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iStarter

Europe, England, United Kingdom, London

Description

iStarter is an Italian angel-led startup accelerator based in London, uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between Italian entrepreneurial talent and international markets. Founded with the mission to support promising Italian early-stage companies, iStarter provides a comprehensive ecosystem of capital, mentorship, and global network access. Its primary focus is on high-growth Italian startups that demonstrate strong potential for international expansion, leveraging London as a strategic hub for global connectivity and market access.

iStarter's investment strategy centers on early-stage funding, typically participating in pre-seed and seed rounds. They offer initial ticket sizes that generally range from approximately $54,000 to $270,000, based on recent exchange rates from their stated €50,000 to €250,000 range. Beyond the initial capital injection, iStarter actively supports its portfolio companies through follow-on investments, which can extend up to approximately $1.08 million as companies achieve significant milestones and require further scaling capital. This tiered investment approach allows iStarter to maintain a long-term relationship with its ventures, guiding them from nascent stages through growth.

A key differentiator for iStarter is its robust network, comprising over 100 experienced business angels and mentors. These individuals contribute not only capital but also invaluable industry expertise, strategic guidance, and access to their extensive professional connections. The accelerator's program is designed to equip startups with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the complexities of international markets, focusing on areas such as market entry strategies, fundraising, and operational scaling. By fostering a collaborative environment, iStarter aims to significantly increase the success rate of Italian startups on the global stage, transforming local innovation into international success stories.

Investor Profile

iStarter has backed more than 65 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 27 rounds, about 42% of its total and boasts 9 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series Unknown, Series A rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in Italy, United Kingdom, United States.
  • Strong thematic focus on E-Commerce, Information Technology, Software.
  • Typical check size: $54K – $270K.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (57%)
  • Series Unknown (22%)
  • Series A (8%)
  • Pre Seed (6%)
  • Undisclosed (3%)
  • Series C (3%)
  • Series B (2%)

Country Focus

  • Italy (62%)
  • United Kingdom (20%)
  • United States (14%)
  • Spain (2%)
  • Switzerland (2%)

Industry Focus

  • E-commerce
  • Information Technology
  • Software
  • Health Care
  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Internet
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Mobile
  • Food And Beverage
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does iStarter frequently co-invest with?

P101
Europe, Lombardia, Italy, Milan
Co-Investments: 3
Co-Investments: 1
360 Capital
Europe, Ile-de-France, France, Paris
Co-Investments: 3
II
Europe, Lombardia, Italy, Milano
Co-Investments: 1
InReach Ventures
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 1
Italian Angels for Growth
Europe, Lombardia, Italy, Milan
Co-Investments: 2
Seedrs
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 2
Accel
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 1
Club degli Investitori
Europe, Piemonte, Italy, Torino
Co-Investments: 3
Connect Ventures
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 1

Which angels does iStarter often collaborate with?

SM
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
Shared Deals: 1
RD
Europe, Puglia, Italy, Foggia
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by iStarter?

UNGUESS (formerly AppQuality)

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

UNGUESS Optimise QUALITY, EXPERIENCE and SECURITY of your digital solutions.

Application Performance ManagementCrowdsourcingiOSMobileMobile AppsPenetration TestingQuality AssuranceSoftwareUsability Testing
Series AMay 22, 2020
Amount Raised: $3,815,175
Swascan

Cassina De' Pecchi, Lombardia, Italy

Swascan is a highly regarded and experienced team that provides security consulting services for corporate, industrial and government.

Cyber SecurityInformation TechnologyInternet
SeedNov 12, 2019
RocketBaby

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Rocketbaby ® is a Brand and an Ecommerce for Baby and Kids

BabyChildrenE-CommerceInternet
Series UnknownNov 12, 2019
Entando

Miami, Florida, United States

Entando is an open-source vendor providing an Application Composition Platform for building Composable and Cloud-Native Apps

Developer PlatformEnterprise ApplicationsEnterprise SoftwareOpen SourceSoftwareWeb Development
Series AOct 25, 2019
Amount Raised: $3,324,074
Genenta Science

Milano, Lombardia, Italy

Genenta Science is a biotechnology company that develops gene transfer therapy for the treatment of cancer tumors.

BiotechnologyClinical TrialsGeneticsHealth Care
Series CSep 11, 2019
Amount Raised: $14,537,909

Orway is an innovative authentication solutions based on extremely reliable and unassailable biometric technology.

Biometrics
SeedJun 14, 2019
Beaconforce

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Translate employee's voice into insights that drive action and change

Application Performance ManagementManagement ConsultingSaaSSoftware
SeedJun 6, 2019
Soul-K

Milano, Lombardia, Italy

Food-tech scale-up that creates semi-prepared food ingredients and complete prepared meals for professionals in the HO.RE.CA & L.O.D. sector

Food and BeverageFood ProcessingManufacturing
Series UnknownMay 28, 2019
Amount Raised: $1,786,929
MorphCast

Firenze, Toscana, Italy

MorphCast offers a facial expression and emotion recognition AI platform to adapt media to the viewer in real-time.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Series UnknownApr 4, 2019
Eggtronic

San Francisco, California, United States

Revolutionary micro-sized and eco-friendly AC/DC & DC/DC power converters - inductive and capacitive wireless charging & data technologies

Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)Consumer ElectronicsElectronicsHardwareIntellectual PropertyWireless
UndisclosedApr 4, 2019