01 — The Story
Born to
Build.
Matteo Russo is a Neapolitan entrepreneur who chose to build when everyone else was still looking for a job. At 21, while most people his age were figuring things out, Matteo was already flying internationally as a certified flight attendant and simultaneously studying computer science at Federico II — before landing a spot at the prestigious Apple Developer Academy.
After a year in Dublin working as a designer and market analyst at an international agency, Matteo returned to Naples with one thing in mind: build products that actually matter. In 2020 he founded Piklok SRL and the rest is a streak of hits — most famously growing Apply&Go from zero to over 100,000 active European users without spending a single cent on advertising.
For over six years, Matteo has been a partner of OpenAI, building innovative GPT applications before AI became mainstream. He has been privately invited by embassies worldwide to discuss innovation, named a Mentor Changemaker by the Italian Ministry of Youth Policies, and selected among the Top 50 Startuppers in Italy by SMAU. His cybersecurity product Sekuradar won the prestigious European Commission Changemaker Award.
02 — By The Numbers
03 — Career Arc
Every step.
Intentional.
Scientific Diploma
Convitto Vittorio Emanuele II, Naples
Flight Attendant
Alitalia & Blue Panorama Airlines, Rome
Apple Developer Academy
Project Manager · Designer · Pitcher, Naples
Pearch Digital, Dublin
Designer · App Developer · Market Analyst
Founded Piklok SRL
Product Manager, Designer, Developer — Naples
OpenAI Partner
6+ years building innovative GPT applications
Founded InspireItaly SRL
Launched Apply&Go — 0 to 100k users, no ad spend
Mentor Changemaker
Italian Ministry of Youth Policies recognition
Pianifiko.com
NFC/barcode logistics & factory traceability platform
Narrix & Sekuradar
AI video creation + cybersecurity SaaS, both live
04 — What They Say
“Piklok's Founder, Matteo Russo, is among the brightest young people of the Academy and will be supported for any initiative.”
Prof. Giorgio Ventre
Department Chair, Apple Developer Academy — Federico II
“This team of 'Mentor Changemakers' possesses many qualities, including empathy, vision and the determination to really make things better.”
Italian Ministry of Youth Policies
Mentor Changemaker Programme
“Congratulations! Apply & Go is officially a changemaking platform, being an excellent youth protagonism initiative with a high social impact.”
Italian National Youth Agency
Official Recognition, 2022
“Innovative is the word. Apply & Go uses technology to re-think youth engagement.”
Fortune Italia
Editorial, 2022
05 — Skills & Stack
Full.
Stack.
From pixels to databases. From pitch decks to App Store listings. Matteo operates across every layer of product creation — design, code, marketing, and strategy — which is why his products reach the market faster and stronger than typical teams of 10.
Web
JavaScript · React · Next.js · jQuery · Express · HTML5 · CSS3 · Python · Django
Mobile
React Native · Swift · Xcode · Flutter · Android Studio
Software
Electron · .NET Core · Java · C / C++ / C#
Database
SQL · MySQL · MongoDB · Firebase · Oracle · NoSQL
Design & PM
Figma · Brand Design · Product Management · Marketing & SEO · Team Leading
06 — Recognition
Proven.
Globally.
European Commission
Changemaker Award for Sekuradar
Italian Ministry of Youth
Mentor Changemaker — Official Recognition
SMAU Top 50
Top 50 Startuppers in Italy
Embassy Invitee
Privately invited worldwide to discuss innovation