Startup Wise Guys

Calling all #Baltic Startups! 🚀 ⚡️ Our partners at TechChill have opened applications for the Fifty Founders Battle pitch competition! 💫 This is your chance to showcase your startup on TechChill’s stage, connect with top investors, and compete for up to €300,000 in investment prizes from FIRSTPICK, DEPO Ventures, and LatBAN. 🙌 Additionally, there's a €10,000 no-strings-attached prize courtesy of community supporters eazyBI, Plug and Play, and the TechChill community! 💡 Who Should Apply? Startups based in the Baltics, including those headquartered elsewhere but with a significant presence in 🇪🇪Estonia, 🇱🇻Latvia, or 🇱🇹Lithuania. ⏳ Apply here until December 2: https://lnkd.in/dxgtHdR3 Don't miss out on this chance to elevate your startup to new heights! 🌟

🚀 Exciting News from #Africa! 🌍 We’re thrilled to share a major milestone for one of our portfolio companies, Hisa, a #Kenyan #fintech startup from our SaaS Africa 2023 batch. 🎉 Invest with Hisa has been acquired by Rise (https://lnkd.in/dDK_Mfqd), a leading Nigerian financial technology company, marking a significant achievement in Africa’s fintech ecosystem. 🙌 At Startup Wise Guys, we’re proud to have been part of Hisa’s journey, supporting their mission to democratize access to investments and drive financial inclusion across the continent. 🌟 This acquisition highlights the strength of Hisa’s visionary team, innovative technology, and incredible impact. 💡 👉 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eajuEYXe 👏 Congratulations to Hisa’s co-founders, Erick Asuma and Eric Jackson, the entire Hisa team, and our partners at Rise for this remarkable achievement. Here’s to driving African fintech to even greater heights! 🌟 #StartupWiseGuys #Hisa #FintechAfrica #PortfolioNews #Innovation #AfricanStartups

✨ Introducing the Winter 2024 Batch: Redefining SaaS, Cyber&Defence, and Web3! ✨ We're thrilled to welcome 10 game-changing startups to the Startup Wise Guys portfolio as part of our first-ever multi-vertical Winter Batch with the kick-off in the vibrant city of Lisbon! 🌟 🚀 From AI-powered assistants to cutting-edge defense technologies, these startups are shaping the future across #SaaS, #Cybersecurity, and #Web3! 🙌 Honored to present these dynamic teams shaping the future of tech: @AirVision , CREDI (Alessio Marinelli), Frontline, Hardal (Barış Gürbüzler), Klart AI (Noyan Bilge), Lizcore (Edgar Casanovas Lorente), rBlox (Hayk Mnatsakanyan), Tiledesk (Michele P.), Unitlab (Shohrukh Bekmirzaev), and Vivox (Tim Khamzin). 🏢 The journey began at Unicorn Factory Lisboa, where a community breakfast to set the tone for the very intense and busy week ahead! With the invaluable support of Unicorn Factory Lisboa, and 3 Comma Capital this program is designed to supercharge each startup's path to success. 🗓️ Mark your calendars for the Lightning #Pitch Competition on November 28—where the startups will showcase their bold solutions to investors and partners https://lnkd.in/dZwx4yj4 ⚡️ Shoutout to the program team onsite Gilles DC, Sergio Borasino, Viktoria Kalman, and Brianna Quintero! 📖 Discover more and stay tuned as we follow their journey ahead 👉ttps://https://lnkd.in/d6tu5pV6 #StartupWiseGuys #startups #lisbon #unicornfactory #newbatch #SaaS #Cyber #Defence #web3 #investment #funding #opportunties #Growth

💫 Women Entrepreneurs Taking the Stage and Shaping the Future at Demo Day in #Helsinki! Last week was truly unforgettable! We celebrated the inaugural cohort Demo Day of the EmpoWomen Program in Helsinki, spotlighting innovation, resilience, and the incredible women-led startups driving change. 🎪 The teams had an incredible experience at one of the most anticipated events in the Baltics, Slush Conference 2024, where the program proudly showcased its impact with a dedicated booth! This milestone event was nothing short of inspiring, perfectly showcasing the power of women in tech and entrepreneurship. 💪✨ 👏 A huge round of applause to our award winners: Noemi Zabari (Astroteq.ai), Neide Vieira, PhD (IPLEXMED), and Patrícia C. Henriques (GOTECH Antimicrobial). 🌟 Special recognition to all stellar participants: Gamze Karanfil Kaçmaz (GMZ Enerji Sistemleri), Slawa Madelska (HUGUP), Prakseda Mineikiene (INNOSENSUS), Annija Emersone (P-Agro Minerals), Jenny Romano (The Newsroom), Natalia Dernicka (Heilo ), Aliona Levca (Pinky CyberSafe), and Dorota Dardzinska (IQ Biozoom). 💖 Heartfelt thanks to our red team: Timi Ilze for her unwavering leadership and energy managing this program from Startup Wise Guys’ side, Brianna Quintero for her support throughout the initiative, and Monica Aguilar for stepping in and lending a hand during the event. 👩🏫 Kudos to these amazing ladies, our #mentors who guided, inspired, and paved the way by sharing their expertise throughout the program: Zane Bojāre, Fabienne Hakim, Faten Matmati, and Karina Lapina! 👏 Shoutout to the phenomenal supporters of the program: Sploro, TechUkraine, and Business Angels Europe and many others! Here’s to breaking ceilings, redefining industries, and empowering women founders to change the world. 💪✨ #EmpoWomen #WomenInTech #StartupsToWatch #Slush2024 #Innovation #WomenEmpowerment #BreakingBarriers

🚀 Startup Lightning Pitch Night in Lisbon! ⚡ Join us for Startup Lightning #Pitch Night, taking place at Lisbon’s brand-new AI Hub, where game-changing startups in #SaaS, #AI, #Cybersecurity, #Fintech, and #Web3 take the stage for rapid-fire pitches. 🙌 Curated by Startup Wise Guys and Unicorn Factory Lisboa, this event is a must for founders, investors, and startup enthusiasts alike! Here’s what’s in store: ✨ Lightning Pitches: 60 seconds of pitching + 2 minutes of Q&A 🤝 Networking: Connect with founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders 🍸 Open Bar: Sip, mingle, and discuss bold ideas 📅 When: November 28, 18:30 📍 Where: AI Hub, R. João Saraiva 38, Lisbon 🎟️ Free registration with limited spots – sign up now! A special thanks to everyone who has supported this journey, including 3 Comma Capital and many others who continue to fuel innovation. 💡 Register here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dZwx4yj4 #StartupWiseGuys #unicornfactorylisboa #aihub #Lisbon #Networking #SaaS #AI #Cybersecurity #Fintech #Web3 #Innovation

A Landmark Partnership for the Future of #PropTech in #SaudiArabia! ✨ We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone for Startup Wise Guys: Our General Partner, Aya Zaghnin, has signed a strategic sponsorship agreement with Retal, one of Saudi Arabia's largest private real estate developers, at Cityscape Global 🏙️. 🤝 This collaboration represents a powerful alignment between Retal’s industry leadership and our commitment to driving innovation in PropTech, smart cities, and sustainable urban development 🌍. Together, we aim to empower the next generation of technology-driven solutions 💡, shaping the future of real estate and urban living in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦. 🏢 From advancing smart city innovations to fostering sustainable, tech-enabled developments, this partnership is rooted in a shared vision to create efficient, connected, and intelligent urban landscapes. We are proud to be a part of this transformative journey and grateful to Retal for believing in the immense potential of #PropTech and in Startup Wise Guys’ mission to empower startups in emerging markets. Here’s to creating meaningful change and building a smarter, more sustainable future! #PropTech #Innovation #SmartCities #Sustainability #UrbanDevelopment #StartupWiseGuys #SaudiArabia #Partnership #FutureOfRealEstate #TechEnabled

🌱 What’s Next for #Cleantech? Big Ideas Take the Stage 🌱 Cleantech Program Graduation Day! We’re excited to announce the graduation of 8 groundbreaking startups from the Cleantech Program in #Azerbaijan! 🚀 Over the last 14 weeks, these visionary teams embarked on an incredible journey of growth, powered by hands-on sessions, expert mentorship, and sustainability-focused workshops. This milestone event was perfectly timed with COP29 Azerbaijan, the world’s leading sustainability conference, held in Baku.🌱 🌏  On top it off, these startups got the unique opportunity to #pitch their game-changing ideas at COP29 Azerbaijan, stepping into the global spotlight!✨ We’re proud to expand into #Azerbaijan, a vibrant and promising market for cleantech innovation! 🙌 A heartfelt thank you to our incredible partners at Orkhan Abbasov, Rafig Alverdiyev, Mazahir Ahmadov, MBA SABAH.HUB, "PASHA Holding" LLC, and IDDA Talents, whose support made this journey possible. 💡 👏 Congratulations to the startups: SuMART, Lumian Energy, Biopols , Agroficient, BeWorks Automation, BERKM inc, Blueit, @Nexus Lab. and founders: Levent Şahiner, Bahruz Mammadov, Hülya Tomak, Sena Tarım Yalçınkaya,Nijat Aliyev, Emil Huseynli, Fidan Javadova and others! Our team onsite Herty Tammo,Daria Demchenko,Santiago Fortino 👏 These startups are shaping the future of sustainability – and this is just the beginning. 🌟 We’re proud to expand into #Azerbaijan, a vibrant and promising market for cleantech innovation. #Cleantech #Innovation #Sustainability #StartupWiseGuys #COP29 🌱

#Fundraising Insights from CyberMadrid 🚀💡 Last Thursday, we had the privilege of attending CyberMadrid- Clúster de Ciberseguridad de Madrid! ✨ Our very own Sergio Borasino from Startup Wise Guys moderated a stellar panel featuring: 🎙️ Cristobal Alonso, CEO at Startup Wise Guys 🎙️ Ranny Nachmias, Angel Investor, Advisor & Mentor 🎙️ Aldemaro González, Early-Stage Investor at Plug and Play Tech Center 💡 Key Takeaways from the Discussion: 🗝️ Fundraising is a marathon: It’s ongoing, even without immediate cash needs. Building investor relationships is key. 🗝️ Smart money counts: Seek investors who offer value beyond capital—expertise, advice, or connections. 🗝️ It’s a two-way street: Prepare for investor meetings, assess strategic value, and build trust with honest updates. 🙌 A huge thanks to CyberMadrid for organizing such an insightful event and gathering top-level professionals in the field. Special appreciation to the sponsors: Comunidad de Madrid, Ayuntamiento de Madrid INCIBE - Instituto Nacional de Ciberseguridad, Madrid Innovation Madrid Investment Attraction, Centro de Ciberseguridad del Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Cuatroochenta, Minery Report SMARTFENSE, Singular Bank Sofistic Cybersecurity (a Cuatroochenta company), DLTCode ✨ And to our fantastic collaborators: Adara Ventures, AEBAN - Asociación Española Business Angels Networks, Asociación Española de Empresas Contra el Fraude, Inmune, SpainCap, SherpaTribe, Swanlaab Venture Factory, Tetuan Valley, UNIR, Uppery Club, Women4Cyber Spain (W4C Spain), and of course, Startup Wise Guys! 💪 Let’s continue fueling growth in startups and fostering impactful conversations like this! #StartupInvesting #FundraisingTips #SmartMoney #InvestorRelations #CyberMadrid #StartupWiseGuys

🚨 Portfolio #Fundraising Alert! What an amazing way to start the new week! We’re beyond excited to celebrate our portfolio company, SOMAREALITY - from our XR Malaga 2022 batch - raising a staggering €2.6M SEED round! 🧠✨ ⚡️ SOMAREALITY is redefining innovation with their groundbreaking eye-tracking technology that provides real-time insights into cognitive states. This is just the beginning of something revolutionary! 🔥 👏 Huge congrats to the SOMAREALITY team: Adrian Brodesser Michel Varilek,Julia Kern, Benedikt Gollan and others for this incredible milestone. We’re proud to have been part of their journey and can’t wait to see what’s next! 🌟 Here’s to innovation, growth, and pushing boundaries! #StartupWiseGuys #XRMalaga #TechInnovation #FundingNews #ProudMoment

🔋 Powering Up Turkish Innovation with Our Investment in Lumian Energy! We are thrilled to announce our investment in Lumian Energy a #SaaS solution transforming energy management for B2B companies! ⚡️ Founded by Batu Balkır, Emre Birol, and Levent Şahiner, Lumian closed a $400K pre-seed round, led by DOMiNO Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, StartupFon, and angel investor İsmail Ferhat Özlü. 💡 Lumian’s platform offers real-time monitoring, bill analysis, and IoT capabilities, deployable within minutes and without extra hardware. Serving 60+ customers across 1,250 facilities in three countries, Lumian’s growth is on fire! 🔥 Levent Şahiner shared, “We’re adding talent in marketing and business development to support our rapid growth.” Congrats to the Lumian team on this exciting milestone! 🙌🌍 #StartupWiseGuys #EnergyManagement #Investment