Startup Wise Guys

What is Startup Wise Guys?

Startup Wise Guys is an investment fund headquartered in A. Lauteri 3, City Centre, Harju 10114, EE, focusing on early-stage startup acceleration.

They target investment opportunities in various sectors, including Software, PropTech, Business Solutions, FinTech, CleanTech, Impact, Insurance, Payments, Real Estate, and Women Focused initiatives. The fund typically invests between €85,000 and €500,000, with a sweet spot of approximately €150,000, catering to Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, and Series B stages. Their investment model is based on incubation and acceleration, with a belief in the potential of technical B2B founders, primarily from 'New Europe.' They aim to identify and invest in robust technical founders and expedite their growth via their flagship accelerator program.

As stated on their website, Startup Wise Guys has been operational since 2012, emanating from Estonia's vibrant tech startup ecosystem. They boast an impressive track record with over 45+ programs, an international founder community from over 60 countries, and a strong presence in the CEE and CIS markets.

Their approach is unique in that they offer vertical focused programs, which provide scaleups with tailored support for exponential monthly recurring revenue growth.

They also emphasize the value of a dynamic community, engaging a large mentor and investor network across five continents. The mentorship provided challenges founders, fostering a comprehensive understanding of startups dynamics. Startup Wise Guys has facilitated 20+ exits, with a portfolio notable for both acquisitions by leading companies and startups demonstrating substantial MRR growth.

They also curate content and resources beneficial for startups at various stages of development. Their mission is to find and support overlooked founders globally, being the first international check that helps ease future fundraising internationally.

What they say:

We are one of the largest early stage investors in Europe. Our acceleration program provides seed capital, office space and world-class mentors. We run programs all across Europe and in Africa and take pride in our international Alumni community, our portfolio consisting of more than 300 startups with founders from over 40+ countries.

What we look for: We invest in B2B SaaS, Fintech, Cyber, Sustainability, XR, Proptech and Web 3 verticals. The main criteria are:- working MVP- at least 2 people on the team- initial validation/traction (ideally MRR, but customers, pilots, signed LOIs, partnerships are a good sign)- scalability

How we help: An intense, high-energy, straightforward approach to coaching from practitioners, not consultants. With more than 250 international mentors in our network, our sales and scaling focused program will speed up the growth of your startup! A fundraising component is helping teams be in a position to raise the next funding round within 6 months.