Istella

Istella is an Italian internet search and digital services company founded in 2013 by Tiscali founder Renato Soru in Cagliari, Sardinia. The company emerged with the ambitious mission of creating a distinctly Italian search engine and digital ecosystem that would preserve and highlight Italian cultural content while competing with dominant international platforms.

What distinguished Istella in the competitive search engine landscape was its specialized focus on Italian cultural heritage, academic research, and media archives, seeking to digitize and make accessible vast collections of Italian knowledge that were underrepresented in global search engines. This approach included partnerships with museums, universities, publishers, and media organizations to create a comprehensive index of Italian intellectual and cultural content.

Beyond search functionality, Istella developed additional digital services focused on the specific needs of Italian users and organizations, including specialized tools for navigating public administration resources and accessing local information. While facing the considerable challenge of competing with established global search giants, Istella represents Italian digital entrepreneurship and the effort to maintain technological sovereignty and cultural representation in the increasingly centralized global internet landscape.