The Grand Finale: Your entrepreneurial journey culminates at Eni Gazometro, one of Rome's most iconic innovation landmarks, where you'll pitch your startup to investors, industry leaders, and fellow founders at our Demo Day.

Who should apply

Aspiring entrepreneurs

with a backgrounding idea looking for the right team and guidance to bring it to life.
Students, graduates, and PhD candidates

eager to apply their knowledge in a dynamic, real-world startup environment.
Skilled professionals

seeking to transition into the startup world and find exciting projects to contribute to.

APPLY NOW

They say about us

Eva

What awaits you at Dock is a journey, where nothing is left to chance and where they firmly believe that people's enthusiasm is the right driving force to make the world we live in a better place.
Massimiliano

With Dock Startup Lab, we laid the groundwork for the early stages of Envify in a very practical way. It helped us clarify the product and priorities and launch the MVP methodically, without wasting time.
Alessia

A valid program scheduled according to current best practices on the market and, above all, a unique opportunity to create valuable connections that will last over time.
Federico

Competent mentors, a pleasant environment, and lots of practice. It helped us clarify our business model, improve our pitch, and compare ourselves with other teams. An intense but truly useful experience.
Roberta

Before participating in Dock, we knew nothing about the startup world. Now I am satisfied with the information we received, but above all with the networking we did! I would recommend it to all aspiring entrepreneurs!.