Startup Wise Guys

Name

Startup Wise Guys

Legal name

Wise Guys Holding OÜ

Website

https://startupwiseguys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital and Startup Accelerator Services

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Startup accelerator programs
• Venture capital funding
• Early-stage B2B investment
• Pre-seed to Series A
• Vertical-focused acceleration

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Program Management: Manages accelerator programs providing investment and mentorship to early-stage B2B startups. Revenue generated through management of funds and carried interest from portfolio exits.
2. Portfolio Returns: Returns generated from successful portfolio companies through exits and follow-on investments. Has achieved 20+ exits including VitalFields (acquired by Climate Corporation), StepShot (acquired by UiPath), and VOCHI (acquired by Pinterest).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Startup Wise Guys is a venture capital and accelerator fund that runs structured programs for early-stage B2B startup founders, providing investment tickets up to €100K (with potential follow-on), intensive mentorship, and access to a network of 550+ mentors and investors. Programs are organized across Building (pre-accelerator), Growing (flagship acceleration), and Scaling stages, with vertical-focused tracks in Cybersecurity, Defence and Security, Fintech, SaaS, Proptech, Sustainability, and Web3. Revenue is generated through management of LP-backed investment funds and returns from portfolio company exits.

Product overview

Startup Wise Guys operates as a global B2B accelerator and VC fund offering structured programs across different startup stages. The core offering consists of the Flagship Accelerator (up to €100K convertible investment), The Founders Club (team formation and early validation program with up to €100K committed investment), and the Pre-accelerator Program (foundational training). These are complemented by vertical-focused programs in Cybersecurity, Defence and Security, Fintech, SaaS, Proptech, Sustainability, and Web3, as well as region-specific programs like SaaS Bilbao, Web3 (Portugal), CyberNorth, and the Western Balkans Accelerator. Programs provide initial investment tickets ranging from €50K to €100K with potential follow-on investments, alongside access to a network of 750+ founders and 550+ mentors and investors. The organization has facilitated over 20 exits since its founding in Estonia in 2012.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flagship Accelerator Flagship 3-month intensive acceleration program offering up to €100K convertible investment (€70K cash + €30K program value) with potential €100K follow-on, access to 750+ founders and 550+ mentors, focused on B2B SaaS startups.
• The Founders Club An 8-week online program designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs form teams, refine ideas, develop MVPs, and secure first funding, with SWG committed to investing up to €100K as the first investor if startup ideas progress.
• Pre-accelerator Program Training ground for early-stage startup founders covering company building, sales, fundraising, product development, and legal basics, helping turn ideas into investable businesses.
• SaaS Bilbao B2B SaaS acceleration program based in Bilbao, Spain, offering up to €100K convertible investment with potential €100K follow-on and access to the BAT B Accelerator Tower.
• Web3 Program A 4-month Web3 acceleration program run in collaboration with 3 Comma Capital in Lisbon, Portugal, covering blockchain technology applications in agribusiness, sports entertainment, digital legacy, cybersecurity, and brand marketing.
• CyberNorth Cybersecurity-focused acceleration program run in collaboration with EIT Digital, supporting early-stage cybersecurity startups with mentorship and investment.
• Vertical-Focused Programs Tailored acceleration programs focused on specific verticals including Cybersecurity, Defence and Security, Fintech, SaaS, Proptech, Sustainability, and Web3, providing specialized support and expertise for each sector.
• Western Balkans Accelerator Regional acceleration program targeting innovative startups in the Western Balkans with regional growth potential, managed by consortium of Startup Wise Guys, Cowork Timișoara, Growceanu, and Iceberg Plus.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ successful exits including VitalFields (Climate Corporation), StepShot (UiPath), VOCHI (Pinterest)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Vest VenturesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Consortium managed by Startup Wise Guys for western Romania's first VC investment fund with EUR 16.6 million budget co-financed by European funds through West Regional Development Agency.
• Cowork TimișoaraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Part of consortium managing Vest Ventures acceleration program in western Romania.
• GrowceanuminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Part of consortium managing Vest Ventures acceleration program in western Romania.
• Iceberg PlusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Part of consortium managing Vest Ventures acceleration program in western Romania.
• ParsonsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2025Engaged by Parsons to develop construction technology solutions in Saudi Arabia.
• Andalusian GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to create sustainable agro-tech hub in Almería, Spain.
• 3 Comma CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2023Collaboration on inaugural Web3 acceleration program in Portugal. Partners serve as Entrepreneurs in Residence bringing expertise and network of mentors and investors.
• Beaz BizkaiamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Partnership for SaaS Bilbao acceleration program hosted at the BAT B Accelerator Tower.
• BAT B Accelerator TowerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Host venue for SaaS Bilbao acceleration program in Spain.
• Poolside LisbonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Host venue for Web3 acceleration program kickoff in Portugal.
• SwedbankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2019Strategic partnership for Wise Guys Fintech accelerator program. Provides office locations, international mentors, and potential pilot projects for best-fit startups from the accelerator.
• OP Lab (OPBank)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2019Strategic partnership providing international mentors and potential pilot projects for fintech startups in the accelerator program.
• Google Developers LaunchpadmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2019Partnership providing startups with Google Cloud and Firebase credits, product-related help and mentoring for accelerator participants.
• SorainenmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 October 2019Law firm providing free-of-charge initial support in fintech licensing and regulatory guidance for accelerator startups.
• EIT DigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Long-term partnership for venture programs supporting early-stage tech founders. Co-published the Baltic Startup Scene Report. EIT Digital provides 5K EUR cash with follow-on investments possible totaling 20K EUR based on progress.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Techstars: Global accelerator network running thematic programs worldwide. Direct competitor to Startup Wise Guys in the early-stage B2B accelerator space, with comparable investment tickets and mentor-driven models.
• Y Combinator: World's largest startup accelerator. Competes with Startup Wise Guys for top early-stage founders globally; YC's standard deal is significantly larger and its brand carries more weight with US investors.
• Antler: Global early-stage VC and accelerator with strong presence in Europe, Southeast Asia, and emerging markets. Direct competitor for pre-seed and seed B2B founders across multiple geographies.
• Seedcamp: European early-stage VC firm investing across the continent. Closely comparable model focused on European B2B founders with similar ticket sizes and network-driven support.
• 500 Global (500 Startups): Global accelerator and VC firm running programs in multiple emerging markets. Comparable international footprint and accelerator-plus-fund model to Startup Wise Guys.
• Speedinvest: European early-stage VC with sector-focused funds including fintech, deep tech, and SaaS. Direct peer for B2B early-stage investments across Europe with similar vertical specialization.
• Plug and Play: Global innovation platform and accelerator connecting startups with corporate partners. Comparable accelerator-plus-corporate-partnership model and similar vertical-specific programs.

Others

• EIT Digital: European digital innovation partner and accelerator. Closely related as both a co-program operator (e.g., CyberNorth) and strategic partner of Startup Wise Guys in European tech ecosystems.

Broad incumbents

• Atomico: Pan-European late-stage VC firm. Operates broadly in the same European tech ecosystem with much larger AUM and later-stage focus, occasionally co-investing alongside SWG.

Regional players

• Hetz Ventures: Israeli early-stage B2B SaaS VC. Comparable regional early-stage B2B focus, serving as an alternative for CEE-adjacent founders targeting global markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/startupwiseguys
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@StartupWiseGuys
• Facebookfacebook.com/StartupWiseGuys
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startup-wise-guys
• Instagraminstagram.com/startupwiseguys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments665 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startup Wise Guys