On November 8, Milan will host the first edition of the Business Angel Summit (BAS), a national event entirely dedicated to informal investors in startups. An unprecedented appointment for Italy that aims to strengthen the culture of angel investing and support the growth of the country’s innovative companies.
Business Angels in Italy: the gap to close
In Italy, the startup ecosystem continues to grow, but remains hampered by a shortage of private investors, the so-called business angels. According to the report “Business Angels in Italy: the impact of angel investing” by Politecnico di Torino, conducted with Growth Capital and Italian Tech Alliance in collaboration with the University of East Anglia, in the five-year period 2018-2022 there were over 1,600 active business angels in the country, for a total of 120 rounds and 45 million euros invested.
Important numbers, but still far from those recorded in the main European markets. 70% of Italian business angels operate in the North of the country, with Lombardy, Piedmont and Lazio leading in number of operations and amount invested. Almost all (94%) hold a higher education degree, and more than three quarters have entrepreneurial or managerial experience.
Today, over 1,600 business angels operate in the country, two thirds of whom are part of dedicated networks or associations. However, this presence remains much lower than that of the main European markets, where angel communities are more structured and coordinated.
Startup Geeks and Doorway: Business Angel Summit promoters
The initiative is promoted by Startup Geeks, with the patronage of Italian Tech Alliance and InnovUp, and with the support of partners such as
- 360 Capital,
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG),
- Doorway,
- Uno Quattro Studio Legale,
- Over Ventures,
- Alpha Venture
- and Business Angels Golf Association.
“With the Business Angel Summit we want to lay the foundations for an ecosystem where business angels can become a stable engine of growth, on par with what already happens in the main European markets” declares Manuel Urzì, COO and Head of Growth of Startup Geeks.
“To close the gap with Europe, more capital alone is not enough: we need prepared, connected investors capable of bringing skills. Angel investing is the first mile of innovation and, if qualified and coordinated, it becomes a stable engine of growth. With Doorway we work precisely on this: building a solid community that generates lasting value for startups and for the country”
declares Antonella Grassigli, CEO and Co-Founder of Doorway.
Business Angel Summit program: advanced training and qualified networking
The day of November 8 will be dedicated to moments of advanced training, with sessions curated by expert investors who operate directly in the market, thematic panels with prominent speakers including Antonella Grassigli, co-founder and CEO of Doorway SB, and Giorgio Ciron.
Not an informative event, but a moment to address in depth the dynamics of angel investing, with a concrete and impact-oriented approach.
Focus on Central Themes of Startup Investment
The Business Angel Summit will address crucial topics for investors:
- How to evaluate a startup before investing
- What are the most important clauses in contracts
- How to manage the distribution of shares among partners
- What are the possible exit strategies from the investment
The main tools available to angels will also be presented, from more traditional forms of equity participation to more recent and flexible forms of collective investment.
Personalized matching: quality networking
A distinctive feature of the Business Angel Summit will be networking with personalized matching: each participant will receive in advance a short list of contacts with similar interests and objectives, with dedicated spaces for targeted meetings during the event.
This approach ensures that every networking moment is productive and oriented towards creating valuable relationships, surpassing the classic model of generalist events.
Premium Brand for a Strategic Ecosystem Asset
The event presents itself with a new brand, designed to become a premium asset and an annual reference point for the entire ecosystem. A positioning choice that follows what has been done by other Italian innovation realities, and which aims to strengthen the summit’s identity from its first edition.
Objective: a competent and connected community
The goal of the Business Angel Summit is not only to increase the capital allocated to startups. It also aims to foster the growth of a competent and connected investor community, capable of systematically impacting the country’s development.
One fact confirms that angel investing is not only a financial activity. It is also a way to transmit skills and business culture. In Italy, 94% of business angels hold a higher education degree, and over three quarters have entrepreneurial or managerial experience.
The European Context: Where Italy Can Grow
In a European context where business angels play an essential role in supporting competitiveness and employment, Italy now has the opportunity to close a structural gap and align itself with the standards of more mature markets.
Where angels are present, the impact is significant. The Business Angel Summit aims to make this impact more widespread, structured and lasting on the national territory.
A journey that begins in Milan
The appointment with the first edition of the Business Angel Summit marks the beginning of a journey aimed at making angel investing more widespread and structured in our country. Milan, capital of Italian innovation and home to the largest number of national startups, represents the ideal location to launch this ambitious project.
November 8, 2025 could mark a turning point for the Italian startup ecosystem. From a shortage of private investors to building a solid community, prepared and capable of competing with the best European markets.
