Agense Stracquadanio
8 min read
09 November 2025
Genna Elvin, originally from New Zealand and with a background in law and psychology, has always been fascinated by human nature and technology. In 2011, she combined her interest in how people collect information with her passion for technology that benefits humanity and cofounded Tadaweb, pioneering the use of small data and open-source intelligence. Based in Luxembourg with offices in Paris, London and the US, Tadaweb transforms data into actionable insights through tools that enable browsing, investigation, monitoring and creation at scale.
What brought you to found the company?
Our technology helps analysts save time on data collection so they can focus on analyzing and acting on the information. I’ve always been passionate about how humans gather information. In the world of big data, a lot can get lost, but analysts and customers need precise, targeted intelligence. So we brought the human approach to information gathering into the market. It took us about three years to find the right market fit, but it was an exciting and rewarding challenge.
What’s your mission?
Our mission is to empower people with the right information at the right time, taking the opposite direction from the world of big data. For example, precision data-gathering allows the localization of a specific ship rather than collecting all maritime data, or it allows pinpointing one element within a supply chain. It’s the opposite of what generative AI tools like ChatGPT typically do. We use AI as a copilot while staying true to our small data approach, blending the best of both worlds.
What were the founding steps?
We received early-stage funding from an angel investor who believed in our technology. For the first years, we didn’t focus on monetization. Instead, we invested heavily in research and development to align our solution with real customer needs. Over time, we began treating our customers as development partners, learning from the challenges they faced and refining our technology accordingly. This allowed us to grow with our customers, using revenue to fuel our expansion before raising additional capital to enter the US market. Today, we primarily work with government agencies.
How does your business reflect your personality?
I often describe myself as a human heart in an artificial future. The mix of human nature and technology has always been my driving force across various fields. The spirit of embracing challenge is also part of our company’s DNA, just as it was for me personally when I moved from New Zealand to Europe. I saw a tough challenge and took it on, determined to prove that we could make it work.
What were some of the biggest challenges?
Fundraising is always stressful. It can be both the toughest challenge and the most rewarding experience. We started at a time when many of our customers weren’t even using the cloud, so one of our biggest hurdles was earning their trust in a new technology and proving it was safe. In that process, transparency has been absolutely essential.
What lessons have you learned so far?
The lessons learned along the way are probably too many to count. My background in psychology helped me understand how to build a successful team grounded in strong core values, supporting the operational side of starting a company. Beyond that, one key takeaway is to scale wisely and never make assumptions. Every market has its own dynamics, and assuming they’ll behave the same way is a mistake.
“As a founder, you have to do everything in the beginning.”
What was the most rewarding part of the journey?
The trust of our customers was especially rewarding, as we were pioneering the field of small data. Our relationships with early-stage customers were critical to the company’s evolution. Seeing them use the technology on issues that can truly make a difference, it’s incredibly satisfying.
What is the relationship between your company and Luxembourg?
In the early 2010s, Luxembourg was actively working to diversify its economy beyond finance and banking, shifting focus toward tech and startups. Today, it’s one of the most competitive countries for funding startups and supporting research and development. The country’s strategy has been clear, positioning itself as a startup hub through government-backed initiatives and programs that foster business opportunities. And the ecosystem continues to grow year after year.
What's next?
The US market is now of considerable focus. We raised significant investment to ensure we execute well.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs in Luxembourg?
My advice would be to expand beyond the country as soon as possible to get validation from other markets as well.
What do you think of the startup landscape in Europe?
Significant progress has been made, but the main challenges now lie at the governmental level, ensuring that legislation keeps pace with innovation and that there’s a deep understanding of the ecosystem’s needs.
“I found fundraising to be both soul-crushing and euphoric at the same time. It’s always the most stressful and chaotic period in a startup’s journey.”