Post di Digital Magics

Unicorn founders did not go to business school, nor did they work at McKinsey. Instead, they were less career-oriented global citizens who typically worked in a startup before they became founders. On average, they had 10 years of work experience prior to founding, mostly within product & engineering, and they almost always lived, worked or studied abroad. Super insightful research by Endeavor -- For more in-depth insights and resources like these, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter, The VC Corner, where I share my latest findings and thoughts on the startup ecosystem: https://lnkd.in/dWnd6WX9

European startups are among the most innovative in the world, but they need the right resources to grow here in Europe. This is what I discussed with CEOs and leaders of some of the leading European innovation and startup hubs in Brussels today. It was an inspiring exchange of ideas. I shared our vision for building a stronger European ecosystem where startups can thrive. In the first 100 days of our mandate, we’ll ensure that AI startups have access to our world-class supercomputers. We want to make it easier for innovators to succeed by reducing the costs of failure. Finally, we’ll work to improve access to funding and modernise regulations. Creating a supportive environment for our talents.

European startups are among the most innovative in the world, but they need the right resources to grow here in Europe. This is what I discussed with CEOs and leaders of some of the leading European innovation and startup hubs in Brussels today. It was an inspiring exchange of ideas. I shared our vision for building a stronger European ecosystem where startups can thrive. In the first 100 days of our mandate, we’ll ensure that AI startups have access to our world-class supercomputers. We want to make it easier for innovators to succeed by reducing the costs of failure. Finally, we’ll work to improve access to funding and modernise regulations. Creating a supportive environment for our talents.

🥁 Drumroll please… 🏆 Introducing the #UNLEASHWorld Startup Award finalists! This incredible line-up of innovative HR startups will be competing live in Paris for a sponsorship package worth €50,000! The competition is kindly sponsored by Rubio Impact Ventures and Mediahuis Ventures We’re delighted to welcome the following startups to pitch to our judging panel on Wednesday 16 October at 10.45am, live on the Innovation stage at UNLEASH World in Paris! 🎤 Our finalists are…. ✨ Omind ✨ TAIWA® ✨ Welliba ✨ CoComply ✨ Alda Congratulations to all! 🎉 A special thanks goes to our judges who can’t wait to hear the pitches: Kathi Enderes, Piyush H., Ilonka Jankovich, Chris Hoyt, Anita Lettink, Ben Eubanks and our MC Rebecca Carr! 👏 Kennedy Cook, Aniko Illes 👀 Find out more: https://bit.ly/406r6vh 🎫 Secure your pass to be there: https://bit.ly/3xgNEwV

We are thrilled to announce that Trustfull has been recognized in Sifted's Top 50 fastest-growing startups in Southern Europe for 2024! 🎉 Sifted, backed by the Financial Times, is the leading media brand for Europe's startup community. Their annual leaderboards highlight the most notable tech companies from across the continent, ranking them by revenue growth. The 2024 Southern Europe edition shows Italy leading the list with 24 startups, followed by Spain with 16. This recognition is a testament to our team's dedication to delivering the best possible products to our clients and partners. Check out the leaderboard 👉 https://lnkd.in/ddSc8bcq Download your copy of the report 👉 https://lnkd.in/dzav_mgQ Curious to see Trustfull’s Digital Risk Intelligence Platform in action? Book a demo here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dCHq9yjc #SiftedLeaderboards #SouthernEurope #Trustfull #ItalianFintech #EUStartups

Last year I re-read the "Lean Startup" and it blew my mind. I had this HUGE misconception about MVPs, and learned a lot of people misunderstood that concept too. Building an MVP means something other than building the most rough and bare-bone version of a product. It doesn't say startups should build half-assed products to validate hypotheses. The MVP concept says you can build a solution to 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 of your business. By today's standards, building an average product often won't derisk anything. It might even invalidate your idea, even if the problem you're trying to solve is real. If the distinction still isn't clear, I've written an entire essay about this. It aims to course-correct the lean startup misinterpretation. And to amplify Eric Ries's initial work! Hope it helps 💜 The essay: https://lnkd.in/eU4CAMnE

What determines the success of a startup? 👇  We believe that one of the keys is a team with mutual trust and a desire to work together towards a common goal. 🌱  Let's meet the team behind one of the first startups that had the access to #RedZone: Vortex start up innovativa e Società Benefit, founded by Simone Piccolo and Lorenzo Picco, and made up of fiercely creative, passionate and innovative professionals. 🍎  Their journey inside the RedZone acceleration program is proceeding, follow our social channels to find out more and comment here below! 🚀  #StartUpLife #Innovation #Technology #Entrepreneurship

Raising a pre-seed round? Here’s what investors want to see 👇🏽 The data below from Carta shows the most recent benchmarks for founders raising pre-seed and seed rounds (mostly using SAFEs ahead of priced rounds. UK and EU founders can expect local investors to be down/behind on these numbers. If you’re thinking about raising a pre-seed round, these are the things investors expect to see: 1️⃣ Customer engagement on your product or service. With a wide range of tools available to build an MVP, investors expect to see customer engagement (beyond throwaway comments/feedback) that demonstrates a willingness to adopt the product or service. 2️⃣ Defined steps for scalability. Understanding exactly where the friction points in your product or service are and what you need to overcome them shows that you’re being pragmatic on your growth trajectory and how you plan to allocate the investment capital. 3️⃣ A truly unique insight supported with data. It might seem obvious but investors are wary of funding startups with incremental value creation for customers. Show that you understand the customer and market opportunity with your unique insight. Regardless of the later stage investment market, pre-seed investing will continue to remain strong and founders should focus on the three points above to get their rounds closed! #founders #vc #startup #business

Big idea, short runway? Founders, this is the moment you’ve been building for—your last weekend to take your climate tech to the world stage with the SET Award 2025. 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: 💶 equity-free cash (€10k per category), 🔦 #SET100 status to spotlight your startup globally, and pitches at the SET Tech Festival and Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue in Berlin, where VCs, CVCs, industry heavyweights, and policymakers are listening 🤝. Plus, your application automatically enters you into the Free Electrons Program, doubling your shot at game-changing opportunities ⚡️. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦. Don’t miss out—apply this weekend, and let’s SET the pace for the future together 👉 https://t.ly/zMV4f #SET25 #startupcompetition #climatetechstartups #SETAward #energytransition

Some startups fail because they build products nobody needs 💔 In B2B, it normally takes two years to start feeling product-market fit Here’s an overview of how long it took 24 of today’s top B2B startups to get to (1) a live product, (2) their first customer, and (3) their first feeling of PMF. Key takeaways: (1) The median time from idea to feeling product-market fit was roughly 2 years (2) From a working product to feeling PMF typically took 9-18 months (3) Most companies got an alpha product out the door in 1-3 months (4) A few companies—Figma, Airtable, Slack—took 4+ years to find PMF The journey to PMF starts by finding just one company to truly love your product Credit: Lenny Rachitsky Interested in startups and venture capital? Check my free newsletter for more insights: https://lnkd.in/d-WG2vsF