Primo Capital | Meet the Portfolio - Data Masters - The Italian Masterclass for AI, Data Science and Machine Learning

23 nov 2023 Meet the Portfolio, Data Masters

Meet the Portfolio is a Primo Ventures format to discover the game-changing companies we support.

In the interview below, Data Masters tell us about its unique journey.

How was Data Masters born?

Data Masters was born from the need to create a reference point for Italian individuals and companies on the topics of machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence.

Initially, Luigi, Francesco and Vincenzo, started working on it as a "side project". A few months later however, given the huge demand for training paths from individuals and companies, we decided to establish Data Masters, with the mission of offering continuous education to start and advance the careers of professionals in the world of data.

The initial idea was to create a local reference point in Southern Italy, but after the first months of operation, we quickly realized that the lack of up-to-date training courses and a technical community of reference for artificial intelligence (AI) was a national problem.

In fact, to date, our clients come in virtually equal parts from the Italian North, Centre, South and Islands.

Where do you see Data Masters in 10 years?

We believe that there is a need for global transformation of training structures. Today, the speed of evolution and the resulting rapid obsolescence of skills have created a crisis situation in the talent market.

Until a few years ago, study and training ended after college. Today's workforce has different needs; it is essential to create facilities and technologies that foster "continuous learning" and, above all, it is essential, in the context of upskilling and reskilling the workforce, that these facilities have a vertical educational focus. Ours is the field of data and AI.

Most nations, and consequently companies, cannot find qualified people. The talent or skill gap is becoming one of the major problems for economic growth, and in the long-term for the progress of our society too.

In this scenario, we aim to play a key role by providing training and developing technologies that can overcome the limitations of traditional training and introduce significant innovations that can impact both the competitiveness of our companies and the continuing education of the workforce.

What has been the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is always the one that awaits us.

Currently, we face the typical critical issues of a startup, but if we really had to highlight one in particular, the slowness of institutions and large companies, and their inability to collaborate constructively with startups, is definitely one of the most frustrating elements.

The speed and quality of our execution will determine our success. On average a startup has a maximum of 24 months to live....

In a simplistic way, a startup's success depends on its ability to create a product and then sell it. In a market with very little capital like Italy's, the slowness of the corporate sales cycle disadvantages both the growth and positioning of our startups in foreign markets.

We already look carefully abroad, but as Italians, we are always looking for champions in our supply chain who are ready to take the "risk" of collaborating with us.

What are the trends in your industry?

At this moment in history, there are many trends in our industry.

On the one hand, we are witnessing the total disruption of traditional training models and a total disruption of training delivery, while on the other hand, the whole world of AI is evolving rapidly.

The biggest challenge is to stay "relevant" and continually update ourselves to provide our clients with maximum value and disseminate the best training content.

Who is the ideal investor?

We are delighted that we have had the right entrepreneurial maturity to select our investors not based on their "check size," but on the added value they can bring to the company.

The life cycles of startups are long and often exceed 10 years, thus, carefully selecting participants that we bring in early-on, is critical.

Anyone who can accelerate our product development, commercialization, and has skills complementary to the core team is welcome to join Data Masters.

Investors must have the ability to improve the quality of a team and decrease mistakes, never forcing vision choices, but always inviting deep, even existential, reflections.

What makes Data Masters unique?

When we ask others, they always tell us that what makes us unique is our community.

Data Masters is first and foremost made up of people. We are a community and training platform that is open, innovative, and accessible to all.

Along with our mission of democratizing and making AI training accessible, we always put a focus on skills.

Accessibility in the world of training has too often ended up being a reduction in training standards. We put a lot of emphasis on competencies and skills first, and we try to meet the market where the market is. In this regard, we are developing a new delivery model that allows for the creation of training paths that are of the highest standard, but tailored to everyone's needs.

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