TuttoFood is gearing up for its 2026 edition by reinforcing its position as one of Europe’s leading platforms for the agri-food industry. Traditionally focused on business and distribution, the Milan-based trade fair is progressively evolving to capture the transformations reshaping the sector. In this context, a major new feature will debut: the International Startup Area, developed in partnership with Sesamers.
Founded and led by Ben Costantini, Sesamers is a Paris-based company with an international outlook, operating at the intersection of events, content, and technology. Its model is built around three core pillars: agency work supporting major international exhibitions and conferences, editorial content focused on the European startup ecosystem, and the development of a proprietary software platform designed for sales and marketing teams in the events industry.
“What we’ve built is a three-layer model,” Costantini explains. “On one side, we act as an operational partner for events, supporting the design of dedicated programs for startups and investors, including conferences, presentations, and networking opportunities. On the other, we produce content covering the startup ecosystem. And finally, we are developing software that helps organizers manage sales and marketing more efficiently, integrating AI into their daily processes.”
This cross-functional expertise—developed through collaborations with major events such as SIAL Paris and other large-scale international exhibitions—ultimately led Sesamers to TuttoFood. After an initial connection in 2024, the partnership takes shape with the 2026 edition, marking the launch of a dedicated area for international startups.
The International Startup Area will complement the existing Startup Village, which focuses on Italian companies, bringing a global dimension to the event for the first time. Sesamers will oversee the selection and onboarding of startup exhibitors, drawing both from its own community and from companies interested in entering the Italian market.
“We’re the ones reaching out to startups and presenting them with the opportunity to exhibit,” says Costantini. “The goal is to bring companies to Milan that see Italy as a strategic market and can use TuttoFood as a concrete platform for growth.”
The initiative goes beyond exhibition space. Participating startups will gain visibility and structured networking opportunities, starting with pitch sessions hosted on a dedicated stage within the area. Around these sessions, Sesamers is building a curated content program designed to drive engagement.
“If I schedule three startup pitches back-to-back, I make sure to place content before and after that draws an audience,” Costantini explains. “For example, a panel on the European food tech investment landscape can bring people into the area and increase attention on the startups.”
The program will feature investors, food innovation experts, consultants, venture capital firms, and experienced entrepreneurs, with a focus on the trajectories shaping the new food economy. It will also include more practical sessions for founders, covering topics such as fundraising strategies across different stages of growth.
Among the confirmed investors, the initiative will welcome Maia Ventures, United Ventures, GOTA Ventures, and Primo Climate—firms that collectively represent over €500 million in assets under management—further strengthening the connection between startups and capital within the event.
The introduction of a structured startup component reflects a broader, long-term vision that is becoming increasingly central for major trade shows. Startups represent both a key source of innovation and a gateway to emerging trends that are redefining the industry.
“Startups are the customers of tomorrow,” Costantini notes. “What we see is that a portion of those who participate for the first time eventually become regular exhibitors—around 10% within a three-year cycle.”
In this perspective, creating a dedicated environment is not only about capturing innovation, but also about building a growth pipeline for the event itself, supporting companies as they scale.
Another distinctive element of the project is the integration of the financial ecosystem, aimed at enhancing the event’s profile and expanding opportunities for exhibitors.
“Bringing investors into a context like TuttoFood means creating new, high-value connections,” Costantini observes. “It’s traditionally a very commercially driven environment, but precisely for that reason there’s room to facilitate interactions with those who fund innovation and support startup growth.”
In this sense, the International Startup Area positions itself as a convergence point between industry, innovation, and capital, helping to strengthen TuttoFood’s role as a more advanced platform for the entire ecosystem.
Within this broader framework, the initiative also serves as a tool to support the transformation of the trade show itself.
“Organizers know that change is coming,” Costantini concludes. “The real challenge is understanding how to start building today what the event should look like in ten years. Our role is to help create a platform that enables the industry to evolve, rather than chasing change when it’s already too late.”
With the addition of Sesamers and the launch of the International Startup Area, TuttoFood 2026 opens a new space where innovation, capital, and industry can begin to interact in a more structured and forward-looking way.
