6 ms·

Berlin VC invests in Italian startup. Is this the start of something?

44 points by Facens 15y ago

dariobarila 15y ago
HN, keep an eye on italian startup scene, a lot of potential waiting to be discovered...
- klaut 15y ago
  agreed. I really wish the startup scene blossoms in Italy in the near future as there is great potential there - One of my favourite italian startups is http://stereomood.com/ http://stereomood.com/
  - brador 15y ago
    How would you monetize that site?
    - fbailey 15y ago
      You could try mood based ads. Very difficult to sell to an advertiser, but it could have some interesting applications. I wonder if depressed or happy people buy more.
      - guk 15y ago
        Interesting approach! I generally think happy people would buy more...
        klaut 15y ago
        I think the opposite, that sad people would buy more. Would be an interesting experiment :)
    - klaut 15y ago
      there could also be potential for B2B services: think airport lounges, auto salons, etc etc ...
    - vidarh 15y ago
      Buy buttons on every track. Lots of music I've never heard about that I might like to download to my music player. EDIT: There are buy buttons on every track, but frankly they're almost too inobtrusive - I didn't notice them at first.
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
- SammyRulez 15y ago
  Lot of potential but little money. "Italian VC investors (I mean the ones based in Italy) are, in general, famously useless at identifying high growth businesses in their own country" Sad but true.
  - davidw 15y ago
    The money is in hiring good hackers at good prices.
advanced 15y ago
Finally !
zerostar07 15y ago
... and we find out about it thanks to the british correspondent of a californian blog.
- zerostar07 15y ago
  Care to contribute your euro-startup experiences here?: http://textchannels.com/EuroStartups http://textchannels.com/EuroStartups
- tucosan 15y ago
  http://www.gruenderszene.de/news/point-nine-capital-cibando http://www.gruenderszene.de/news/point-nine-capital-cibando also http://www.deutsche-startups.de http://www.deutsche-startups.de
  - zerostar07 15y ago
    See that's a problem, writing in English guarantees a wider audience.
    - freyfogle 15y ago
      naja, Quantität ist nicht gleich Qualität
      - zerostar07 15y ago
        I don't speak german
        JonnieCache 15y ago
        Surely you can read that though. Look again.
        zerostar07 15y ago
        i know, but i was making a point
guk 15y ago
Thanks all! I really hope the Italian scene grows a lot!!
- danmaz74 15y ago
  Besides the deserved congratulations, there's a question I'd like to ask you. I noticed that the Cibando website is Copyright "Cibando Ltd.", but in the TOS the service is from "Mobatar S.r.l." Does this mean that you have both a UK ltd company and an Italian S.r.L.? If that's so, why? Have you already explored what it means from a fiscal point of view having both? I ask because right now I'm very undecided if I should incorporate in the UK with a ltd company for the paid service I'll launch very soon on pro.hashtagify.me - not to dodge Italian taxes (I live in Rome too), but because a S.r.L. costs too much and sounds much worse for an international audience - and I only found very confusing information on the Internet, so it would be very interesting to learn about your experience :)
  - Facens 15y ago
    I had to face the decision too, for Iubenda, and ended up with an Srl. I went for the most hassle-free choice, since incorporating abroad can be time consuming and hide additional costs (loss of focus included). About the Srl, I wrote this article a while ago which can clarify some of the expenses: http://thinkamination.com/migliorare-srl-italiana/ http://thinkamination.com/migliorare-srl-italiana/ [ITA]
    - danmaz74 15y ago
      Where did you get your data about incorporating abroad? From my information, the incorporation itself, if done in the UK, couldn't be less hassle-free and cheap: You get it in one day, and for less than 100€. The whole fiscal management should be doable for ca. 70€/month with a service like www.crunch.co.uk What worries me is the Italian side of the thing: I'd like to pay what I have to pay in taxes (to the State, not to the notary) but it isn't very clear how you do that; as for pension contributions I have a day job that and am already covered there. Simply put, right now I don't want to look for external money (THAT would be a loss of focus ;) and couldn't pay the costs of a SrL. I want to be sure if the business model works before committing thousands of euros to this startup. Anyway, thanks a lot for the suggestions! PS: do you know about http://srlfacile.org/ http://srlfacile.org/ ? I like what they ask and I'm trying to help, but exactly today I was thinking about writing a more direct/polemic message referencing the "tasse occulte" our premier talked about recently. I'm sure that making much (MUCH) easier and less expensive to incorporate would be one of the few feasible measures that could bring about real economic growth. I would have incorporated at least a year ago with my other initiatives, hadn't it been for this...
oscardelben 15y ago
If you're in Italy and want to fund your startup try contacting h-farm http://www.h-farmventures.com/ http://www.h-farmventures.com/ Disclaimer: I've worked with one of their startup but I know the place is great and they're more than willing to invest.
itmag 15y ago
Interesting that things are actually happening outside of SV. Speaking of that, is there a startup scene in Scandinavia? Anyone know?
- mikebutcher 15y ago
  Er, cough, Spotify...?
  - pdelgallego 15y ago
    + Skype, Zendesk, Opera, Rovio, among others.
    - wantrepreneur 15y ago
      Yeah,because Estonia is Scandinavian country LOL
      - pdelgallego 15y ago
        Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström are both Scandinavians.
- Ironballs 15y ago
  Yes! There's even a whole site devoted to the startup scene in Nordic (and Baltic) countries: http://www.arcticstartup.com/ http://www.arcticstartup.com/
  - itmag 15y ago
    Cool! (heh) I want to meet local entrepreneurs who are in tune with the HN ethos, but it's really hard sometimes in Jante country :)
- mebe 15y ago
  In Finland, there's been quite a lot of happening lately: http://steveblank.com/2011/10/07/the-helsinki-spring/ http://steveblank.com/2011/10/07/the-helsinki-spring/
dariobarila 15y ago
http://www.magno.me/startup-e-italia-qualcosa-si-inizia-a-muovere http://www.magno.me/startup-e-italia-qualcosa-si-inizia-a-mu... Here you can find a quite critical point of view from one of the best italian entrepreneurs and business angel. Is written in italian for the italians who always criticize the italian venture capitalists, accusing them that they miss some good startups. But venture capitalists in this country are moving and growing, although there are still many gaps about seed capital. Also, the new Italian government has introduced measures to promote venture capital. By the way, You're hacker enough to translate this post!

44 points by Facens 15y ago

dariobarila 15y ago

HN, keep an eye on italian startup scene, a lot of potential waiting to be discovered...

klaut 15y ago
agreed. I really wish the startup scene blossoms in Italy in the near future as there is great potential there - One of my favourite italian startups is http://stereomood.com/ http://stereomood.com/
- brador 15y ago
  How would you monetize that site?
  - fbailey 15y ago
    You could try mood based ads. Very difficult to sell to an advertiser, but it could have some interesting applications. I wonder if depressed or happy people buy more.
    - guk 15y ago
      Interesting approach! I generally think happy people would buy more...
      - klaut 15y ago
        I think the opposite, that sad people would buy more. Would be an interesting experiment :)
  - klaut 15y ago
    there could also be potential for B2B services: think airport lounges, auto salons, etc etc ...
  - vidarh 15y ago
    Buy buttons on every track. Lots of music I've never heard about that I might like to download to my music player. EDIT: There are buy buttons on every track, but frankly they're almost too inobtrusive - I didn't notice them at first.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
SammyRulez 15y ago
Lot of potential but little money. "Italian VC investors (I mean the ones based in Italy) are, in general, famously useless at identifying high growth businesses in their own country" Sad but true.
- davidw 15y ago
  The money is in hiring good hackers at good prices.

advanced 15y ago

Finally !

zerostar07 15y ago

... and we find out about it thanks to the british correspondent of a californian blog.

zerostar07 15y ago
Care to contribute your euro-startup experiences here?: http://textchannels.com/EuroStartups http://textchannels.com/EuroStartups
tucosan 15y ago
http://www.gruenderszene.de/news/point-nine-capital-cibando http://www.gruenderszene.de/news/point-nine-capital-cibando also http://www.deutsche-startups.de http://www.deutsche-startups.de
- zerostar07 15y ago
  See that's a problem, writing in English guarantees a wider audience.
  - freyfogle 15y ago
    naja, Quantität ist nicht gleich Qualität
    - zerostar07 15y ago
      I don't speak german
      - JonnieCache 15y ago
        Surely you can read that though. Look again.
        zerostar07 15y ago
        i know, but i was making a point

guk 15y ago

Thanks all! I really hope the Italian scene grows a lot!!

danmaz74 15y ago
Besides the deserved congratulations, there's a question I'd like to ask you. I noticed that the Cibando website is Copyright "Cibando Ltd.", but in the TOS the service is from "Mobatar S.r.l." Does this mean that you have both a UK ltd company and an Italian S.r.L.? If that's so, why? Have you already explored what it means from a fiscal point of view having both? I ask because right now I'm very undecided if I should incorporate in the UK with a ltd company for the paid service I'll launch very soon on pro.hashtagify.me - not to dodge Italian taxes (I live in Rome too), but because a S.r.L. costs too much and sounds much worse for an international audience - and I only found very confusing information on the Internet, so it would be very interesting to learn about your experience :)
- Facens 15y ago
  I had to face the decision too, for Iubenda, and ended up with an Srl. I went for the most hassle-free choice, since incorporating abroad can be time consuming and hide additional costs (loss of focus included). About the Srl, I wrote this article a while ago which can clarify some of the expenses: http://thinkamination.com/migliorare-srl-italiana/ http://thinkamination.com/migliorare-srl-italiana/ [ITA]
  - danmaz74 15y ago
    Where did you get your data about incorporating abroad? From my information, the incorporation itself, if done in the UK, couldn't be less hassle-free and cheap: You get it in one day, and for less than 100€. The whole fiscal management should be doable for ca. 70€/month with a service like www.crunch.co.uk What worries me is the Italian side of the thing: I'd like to pay what I have to pay in taxes (to the State, not to the notary) but it isn't very clear how you do that; as for pension contributions I have a day job that and am already covered there. Simply put, right now I don't want to look for external money (THAT would be a loss of focus ;) and couldn't pay the costs of a SrL. I want to be sure if the business model works before committing thousands of euros to this startup. Anyway, thanks a lot for the suggestions! PS: do you know about http://srlfacile.org/ http://srlfacile.org/ ? I like what they ask and I'm trying to help, but exactly today I was thinking about writing a more direct/polemic message referencing the "tasse occulte" our premier talked about recently. I'm sure that making much (MUCH) easier and less expensive to incorporate would be one of the few feasible measures that could bring about real economic growth. I would have incorporated at least a year ago with my other initiatives, hadn't it been for this...

oscardelben 15y ago

If you're in Italy and want to fund your startup try contacting h-farm http://www.h-farmventures.com/ http://www.h-farmventures.com/ Disclaimer: I've worked with one of their startup but I know the place is great and they're more than willing to invest.

itmag 15y ago

Interesting that things are actually happening outside of SV. Speaking of that, is there a startup scene in Scandinavia? Anyone know?

mikebutcher 15y ago
Er, cough, Spotify...?
- pdelgallego 15y ago
  + Skype, Zendesk, Opera, Rovio, among others.
  - wantrepreneur 15y ago
    Yeah,because Estonia is Scandinavian country LOL
    - pdelgallego 15y ago
      Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström are both Scandinavians.
Ironballs 15y ago
Yes! There's even a whole site devoted to the startup scene in Nordic (and Baltic) countries: http://www.arcticstartup.com/ http://www.arcticstartup.com/
- itmag 15y ago
  Cool! (heh) I want to meet local entrepreneurs who are in tune with the HN ethos, but it's really hard sometimes in Jante country :)
mebe 15y ago
In Finland, there's been quite a lot of happening lately: http://steveblank.com/2011/10/07/the-helsinki-spring/ http://steveblank.com/2011/10/07/the-helsinki-spring/

dariobarila 15y ago

http://www.magno.me/startup-e-italia-qualcosa-si-inizia-a-muovere http://www.magno.me/startup-e-italia-qualcosa-si-inizia-a-mu... Here you can find a quite critical point of view from one of the best italian entrepreneurs and business angel. Is written in italian for the italians who always criticize the italian venture capitalists, accusing them that they miss some good startups. But venture capitalists in this country are moving and growing, although there are still many gaps about seed capital. Also, the new Italian government has introduced measures to promote venture capital. By the way, You're hacker enough to translate this post!