2022 has been a notably positive year for Venture Capital in Italy, unlike more mature European ecosystems such as Germany and England, where investment volumes remained essentially stable.
This positive trend is also reflected in the data from the IAG Index, a barometer of the startup ecosystem.
IAG focuses on the seed stage, which remains the primary focus of business angels. More than one startup out of two among those analyzed is raising capital for this type of round (representing strategic investments to fuel potential scaleups).
Key Trends
- The IAG Index 2022 highlights a significant growth (+47%) in the number of startups in the pre-seed phase
- At the geographical level, the results show a significant growth trend in favor of deal flow coming from Italy: compared to 2021, the share of Italian startups analyzed has grown by 12%
- Startup valuations at all stages of their life cycle also show a substantial increase, approaching values more similar to those of other more mature ecosystems
- The 2022 results, although slightly lower than in 2021, confirm that over a third of the projects have at least one woman among the founders
- Sustainability and social factors are central themes in the evaluation of a startup: investing in companies that incorporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) values represents a significant opportunity to differentiate oneself in the Venture Capital market.
IAG
A network of Italian business angels who invest in the growth of innovative startups. A non-profit association, it involves private capital and places it at the service of innovative startups with methodology and professionalism. Members typically participate in early-stage financing rounds in companies in the Life Science, Deep Tech, Digital, and Fintech sectors, with investments ranging from €0.2 to €1.5 million.
Source: IAG 2022