Tallinn-based Startup Wise Guys, a startup accelerator and early-stage investor, announced on Thursday that it has closed the first €25M of a targeted €45M to strengthen its new strategy of investing in the “underserved” global market.
Moving forward, Startup Wise Guys (SWG) aims to intensify its investment and expansion in underfunded markets and expand its presence in Europe and Africa.
As a part of the plan, SWG will invest in a minimum of 200 startups from across Europe and Africa in 2023 – 2024, after making 120 investments in 2022.
The startup accelerator claims that its latest office expansions in Spain and Italy would allow it to reach more founders in Southern and Western Europe, as well as in Latin America and North Africa.
Direct investments in future
Besides acceleration investments and follow-ons, SWG is also planning direct investments into growth-stage companies.
Past direct investments include mobility unicorn Bolt, car subscription service Planet42, and Katana, a manufacturer’s ERP solution.
Cristobal Alonso, Global CEO at Startup Wise Guys, says, “In recent years, Startup Wise Guys has evolved into a truly international organisation, with an investment presence in countries ranging from Ukraine and Spain to South Africa.”
He adds, “We are now deploying our experience at scale to help passionate founders thrive globally, despite uncertain economic conditions. We are the early-stage investor ready to help digital entrepreneurs with brave ideas, especially at times of crisis.”
“We proved that during Covid, and we were active after the Ukraine war started. We are determined to help entrepreneurs turn crisis into new opportunities, and we have a strong track record helping purpose-driven founders become global entrepreneurs,” concludes Alonso.
Startup Wise Guys also announced the launch of the new logo as a part of its 11th anniversary.
Startup Wise Guys: Startup accelerator and early-stage investor
Founded in 2012 by a bunch of successful tech-savvy entrepreneurs, Startup Wise Guys is one of the most active accelerator funds in Europe and Africa.
SWG has invested in over 350+ early-stage startups in B2B SaaS, Fintech, cybersecurity, XR, and sustainability in more than 60 countries.
In 2022, Startup Wise Guys executed 120 early-stage investments, managed 12 full-time programmes, and introduced its first B2B digital SaaS programme exclusively for African startups.
Additionally, they also launched an accelerator programme focused on XR in Malaga, Spain. The accelerator fund also operates programmes based out of Europe in the areas of SaaS, fintech, cyber security, and sustainability.
As of the end of January this year, Startup Wise Guys had already made 12 investments.
Startup Wise Guys manages vertical-focused accelerator programmes from offices in Tallinn, Milan, Bilbao, and Malaga, with strong representation in countries such as Denmark, Romania, Turkey, and others.
With a significant additional presence in the Nordics, Spain, Poland, Ukraine, Africa, and the Balkans, SWG aims to become the go-to accelerator programme and investor for any B2B startup looking to scale globally.
Zane Bojāre, Head of Brand at Startup Wise Guys, says, “As we have expanded far beyond Estonia’s borders, we felt it was time to update our brand to reflect our international presence and global vision for the future. The new logo has a lot to unpack.”