WeAreStarting AI Overview on 09/2025

Overview of WeAreStarting

WeAreStarting (founded 2014, Bergamo) is an equity crowdfunding platform for Italian startups and SMEs. It operates as an Italian Società Benefit (since 2017) focused on both social impact and profit. The platform is CONSOB-authorized (Del. 19082/2014) and now compliant with EU Crowdfunding Service Provider rules (Consob Del. 23014/2024). Minimum investment is low (€300) and there are no fees for investors. Advantages include access to early-stage deals and tax incentives (30% IRPEF deduction on eligible investments). Key risks are very high: invested capital can be fully lost if a company fails, and equity positions are illiquid (hard to sell before an exit).

Product (Equity Model)

WeAreStarting offers equity stakes (shares) in startups and SMEs (SRL/SpA) across all sectors. In practice, investors subscribe to new shares and only earn if the company succeeds (via dividends or a future sale/IPO); there are no guaranteed returns. All fundraising on the site is equity crowdfunding (no loans or bonds) with a standard company investment model. The platform’s legal structure is an Italian S.r.l. (società benefit) authorized by CONSOB. Campaign maturity is open-ended (no fixed term), so funds generally stay locked until a liquidity event or exit. Investment metrics: minimum ticket ≈€300 (no stated maximum), and issuers pay a listing fee (~€2,000) plus a success-based commission. Projects must propose innovative SMEs or startups (also traditional PMIs), and investors benefit from tax relief (30% IRPEF credit) for qualified deals. Major risks include startup failure, regulatory risk, and illiquidity. There is no capital protection or insurance – if a funded company folds, investors risk 100% loss. Crowdinvestment guidance explicitly notes “loss of part or all of investment” and the difficulty of selling before an exit.

Company (Founders, Team, Regulation)

WeAreStarting S.r.l. was co-founded by Carlo Allevi and Simonetta Mangili. Allevi (energy engineer) serves as CEO/Operations Manager, while Mangili (former co-founder) remains on the board and holds ~20% equity. The wider team includes Gabriele Vittorio Nava (administrator), Cristiano Cucchiara (business development), Gianni Sperotto (investor), and Simone Piccoli (legal). The firm is a Società Benefit (since 28 Dec 2017) and thus legally pursues positive social/environmental impact alongside profit. Key partners include Banco BPM and Trentino Sviluppo, which collaborate on investor outreach and projects.

Legally, WeAreStarting is a CONSOB-regulated portal: it has been registered since Dec 2014 (Delibera 19082) to operate equity crowdfunding. It also achieved EU authorization under the ECSP regulation (Consob Del. 23014 of Feb 2024) and is listed with ESMA for cross-border crowdfunding services. The supervisory authority is CONSOB (Italian Securities Regulator). There are no known subsidiaries; the platform focuses on its core investment portal.

Company Volumes & Results (2024)

Industry data suggest WeAreStarting has moderate scale. Reports indicate ~15,000 registered investors and ~60 successfully funded projects (no date given). According to a 2024 market report, total Italian equity crowdfunding was €396 M over 941 campaigns (~€367K each). WeAreStarting’s average raise per campaign was only ≈€8.3K, well below top platforms. (This implies many small deals; e.g. one company raised €140K through WeAreStarting.) Specific figures on 2024 volumes are not publicly available, but growth appears modest. No data on defaults or overdue apply to equity investments, but industry reports note ~15% of crowdfunded firms later liquidate. Investor returns vary widely; there is no “average” yield. In equity crowdfunding most investors expect either a sizeable gain on a successful exit or a total loss.

Risk Management & Selection

WeAreStarting claims a rigorous vetting process for campaigns. Industry sources note the portal performs “thorough due diligence” on each project, though stressing no guarantees. Prospective issuers must pass compliance checks (e.g. submit business plans, financials) and meet criteria for innovative SMEs. Only a small fraction of applicants are typically approved. No public internal “risk scoring” is published. Sector/geography filters are minimal: any Italian startup/PMI (innovative or not) can apply, across various industries. Once live, projects provide progress reports to investors (platform encourages issuers to update backers), but systematic performance tracking is limited. Investors are strongly advised to diversify across many campaigns and perform their own due diligence. The platform itself offers project data but does not insure or underwrite investments.

Platform Functionality & Tools

The WeAreStarting portal provides standard crowdfunding features. Investors can browse active campaigns, make pledges, and later receive shareholder documents if campaigns succeed. There is no automated “auto-invest” feature. Importantly, the platform has an approved secondary market bulletin board (“bacheca elettronica”) for trading share quotas, though its liquidity in practice may be limited. User dashboards allow investors to track their portfolio of campaigns. The site is mainly in Italian (international investors can use, but documentation is Italian); no multi-currency services are offered (all deals in EUR). In case a funding goal is not met, all pledged funds are returned (refund policy). The platform provides necessary tax documents for the 30% IRPEF deduction when applicable. There are no investor protections beyond transparency (projects’ financials are disclosed), and no insurance or guarantee on investments.

Platform Pricing & Fees

WeAreStarting’s fee structure is quite transparent. Investors pay nothing: there are no entry, custody, performance, or exit fees for individuals. (Investors simply transfer their pledge to the escrow account without additional charges.) Issuers pay fees: a fixed listing fee (from ~€2,000) plus a success commission on the total amount raised. Details of the commission tier are posted for each campaign, so founders know the upfront cost. There are no hidden charges to investors. Overall, the pricing is standard for Italian equity crowdfunding: platform earns via issuer fees only.

Negative Publicity about WeAreStarting

No major scandals or enforcement actions are known. The platform has no reported regulatory sanctions; CONSOB has listed it as an authorized portal. Investor reviews are mostly positive (Trustpilot shows ~4.7/5 from 35 reviewers). However, one independent review site gave WeAreStarting only a moderate “Trust Index” (2.9/5) in May 2025, cautioning users to verify authenticity before investing. In summary, we found no customer fraud reports or media controversies. A potential red flag is simply the high-risk nature of the model: any single startup funded here could fail entirely. Investors should note that criticisms center on risk (as expected in equity crowdfunding), not on the company’s practices.

Success Stories on WeAreStarting

WeAreStarting has a few notable achievements. In 2017 it won the ING Challenge startup contest and was a finalist in the Regione Lombardia Fintech Competition, raising its profile in the industry. Its technology partner Katipult has been recognized (Canada’s Most Innovative Fintech 2016). The platform also collaborates with institutions like Trentino Sviluppo and Banco BPM to support deal flow. On the funding side, one success story is Recuperiamo S.r.l. (Regusto) – an innovative food-sharing startup. In mid-2024 it raised €140k on WeAreStarting (exceeding its €100k goal) and subsequently completed a €410k follow-on round led by SICI SGR. Such examples demonstrate that campaigns can attract further VC backing. While no IPOs or exits have yet been reported (equity crowdfunding in Italy is still maturing), these cases show positive outcomes for some projects launched on the platform.

Is WeAreStarting safe and regulated?

Yes. It is a CONSOB-authorized equity crowdfunding portal (Delibera 19082/2014) and complies with the EU ECSP rules (Consob Del. 23014/2024). All fundraising follows Italian law, and the regulator (Consob) oversees its activity.

What returns can I expect?

As equity, there are no guaranteed returns. Investors profit only if the company succeeds. Returns come from future dividends or selling shares at a higher price. Conversely, you can lose your entire investment if a funded startup fails. In practice, expect highly variable outcomes (some may get large gains, most break even or lose money). There is no stated “average” ROI.

What are the main risks?

The principal risk is total loss of capital. Early-stage companies often fail. Your investment is illiquid (hard to sell). Platform or regulatory changes pose secondary risks. Currency risk is low (EUR only), but economic downturns can wipe out startups. In short, only invest money you can afford to lose and spread it across many projects.