Frequently asked questions
Last updated: 12 October 2026
STARTA is an information and matchmaking platform where early-stage founders get a structured STARTA Score and a shareable certificate, and investors browse anonymized, scored startups.
What is STARTA?
STARTA is an information and matchmaking platform where early-stage founders get a structured STARTA Score and a shareable certificate, and investors browse anonymized, scored startups. It is not an investment platform and not a financial intermediary: money does not flow through STARTA, and any investment happens directly between founder and investor, off the platform.
Who operates STARTA?
STARTA (starta.so) is operated by MB Startai, a Lithuanian small partnership (mažoji bendrija), company code 306433627, Plytų g. 12-19, LT-00132 Palanga, Lithuania. Contact: hello@starta.so. MB Startai is not registered for VAT.
What is the STARTA Score?
A number from 0 to 100 that summarizes how developed and ready an early-stage project looks, built from six dimensions: Product Maturity, Market Validation, Technical Health, Founder Profile, Growth Signals and Acquisition Fit. Each assessment also gets a Technology Preparedness Level (TPL, 1 to 9) and, for AI projects, an indicative EU AI Act readiness view.
How is the Score calculated?
A founder submits project details. An AI model rates each dimension and writes a short reasoning for it; the overall 0-100 Score and the tier are then computed by deterministic code from those dimension scores. The full framework (maturity levels, dimensions, regulatory and data-readiness checks) is described on the Methodology page.
What is verified, and what is AI-generated?
The assessment is AI-generated and based only on the information the founder submitted. STARTA does not independently verify a founder's claims, financials, user counts or revenue (Terms of Service, section 3). What does involve people: marketplace submissions are reviewed manually before publication, and a certificate can be revoked and refunded if a submission is found to be materially false and in bad faith. The Bronze, Silver or Gold tier label only shows the Score range of the assessment; it is not an audit of the underlying facts. The certificate's "verification link" lets you check that a certificate really was issued by STARTA and is still current, not that the founder's claims are true.
What do the Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers mean?
Tiers are Score ranges: Bronze 50-69, Silver 70-84, Gold 85-100. A Score below 50 gets no tier. A minimum Score of 50 is required to list a project on the marketplace; projects below it still receive a Score and recommendations.
Is a STARTA Score investment advice?
No. A Score, certificate or marketplace listing is not investment advice, not a recommendation to invest, and not a guarantee of any project's quality or future performance, and it does not replace an investor's own due diligence. The AI Act readiness view is preliminary and indicative: not a legal opinion and not a compliance certification.
How much does STARTA cost?
The STARTA Score itself is free, including the full six-dimension breakdown, reasoning, AI Act readiness analysis and recommendations. The certificate with optional marketplace listing is a one-time €70 for founders. Investors pay €99 per startup to unlock one listing's full details, and the €99 is refunded in full if the founder declines. There are no subscriptions.
What is the certificate?
A downloadable PDF with a unique ID and a QR code that points to a public verification link, valid for 6 months from issue. It states plainly that it is based on founder-supplied data that STARTA has not independently verified. Founders can share it with any investor directly; listing on the marketplace is optional.
How are marketplace listings anonymized?
A listing shows the Score, tier, category, stage, a broad region (for example Baltics), range-style traction and valuation information and an anonymized description. The project's real name, website, founder details and exact country or city are not shown. The anonymized text is generated with an automated check for identifying details, and every submission is reviewed manually before it is published.
What do investors see, and how does disclosure work?
Investors browse anonymized listings for free. To see who is behind a listing, an investor requests disclosure for €99. The founder must explicitly approve; if they decline, the investor is refunded automatically. An approved disclosure reveals the project's real name, website, description, target market, founder background and the founder's contact email. It does not include a pitch deck.
What is the STARTA Angels email digest?
Investors can sign up at starta.so/angels/join to receive a short email digest of new anonymized startups that match the stage, sector and region they choose, at most once a week. There is no charge. Signing up uses double opt-in (a confirmation email), every email has an unsubscribe link, and the page is available in English and Lithuanian.
How does STARTA handle personal data?
The data controller is MB Startai. The database is hosted in Frankfurt, Germany (EU). Payments are processed by Stripe, which handles card details; STARTA never stores them. Emails are sent through Resend. Only a founder's project submission text (never their email or account details) is sent to Anthropic's Claude API to assist scoring. Google Analytics 4 loads only if you accept analytics in the cookie banner, with a 2-month retention. The Privacy Policy has the full list.
Does STARTA invest in startups or arrange funding?
No. STARTA provides information, an independent assessment and an introduction mechanism. It does not make investments, does not hold investor or founder funds, and is not involved in any investment agreement between the parties.
More detail: Methodology, Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Contact.