Italian Social Platform Waveful Raises €1.8 Million In Pre-Seed Round

The round saw participation from a16z Speedrun, Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), Vento Ventures, Zest, Vesper Holding, and notable Italian and US angels including Andrea Ruosi, Vito Lomele, Nick Swift, Simone Cimminelli, Tommaso Tosi, Vincenzo Alagna, Omar Bertoni, Andrea D’Aietti, and Jesse Chor.

“Being selected by a16z Speedrun as the only Italian company and becoming the startup with the highest growth within the programme was an incredible recognition, both for the team and for the vision we have built from the start.” says Steven Motta, CEO and Co-founder of Waveful.

“This round provides us the resources to accelerate our expansion in the United States, invest in AI-first technology and attract new talent. But above all, it represents a decisive step toward achieving the goal that drives us every day: becoming the number one community platform in the world.”

Founded in 2020 by Steven and Dennis Motta, Waveful is a social platform designed to foster authentic connections through shared passions.

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Addressing the growing issue of loneliness, it creates digital spaces for building friendships and communities. In less than six months, the app has surpassed 3M downloads, achieved over 200% monthly growth in the past year, and generated $1M in B2C sales.

The new funding will fuel US expansion—targeting 500K users within a year—introduce AI-powered features, and support team growth with 4–6 new hires in engineering, growth, and marketing.

“We believe that the next generation of social apps will shift from monetising attention to becoming creator and fan marketplaces, where creators can monetise their efforts directly. Waveful is building this future, and we’re excited to support them on their journey forward” commented Robin Guo, Investment Partner at a16z.

In a16z’s Speedrun programme, Waveful emerged as the fastest-growing company and the only fully Italian startup, led by the youngest founders in the cohort.

About Waveful

Waveful is a social app powered by AI that helps anyone become an influencer. It makes it easy to connect over shared passions, build communities and grow an audience. By turning everyday interactions into meaningful opportunities, Waveful gives everyone a chance to be seen and heard.