U-Start

U-Start is a professional advisory firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Milan, Italy. It specializes in structuring club deals for private investors, aggregating high-net-worth Italian and Swiss families into a comprehensive venture capital investment group known as the U-Start Club. This elite group of investors is dedicated to scouting and investing in digital and tech companies across Europe, Israel, and the United States. U-Start collaborates with top-tier venture capital funds and corporate entities to facilitate startup scouting and innovation projects. Through its services, U-Start provides family offices and private investors with strategic access to the digital and tech sectors, enabling them to make informed investment decisions and optimize their asset allocation.

Daniele Testa

Chief Analyst

37 past transactions

Dott

Series A in 2019
Dott is a micromobility company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that provides shared electric scooters and e-bikes for short-distance travel. Founded in 2018, Dott aims to offer safe, convenient, and sustainable transportation alternatives to urban commuters. The company focuses on reliability and safety in its design, featuring bikes with wide decks for optimized stability, double brake systems, and enhanced charging autonomy. This design philosophy ensures that users have access to dependable and affordable electric scooters and bikes, promoting eco-friendly travel in urban environments.

TransferGo

Series B in 2019
TransferGo is a global money transfer company that provides a cost-effective solution for migrant workers to send money to their families abroad. By employing a digital account-to-account business model, it allows users to transfer funds internationally without incurring unnecessary bank fees. The company operates as a licensed payment institution, ensuring secure transactions under the supervision of relevant financial authorities. TransferGo’s platform enables users to make transfers at significantly lower costs compared to traditional banks and cash bureaus, often with same-day delivery. The service charges a fixed fee for transfers and a currency conversion fee ranging from 0.6% to 1.5%, making it an attractive option for both individuals and businesses looking to pay suppliers internationally.

TransferGo

Series B in 2018
TransferGo is a global money transfer company that provides a cost-effective solution for migrant workers to send money to their families abroad. By employing a digital account-to-account business model, it allows users to transfer funds internationally without incurring unnecessary bank fees. The company operates as a licensed payment institution, ensuring secure transactions under the supervision of relevant financial authorities. TransferGo’s platform enables users to make transfers at significantly lower costs compared to traditional banks and cash bureaus, often with same-day delivery. The service charges a fixed fee for transfers and a currency conversion fee ranging from 0.6% to 1.5%, making it an attractive option for both individuals and businesses looking to pay suppliers internationally.

Dott

Series A in 2018
Dott is a micromobility company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that provides shared electric scooters and e-bikes for short-distance travel. Founded in 2018, Dott aims to offer safe, convenient, and sustainable transportation alternatives to urban commuters. The company focuses on reliability and safety in its design, featuring bikes with wide decks for optimized stability, double brake systems, and enhanced charging autonomy. This design philosophy ensures that users have access to dependable and affordable electric scooters and bikes, promoting eco-friendly travel in urban environments.

Festicket

Series D in 2018
Festicket is an online platform that enables music fans to discover and book tickets and travel packages for music festivals worldwide. It provides a comprehensive service that includes festival tickets, accommodation, and travel arrangements, creating a seamless experience for users planning their festival trips. Operating as a two-sided marketplace, Festicket features over 1,000 music festivals across 40 countries and collaborates with a network of 2,000 suppliers to offer a variety of options. The platform also incorporates technology to assist event creators in managing, promoting, and selling their events, facilitating a hassle-free experience for both festival-goers and organizers.

Naadam

Series A in 2018
Naadam Inc. is an American clothing company that specializes in producing affordable luxury cashmere knitwear, including sweaters, jackets, gloves, socks, and various loungewear items. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in New York, the company focuses on sustainable and ethical sourcing of cashmere, ensuring its products are organic and free from toxic chemicals. Naadam's offerings are designed to be soft and durable, improving with age, while also complementing the lifestyle of its customers. The company sells its products through an online platform and retail locations, and it is committed to environmental sustainability through initiatives such as anti-desertification programs, clean energy-powered manufacturing, and tree planting efforts.

Finless Foods

Seed Round in 2018
Finless Foods Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Emeryville, California, that specializes in producing seafood products for human consumption using cellular-agriculture technologies. Founded in 2017, the company focuses on growing marine-animal cells to create alternatives to traditional fish and seafood, including bluefin tuna. By offering a variety of responsibly produced food options, Finless Foods aims to cater to diverse tastes and dietary needs while promoting sustainability and better ocean health. The company's innovative approach provides consumers with healthy and accessible seafood alternatives, enabling them to maintain a balanced diet without compromising on flavor or variety.

Freeda Media

Series A in 2018
Freeda Media, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Milan, Italy, is a media content creation agency focused on inspiring and engaging young women. The company aims to share authentic women's stories that promote positive change and celebrate achievements, personal expression, and sisterhood. By producing content tailored for various screens and social platforms, Freeda empowers media professionals to effectively reach and connect with their audience. Their approach centers on relevant passions, cultures, and news for young women, fostering deeper connections and maximizing the impact of their content.

Horizn Studios

Series A in 2018
Horizn is a travel tech venture, headquartered in Berlin. Their hero hardware product is their Smart Luggage range. As first vertical, online player in the European luggage market, and Europe's first Smart Luggage brand, HS designs, develops and sells premium quality, innovative travel products at very competitive prices. Their products offer GPS, Chargers, Proximity Alerts, Travel App, Personal Travel Assistant, and more - subtly integrated in a very contemporary design.

Rebag

Series B in 2017
Rebag, founded in 2014 by Charles Gorra, specializes in the resale of luxury handbags and accessories through a robust e-commerce platform and physical retail locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Florida. The company has introduced innovative features such as a consignment service in 2023 and a membership program, Rebag⁺, in 2024, enhancing its appeal as a transparent and flexible resale option for customers. By leveraging proprietary technology and extensive data analysis, Rebag offers instant payment for designer items, setting a new standard in the luxury resale market. Additionally, Rebag provides tailored solutions for professional resellers through its Rebag for Business initiative. Recognized for its innovation, the company has received accolades from prominent publications, affirming its position as a leader in the luxury resale sector.

Soldo

Series A in 2017
Soldo Limited is a company that specializes in developing expense management software solutions tailored for small businesses, enterprises, and accountants. Its offerings include Soldo Pro, which manages expenses from payment to reconciliation; Soldo Premium, which focuses on controlling business spending; and Soldo Enterprise, designed to support comprehensive financial strategies. The platform integrates prepaid MasterCard cards, a web-based administration console, and a mobile app, providing a user-friendly experience for managing the entire business expense cycle. Soldo serves a diverse clientele, including not-for-profits, start-ups, scale-ups, and various sectors such as digital media, technology, and higher education. Founded in 2014 and originally named PX Technology Ltd, the company rebranded to Soldo Limited in March 2015 and is headquartered in London, with additional offices in Rome, Milan, and Dublin.

SumUp

Venture Round in 2017
SumUp is a financial technology company that specializes in mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) solutions, allowing businesses to accept card payments easily and securely. Founded in 2011, SumUp has established a presence in 13 countries, including Germany, Great Britain, and Brazil. Its offerings include a mobile card reader that supports magstripe, chip, and contactless payments, enabling small and medium-sized businesses to turn their smartphones or tablets into card terminals. The company also provides a suite of software development kits (SDKs) and application programming interfaces (APIs) for third-party integration of card payment functionalities. With a workforce of over 100 employees, SumUp has garnered support from prominent venture capital firms and financial institutions, positioning itself as a key player in the European mPOS market.

Misterb&b

Series A in 2017
Misterb&b is an operator of a property rental marketplace used to connect travelers and hosts in the LGBTQ community. Its marketplace offers a searchable database of short-term rentals of homes, rooms, and apartments for its users as per their preferred locations that enable LGBTQ individuals and allies to monetize from their spare space while providing affordable houses in a hassle-free manner. Misterb&b was established in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Hotelscan

Series A in 2017
Hotelscan is a metasearch engine that specializes in accommodation searches, allowing users to compare a wide range of lodging options, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, apartments, and villas. By indexing hundreds of travel sites, Hotelscan offers access to over 1.5 million different accommodations worldwide. This platform facilitates users in finding the best deals available, enabling them to book the lowest-priced options for their stay. With its comprehensive search capabilities, Hotelscan serves as a valuable resource for travelers seeking cost-effective accommodation solutions.

Arthena

Seed Round in 2017
Arthena is a venture-backed financial technology company that specializes in art investment through a quantitative investment platform. By utilizing data science, Arthena provides investors access to the fine arts market, allowing them to invest in art as an asset class. The company enables investors to pool their capital to form small collections of fine art, referred to as syndicates, which cater to different risk tolerances. Arthena is dedicated to enhancing transparency in art investing, offering investors insights into acquired assets and artists, thus fostering informed investment decisions.

The Essential

Pre Seed Round in 2017
The Essential, formerly known as Move, operates as an innovative e-commerce platform focused on delivering high-quality groceries in a convenient box format. The company aims to enhance the food value chain by providing affordable and ethical options for consumers. Each box includes a week's worth of essentials, such as fresh milk, farm-raised meat, frozen seafood, organic butter, eggs, cheese, and seasonal vegetables, catering to various dietary restrictions. By prioritizing quality and value, The Essential strives to offer the best possible products at competitive prices, making it easier for customers to access their daily necessities.

Arylla

Seed Round in 2017
Arylla Inc. is a company that specializes in developing nanotechnology-based invisible ink aimed at fraud detection for luxury goods. Founded in 2015 and based in Winnipeg, Canada, Arylla's ink is utilized by luxury brands during production to help resellers verify the authenticity of items such as leather goods, footwear, and ready-to-wear clothing. This innovative solution allows luxury brands to monetize the resale of their products while combatting counterfeit goods in the market. In addition to its invisible ink, Arylla offers a tiered security platform for printing invisible labels for food authentication and has developed scanners for authenticating fluorescent signatures. By enabling resellers to confirm product authenticity via smartphone, Arylla provides a comprehensive approach to reducing the prevalence of counterfeits online.

Treedom

Series A in 2017
Treedom is the first platform that allows consumers and corporations to celebrate and contribute to environmental commitment, planting trees and following their impact online. It’s a smart, simple way to make a big difference, supporting the environment and local communities around the world. The goal is to become the leading tree planter globally. With over 3.3 million trees planted in 42 agroforestry projects to date, Treedom initiates positive impacts in Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Italia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nepal Tanzania and Thailandia. Treedom is a certified B Corp based in Florence (Tuscany) , Munich (Germany), London (UK), Paris (France) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) relies on the enthusiasm and experience of a team of over 100 people.

Horizn Studios

Series A in 2016
Horizn is a travel tech venture, headquartered in Berlin. Their hero hardware product is their Smart Luggage range. As first vertical, online player in the European luggage market, and Europe's first Smart Luggage brand, HS designs, develops and sells premium quality, innovative travel products at very competitive prices. Their products offer GPS, Chargers, Proximity Alerts, Travel App, Personal Travel Assistant, and more - subtly integrated in a very contemporary design.

Stoyo

Series A in 2016
Stoyo is an advertising agency that specializes in creating engaging video content for social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Its primary focus is on facilitating data-driven advertisement creation, allowing businesses to efficiently engage their customers through targeted marketing campaigns. By providing a streamlined process for developing compelling video advertisements, Stoyo helps companies enhance their online presence and generate customer leads on social networks.

Outfittery

Series E in 2016
Outfittery provides an online personal shopping service for men. OUTFITTERY’s mission is to take the pain out of shopping for men – as an online version of the “personal shopping”.Their personal style experts put together two or three outfits for each of their customers based on their preferences and personality from a range of top brands. Each customer is served and advised personally after a first online contact and an (optional) phone call. They keep the range of clothes constantly up to date by looking for the most interesting men´s fashion brands and the best items of popular designers worldwide.Their service is free and the individually selected items are sent to their customers free of charge. Customers only pay for the pieces that they want to keep in their wardrobe and feel comfortable in. OUTFITTERY today is the pioneer and market leader in curated shopping for men in Europe, shipping to eight countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Sweden and Denmark).

AirHelp

Series A in 2016
AirHelp is an organization dedicated to enhancing passenger rights and experiences worldwide. It offers an online service that assists air travelers in obtaining compensation from airlines for flight cancellations, delays, and overbookings. The platform enables passengers to navigate the claim process efficiently, handling essential documentation and legal complexities to ensure they can assert their rights under passenger rights laws. In addition to compensation claims, AirHelp provides disruption coverage through subscriptions and parametric travel insurance products. Operating around the clock in 18 languages, AirHelp supports millions of travelers each year from its offices in cities such as Berlin, Barcelona, Gdansk, Krakow, Tarragona, and Sao Paulo. Founded in 2013 by Greg Roodt, Henrik Zillmer, and Nicolas Michaelsen, the company is currently led by CEO Tomasz Pawliszyn, who took on the role in January 2022.

Festicket

Series B in 2016
Festicket is an online platform that enables music fans to discover and book tickets and travel packages for music festivals worldwide. It provides a comprehensive service that includes festival tickets, accommodation, and travel arrangements, creating a seamless experience for users planning their festival trips. Operating as a two-sided marketplace, Festicket features over 1,000 music festivals across 40 countries and collaborates with a network of 2,000 suppliers to offer a variety of options. The platform also incorporates technology to assist event creators in managing, promoting, and selling their events, facilitating a hassle-free experience for both festival-goers and organizers.

TOK.tv

Series A in 2016
TOK.tv is a sports social network that allows millions of fans to talk to their friends, while watching a game on TV. It empowers teams and brands to talk to the fans, and monetize the game experience. The company joined Minerva Networks in August 2019. The TOK.tv Social Button powered the official Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus, and Los Angeles Clippers mobile apps. TOK.tv was headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in London, Milan, and Shanghai.

Soldo

Convertible Note in 2016
Soldo Limited is a company that specializes in developing expense management software solutions tailored for small businesses, enterprises, and accountants. Its offerings include Soldo Pro, which manages expenses from payment to reconciliation; Soldo Premium, which focuses on controlling business spending; and Soldo Enterprise, designed to support comprehensive financial strategies. The platform integrates prepaid MasterCard cards, a web-based administration console, and a mobile app, providing a user-friendly experience for managing the entire business expense cycle. Soldo serves a diverse clientele, including not-for-profits, start-ups, scale-ups, and various sectors such as digital media, technology, and higher education. Founded in 2014 and originally named PX Technology Ltd, the company rebranded to Soldo Limited in March 2015 and is headquartered in London, with additional offices in Rome, Milan, and Dublin.

Secret Escapes

Series C in 2016
At Secret Escapes, they negotiate exclusive rates for luxury hand-picked hotels and holidays in the UK and abroad, at up to 60% off the price you'd pay by booking anywhere else. How have they done it? Well, even the most luxurious hotels out there don't like having empty rooms... For access to their members-only rates, all you have to do is sign up to Secret Escapes with your email address and nothing else. It doesn't cost a penny, and never will. In return, they will give you access to rates for hotels and holidays you'll struggle to find anywhere else, and if you do they will match their price - that's a guarantee.

Zipjet

Series A in 2016
Zipjet GmbH is an online laundry and dry cleaning service headquartered in Berlin, Germany, founded in 2014. The company offers a range of services including wash and fold, ironing, luxury dry cleaning, and specialized options for Airbnb hosts and restaurants. Zipjet allows users to conveniently order laundry and dry cleaning pickup and delivery, providing an efficient solution for managing their laundry needs. As of September 2019, it operates as a subsidiary of Jonny Fresh GmbH, reinforcing its position in the on-demand laundry market.

Satispay

Series A in 2015
Satispay S.p.A. is a mobile payment application based in Milan, Italy, founded in 2013. The platform enables users to make payments at stores, transfer money to friends, and conduct online transactions directly from their smartphones. Launched in 2015, Satispay operates independently from traditional debit and credit cards, offering a user-friendly and secure payment solution. It simplifies the payment process for consumers while providing businesses with a cost-effective means to accept payments via a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The service aims to transform the payment landscape in Europe by making transactions more convenient and accessible.

Misterb&b

Seed Round in 2015
Misterb&b is an operator of a property rental marketplace used to connect travelers and hosts in the LGBTQ community. Its marketplace offers a searchable database of short-term rentals of homes, rooms, and apartments for its users as per their preferred locations that enable LGBTQ individuals and allies to monetize from their spare space while providing affordable houses in a hassle-free manner. Misterb&b was established in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

LifeQ

Seed Round in 2015
LifeQ Inc. is a health management technology company based in Alpharetta, Georgia, that focuses on enhancing personal health and wellness. The company has developed a platform that provides users with comprehensive insights into their health across various domains, including fitness, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. By utilizing a biology-led computational systems approach, LifeQ extracts meaningful digital biomarkers from data collected through wearable devices. This technology empowers users to understand their health better and make informed decisions to optimize their well-being. Through personalized recommendations and tools, LifeQ aims to help individuals delay aging, harness energy, and reduce disease risk, ultimately fostering a healthier lifestyle.

Coureon

Seed Round in 2015
Coureon offers a great software solution to online merchants, allowing them to manage incoming orders and organise distribution with ease. Our platform supports the integration of the two global e-commerce marketplaces Amazon and eBay. Our cooperations with logistics providers from all over the world enable sellers to find the best price for their respective shipment. We make shipping as simple as shopping.

PHL

Venture Round in 2014
PHL is a non-active company listing.

La Belle Assiette

Seed Round in 2014
La Belle Assiette is a private chef booking platform that aims to simplify and enhance the experience of entertaining at home or in the office. It offers an online marketplace where customers can browse and select catering services, including buffets, canapé receptions, and office lunches, tailored to various price ranges and customized menus. Users can conveniently book their chosen service online, and on the event day, a chef or caterer from a carefully curated network executes the service. This platform not only streamlines the process for customers but also provides chefs with a suite of online tools to manage their businesses effectively, covering aspects such as billing and customer relationship management. La Belle Assiette is dedicated to making quality dining experiences accessible and stress-free for its users.

marinanow

Seed Round in 2014
Marinanow is an online portal that allows sailors to search for places to moor their boats in marinas, compare prices between varyious marinas and book online. The current systems for booking places for private boats in marinas both in the mediterranean and worldwide is outdated and complicated. There is no one unified system for managing bookings so owners of boats currently have to search for phone numbers of directors of the marina, overcome language and time difference and ring them up to check for and reserve places. If that marina is full, or the director is difficult to reach, the boat owners have to search again for nearby ports. Marinanow solves this problem by using proven business models from the hotel and home rental industry. It offers the ability to book online, automatically from any port in the world using one site (a similar concept to sites like hotels.com). It also allows the “subleasing” of berths that have long term bookings (a similar concept to airbnb). The team is made up of four partners who have a vast experience in the marina industry as well as programming, internet companies and Startups. They have been accepted into an incubator and raised money from an accelerator programme and are now looking for angels to coinvest with United Ventures, an Italian VC firm. The site and mobile apps are online and fully functional and last summer, the team invested a small amount in marketing to test the product. The test was a huge success with a return of initial investment of around 2000%. They are now looking to raise further money to build on this initial success and expand aggressively to become the dominant player.
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