Cosmico closes its first investment round, raising €1.85 million. Among the investors are Prana Ventures, Bonsai Ventures, Growth Engine, and notable business angels such as Duccio Vitali, Valerio Fonseca, Marco di Pietro, and Giordano Martinelli. The round was coordinated by Growth Capital, Italy’s leading advisor for capital increases and extraordinary finance operations for scaleups, which selected Cosmico to participate in the third batch of the elite acceleration and fundraising program A-Road.
The startup, which connects digital talent with major companies, agencies, consulting firms, and international startups, was founded in March 2020 and has been EBITDA-positive from the start. It closed 2022 with a revenue exceeding €2 million and now has a roster of over 8,000 talents, divided into designers and developers (60%), marketers (30%), and business/PM (10%). In 2022, Cosmico, based in Milan, worked alongside 35 clients including consulting firms, large digital agencies, corporates, and scaleups. The team is also growing, doubling its workforce from 10 to 18 by 2023.
“We are very proud to have closed this first investment round, but more importantly, that prominent figures from the entrepreneurial and startup investment world immediately believed in the project and invested in Cosmico and its talents. The funds raised will be used to consolidate our presence in Italy and lay the foundation for a stable presence in Europe. This is our goal for the next two years,” said Francesco Marino, CEO and Co-Founder of Cosmico.
“More and more scaleups are offering innovative solutions that best meet the needs of an evolving labor market, redefined by trends and practices that reflect a new way of living and managing professional growth. The speed with which Cosmico closed this round confirms the market’s interest and its potential to become a leader in a highly attractive segment of HR Tech, focusing on high-level freelance talent in Italy and Europe,” commented Lorenzo Triboli, Vice President, Growth Capital.
