Michele Mattei’s Post

Italian Founders Fund just a launched a $50 million investment pool to support at least 25 early stage startups The Italian Founders Fund (#IFF) has just launched with a €50 million investment pool aimed at supporting 25 ambitious companies. This fund seeks to bridge the gap in early-stage funding for startups in Italy, taking a sector-agnostic and founder-friendly approach. The IFF team includes notable figures such as Ascanio Orombelli, Monica Conti, Lorenzo Franzi, and Alessandra Santi. Lorenzo Franzi, a former CEO of Laundrapp and partner at Global Founders Capital, highlights the fund's mission to provide structured and supportive investment processes, contrasting with the more unstructured angel investing. Backed by approximately 100 successful Italian entrepreneurs, IFF is entirely privately funded, showcasing a strong commitment from Italy's entrepreneurial community to boost the country's startup ecosystem. While Italy ranks eighth in Europe for #VC investment, IFF aims to elevate its status by fostering innovative companies. The fund's portfolio already includes the customer research platform Glaut and the HR tech startup Jet HR, with more investments on the horizon. IFF’s approach goes beyond mere financial backing; it involves active support in key hires, commercial expansion, and strategic partnerships. Their ambition is to place Italy among the top destinations in Europe for launching a startup, despite challenges like high taxes and bureaucratic hurdles. The article on TechCrunch in the first comment. Want to stay up to date with the market? Here my newsletter: - Linkedin: https://t.ly/s541W   - Substack: https://lnkd.in/dzfGJzmW

"Vietnam’s start-up ecosystem is relatively young but has evolved rapidly over the last 5-7 years. During the two years leading up to the pandemic, there was a lot of hype about local startups, with hopes that many would soon turn into unicorns. However, the situation has become more challenging, with global funding becoming tighter. Investors are more selective, forcing founders to be more disciplined about scaling and operations instead of simply burning cash." ThinkZone's Founding Partner & CEO, Mr. Do Bui, shared about the evolution of Vietnam's #startup_ecosystem, as well as recommendations for startup founders to navigate through the fundraising winter. Great thanks to Ha Nguyen, CFA for giving us a chance to share about our startup investment experiences. 👉 Read full article here: https://lnkd.in/gNpQKZrQ #startup #VC #fundraising

Some believe that the African startup ecosystem is the last frontier. Despite the obstacles and difficulties, many VCs have already placed their bets in the hope of being among the earliest investors in one of Africa's future unicorns. Ghita Zniber from Kalys Ventures shares with us her experience in investing in this emerging market and what she and her partner, Salma Benaddou Idrissi, look for in a startup before investing. https://lnkd.in/dpJqwQNt

Mission 1: build the largest pre-series A startup investment vehicle in the world in 4 years! 🚀 Mission 2: allow each and every one to have access to the most exclusive startups out there, from as little as 1,000 euros. Not the richest, not those with a network, not those with specific education. Everyone! 🚀🚀 Mission 3: build the first self-funded unicorn fintech in Europe in 4 years! 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 Code Name: Blast Angels ⚔️ After an insane success in France from Anthony Bourbon ⚔️ and Samuel Guez with Blast Club, I embarked with my cofounder Benoît Lagarde in the journey of building Startup Investment Clubs all around the world and let people invest alongside their favorite personalities into the most exclusive tech startups of the moment. 🔥 Early this year, we opened, and what a success again, Blast Spain (Blast.) with Spain’s first podcast host and repeat entrepreneur Pedro Buerbaum Ortega. We are now on our way to opening North of Europe, Italy, Germany, Brazil and so many more regions to come. I always enjoy the feeling of belonging to something, to feel like there is a place where people are driven by the same passions and sometimes the same foolish dreams as mine. So why not create it myself? 🔥🔥🔥 I believe we are on the brink of changing the way private equity investment behaves in the world. Less to the banks, more to the people. Seed startups investment has been one of the most, if not the most, profitable asset class over the last 20 years. People just didn’t have access to it. It was reserved to the wealthy. To those with good schools, with a good network. To those who know. To those like me. This is about to change.

African Startups Thrive Despite YC's Exit Y Combinator's departure from Africa has allowed local accelerators to flourish. These new programs, led by experienced entrepreneurs, offer tailored support and mentorship better suited to the unique challenges and opportunities of the African market. This shift encourages innovation focused on local needs, fostering more sustainable and impactful solutions. How can local accelerators reshape the African startup landscape?  Please let me know what your thoughts are. #expansion #foreignmarkets #internationalbusiness #growbusinesshub https://lnkd.in/dcHpdyiX

On Wednesday, December 11 by 5:00 PM GMT+1, join Joe K., alongside Niama El Bassunie, CFA, Lina Kacyem, CPCU, and Jochem Wieringa for an engaging panel discussion on investing in African startups. Moderated by Alex Farcet, this session will dive into deal sourcing, due diligence, and the latest trends shaping Africa’s startup ecosystem. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from seasoned investors! Register here: https://lu.ma/635evavt #AngelInvesting #AfricanStartups #StartupEcosystem #InvestorInsights

summary of the year's achievement _ End-of-Year Investor Roundup End-of-Year Investor Roundup: A Celebration of Milestones and Growth As 2024 draws to a close, we at Alpha Ventures are thrilled to reflect on an incredible year of achievements and progress. This year was a testament to our commitment to fostering innovation, empowering startups, and creating a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished: 🔹 Becoming a Member of NACO In 2024, Alpha Ventures proudly joined the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO), a prestigious network of angel investors in Canada. This membership expanded our reach, resources, and ability to support promising startups, cementing our role as a key driver of innovation in the entrepreneurial landscape. 🔹 Guiding 5 Startups to Success We successfully collaborated with five promising startups, providing tailored mentorship, strategic insights, and funding guidance. Our hands-on approach helped these companies refine their business models, scale effectively, and navigate competitive markets with confidence. 🔹 Joining CAIN Alpha Ventures also became a part of the Canadian Angel Investment Network (CAIN), strengthening our position within Canada’s investment community. This new alliance opens doors to exciting co-investment opportunities and industry connections, reinforcing our mission to back transformative ideas. We’re deeply grateful to our investors, partners, and the entrepreneurial community for making 2024 such a rewarding year. As we look ahead to 2025, we are more committed than ever to driving innovation and supporting ventures that shape the future. Here’s to another year of growth and success! 🚀 #GoalSetting #SuccessMindset #BusinessIdeas #TechStartups #Ambition #DreamBig #InnovativeThinking #SmallBusinessGrowth #VentureCapital #DigitalTransformation

Brussels-based Syndicate One, an international investment firm focused on supporting Belgium’s ambitious startup founders, has announced the final close of its oversubscribed debut fund at €6.5M. Following a €4.5M first close in late 2023, the firm aims to expand its network and invest in standout Belgian entrepreneurs across all sectors. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gucUAbMS Laurens De Poorter, Matthias Geeroms, finance&invest.brussels, Wallonie Entreprendre

I'm sure that some will disagree with me. As much as I love to be involved in the NYC/SF startup ecosystems, money and knowledge are simply worth more in Europe (0 to 1 and 0 to 10 phases) from a growth POV. Think about it: If your goal isn't immediate massive scale, what if you could raise $200k in Europe and achieve similar early-stage milestones to a company that raised $500k in the US? Capital efficiency surely must be on the mind for many. Not to mention, investing has a bigger potential impact early on. Small example: Lithuania came up to #2 in terms of VC investments to €295m/$316m in Central and Eastern Europe. Out of ~1200 startups that formed in the region, 400-500 raise their first round through VCs. (data by UNIQA Ventures, Dealroom.co, Vestbee, Cogito Capital Partners - https://lnkd.in/dTXW3SM6) While on the absolute amount doesn't seem much considering in the US pre-seed companies raised €4.1b/$4.4b (data by Peter Walker and Carta - https://lnkd.in/d4rqJWUD). However, Europe's growth rate, the ability to build more with less, combined with the strong talent pool make it an incredibly attractive place to start a business. Plus, recent new tech and its adoption rate also helps a lot of demolishing barriers to entry. Yes, market size and regulations differ, but why do we have to build/chase only unicorns? In my mind, this is getting in at the ground floor for camels. I admit, I might be biased as this city is growing on me. Early-stage investors, angels, and founders: what's your experience been like? (photo credit goes to me, haha) #startups #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #vilnius #lithuania #newyork #sanfransisco

Innovate Africa Fund has just unveiled a $2.5M angel fund aimed at propelling early-stage startups across Africa. This fund is set to transform the startup ecosystem with an average investment of $50,000, paired with unparalleled support including strategic guidance, expert advice, and an extensive partner network. For startups addressing critical issues like insecurity, unemployment, and poverty, this is the catalyst needed to accelerate from MVP to market leader. Curious about how this fund will reshape the landscape for innovators? Dive into the full details to see how Innovate Africa Fund is set to make waves and drive impactful change. 👉 Read more here to uncover the full story and see how it could benefit your startup!