What StartUs Insights does

StartUs Insights is a Vienna-based innovation intelligence company founded in 2014 that operates an AI-powered Discovery Platform covering 9M+ startups and scaleups, 25K+ emerging technologies and trends, 110M+ patents, and 38M+ news and market reports aggregated from 457M+ data points across the public web and startup ecosystem sources. Its core product is a SaaS Discovery Platform supplemented by FoxiAI, an AI Innovation Research Assistant launched in 2025 that automates data collection, semantic search, and report generation, alongside a portfolio of professional services (Innovation Scouting, Startup Scouting, Technology Scouting, Tech Supplier Scouting, Venture Clienting, Startup Programs, Trend Intelligence, Business Intelligence, Deal Flow) and a programmatic API for embedding innovation data into client systems.

The company monetizes through quote-based tiered SaaS subscriptions (annual billing), recurring API access, custom professional services engagements, and free industry reports that function as lead-generation content. It pursues a hybrid go-to-market combining product-led self-serve (free trial, FoxiAI) with enterprise field sales and dedicated Innovation Analysts, serving horizontal buyer segments including R&D, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Innovation, Open Innovation, Venture Capital, New Business Development, and Investment Promotion Agencies. Named customers include Nestlé, Bayer, Shell, Siemens, Škoda, Roche, Unilever, Lufthansa Cargo, KNAPP, Iberdrola, Kyocera, Brose Ventures, Intel, Visa, Merck, Panasonic, Logitech, Techstars, and EIT Digital, with 1,500+ industry leaders supported over the past decade.

The company is privately held and bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or revenue figures. Leadership consists of Founder & CEO David Prasser, Co-founder & COO Iryna Bursuk, and Chief Communications Officer Susi Wallner. The platform is supported by a 51-100 person team headquartered at Mariahilfer Str. 136, 1150 Wien, Austria, with global reach across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, South America, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Name

StartUs Insights

Legal name

StartUs Insights

Website

https://startus-insights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

StartUs Insights operates an AI-powered innovation intelligence platform covering 9M+ startups, 25K+ trends, and 150M+ patents and reports, serving enterprise R&D, strategy, corporate innovation, and venture capital teams globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Intelligence Software

NAICS

Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise AI Data & Knowledge Platforms (Vector Databases, Knowledge Graphs) (HDAEANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ), Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)

Keywords

• Innovation intelligence platform
• Startup scouting software
• Technology scouting services
• Trend intelligence analytics
• Corporate open innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Discovery Platform Subscription: SaaS subscription model providing access to the AI-powered Discovery Platform covering 9M+ startups, 20K+ technologies, and 150M+ patents, news, and market reports. Offered as tiered plans with annual or multi-year billing, targeting enterprise innovation teams, R&D, corporate strategy, and venture capital firms.
2. Innovation Scouting Services: Customized scouting engagements where Innovation Analysts deliver validated shortlists of under-the-radar startups, scaleups, and technologies tailored to specific business requirements. Part of professional services portfolio.
3. Startup Program Setup & Open Innovation: End-to-end program management for corporate startup programs, including landing page creation, application management, and pipeline optimization. Targets enterprises running open innovation challenges and startup accelerator programs.
4. API Access: Programmatic access to innovation data (company data, financial data, tech & trend data, patent & news data) enabling clients to integrate real-time innovation data directly into internal systems and workflows.
5. Trend Intelligence & Business Intelligence Reports: Curated trend reports, industry reports, and whitepapers profiling 20+ startups, scaleups, and emerging technologies per report. Distributed both as free lead magnets and premium commissioned deliverables.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

StartUs Insights sells an AI-powered Discovery Platform subscription that provides real-time access to 9M+ startups, 20K+ technologies and trends, and 150M+ patents, news, and market reports. The platform is augmented by FoxiAI, an AI assistant that automates research and produces shareable insights. Around this core, the company delivers specialized services — Innovation Scouting, Startup Scouting, Technology Scouting, Tech Supplier Scouting, Venture Clienting, Startup Programs, Trend Intelligence, Business Intelligence, Deal Flow, and an API — to enterprise innovation, R&D, corporate strategy, and venture capital teams.

Product overview

StartUs Insights is an innovation intelligence platform built around its core Discovery Platform powered by FoxiAI, an AI research assistant. The platform provides access to a real-time database of 9M+ startups, scaleups, and tech companies, 20K+ technologies and trends, and 150M+ patents, news articles, and market reports. The product portfolio includes the core Discovery Platform as the central tool, with FoxiAI as the integrated AI module for automated research and insights. Around this core, StartUs Insights offers specialized services including Innovation Scouting, Startup Scouting, Technology Scouting, Tech Supplier Scouting, Venture Clienting, Startup Programs, Trend Intelligence, Business Intelligence, and Deal Flow Services. API access is available for programmatic integration. Free Industry Reports covering 30+ sectors serve as entry-point content products. The ecosystem serves over 1500 industry leaders including Bayer, Nestlé, Iberdrola, KNAPP, Lufthansa Cargo, and Brose Ventures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FoxiAI: AI-powered innovation research assistant that automates data collection and connects 9M+ startups, 20K+ trends, and 150M+ news articles, patents, and market reports.
• Discovery Platform
• Innovation Playbook

Products and services

• Discovery Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% efficiency improvement in discovery processes compared to traditional desk research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KNAPPcoreOthersKNAPP, a logistics automation company, uses StartUs Insights to receive actionable insights into emerging startups and technologies impacting their business. Their Vice President Innovation Peter Puchwein provides a testimonial on the StartUs Insights website.
• Lufthansa CargocoreOthersLufthansa Cargo uses the StartUs Insights Discovery Platform to scout global startups and scaleups and find solutions that matter to them. Their Head of Transformation Boris Hueske provides a testimonial.
• NestlécoreOthersNestlé uses StartUs Insights exhaustive insights for comprehensive understanding of FMCG innovation trends and to discover top startups. Their Business Development manager Jürgen Ellmeier provides a testimonial.
• BayercoreOthersBayer uses StartUs Insights to identify and convert more relevant partners and strengthen their global startup community. Their Marketing Comms Manager Jenny Wüstner (Bayer G4A) and Program Manager Stefan Wilhelm (Bayer Foundation) provide testimonials.
• IberdrolacoreOthersIberdrola uses StartUs Insights to launch and promote startup programs with far-reaching impact in the EMEA region, discovering new startups for pilot projects. Their Startup Program Manager Oscar Cantalejo provides a testimonial.
• TechstarsminorOthersTechstars, a global accelerator and investment firm, uses StartUs Insights for deal flow generation. Their Managing Director Martin Olczyk provides a testimonial about the Discovery Platform's filtering capabilities.
• EIT DigitalminorOthersEIT Digital, a European innovation and entrepreneurship organization, uses StartUs Insights for startup program management. Their Program Director Giuseppe Oppedisano provides a testimonial.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PitchBook: PitchBook provides private market intelligence — companies, deals, investors, trends — sold to VC, corporate development, and strategy teams. Closely comparable buyer base (venture, corporate innovation, R&D) and subscription/API revenue model.
• Tracxn: Tracxn is a startup research and intelligence platform covering millions of companies across sectors with comparable subscription offerings to corporate R&D, strategy, and venture teams. Directly comparable data product and target buyer.
• Crunchbase: Crunchbase operates a global startup and scaleup database with funding, investor, and company data, sold via SaaS subscriptions and APIs. Directly comparable in product/data model and buyer persona (corporate strategy, venture capital, innovation teams).
• Owler: Owler is a community-driven company intelligence platform aggregating firmographic, funding, and competitor data on private and public companies. Overlaps with StartUs Insights' startup/tech company discovery use cases for strategy and competitive intelligence buyers.
• Dealroom.co: Dealroom.co is a European startup/innovation intelligence platform providing data on startups, funding, and tech ecosystems, also serving corporates, VCs, and investment promotion agencies. Geographic and product overlap with StartUs Insights, including innovation scouting and ecosystem mapping.

Broad incumbents

• IDC: IDC is a global IT and technology research/advisory firm offering enterprise market intelligence, trend reports, and consulting to large enterprises. Overlaps with StartUs Insights' trend intelligence and corporate strategy offerings at a much larger scale.
• CB Insights: CB Insights is a well-capitalized market intelligence platform offering the same core thesis as StartUs Insights: AI-powered intelligence on private companies, technologies, and emerging trends for enterprise strategy, R&D, and venture teams. It is a broader incumbent with deeper funding.
• Gartner: Gartner provides enterprise technology research, advisory, and trend intelligence to large corporate clients. Comparable in serving enterprise R&D, strategy, and innovation functions, though broader in scope and significantly larger in scale.

Emerging players

• AlphaSense: AlphaSense is an AI-driven market and competitive intelligence platform for enterprise strategy and research teams, integrating premium content and AI search. Comparable end-user (strategy/innovation/VC) and AI-led research workflow with FoxiAI-style assistants.
• Mattermark (under Crunchbase): Mattermark is/was a startup and growth company intelligence platform serving deal sourcing, investor, and corporate innovation use cases. Closely comparable startup-discovery functionality, now part of the Crunchbase ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startus-insights
• Xx.com/StartUsInsights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about StartUs Insights