All Iron Ventures is promoted by Ander Michelena and Jon Uriarte. In 2009, and out of their hometown of Bilbao (Spain), they founded Ticketbis, a secondary ticketing market for fans to buy and sell diverse kinds of tickets (e.g. concerts, sport events).
With annual sales exceeding $100Mn, Ticketbis was acquired by eBay in 2016 for a reported €165Mn. By the time of the acquisition, Ticketbis operated in nearly 50 countries around the world and employed 450+ employees across 14 offices in Europe, Central and South America, Asia and Australia. As of today, Ticketbis is regarded as one of the top success stories in the history of Spanish startups and a landmark example of efficiency (only €14Mn raised) and returns to investors.
The story (and history) behind our name
Our name «All Iron» is intrinsically associated with the province of Biscay and with its capital, Bilbao, where, as was the case with Ticketbis, All Iron Ventures is headquartered.
Back in the late 19th century, British mining technicians arrived in Bilbao to work on its iron mines. When the purest iron ores were spotted, they were signaled as «All Iron», and miners would earn a bonus payment as a result. Thus, «alirón» as local miners would pronounce «All Iron», became a cry of joy for the workers. The term «alirón» eventually gave rise to a song – still widely used today – to celebrate the wins of Athletic Club, Bilbao’s leading soccer club, and one of Spain’s oldest and most victorious.
Our 5 business selection criteria
Large and growing addressable market with the potential to become its leader
Proven business model with initial unit economics and traction
Scalability & Capital Efficiency
Defensible competitive advantages
Outstanding team with execution know-how
Our deal with founders
Founders investing in founders
We have been successful entrepreneurs ourselves before becoming investors, and have personally faced and overcome the daily challenges you will encounter. We have learned from them and we want to put that know-how and emotional empathy at your disposal.
All-in attitude
Investing in your vision means for us to embrace it and work hard to achieve it. You are in charge but you can fully count and rely on us.
Always at your side
Our goal is to support you in every step of the way towards achieving your dream. We are your partners and we will be there for you whenever you need us. We are at your service, not the other way around.
Building leading companies anywhere
Our contrarian bet is that success is not just owned by the main tech hubs. We would love to help you replicate our success story regardless of your location.
Incremental added value
You can leverage our proven expertise operating marketplace and e-commerce business models, scaling internationally and, in short, creating large companies from the ground up.
The «All Iron way»
We believe in hard work, humility, teamwork, communication, and good character. We are willing to embark on a journey with entrepreneurs who think and feel alike. It is not just about doing and accomplishing things, it is about doing it right.