The invention proposes an electric starting device for an internal combustion engine, having a starter motor (2) which can, by means of an angular gearing (14) and with the interposition of a pre-engaged drive (10), be placed in engagement with a toothing (12) on an ignition rotor (13) in order to act on a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine (15), wherein the motor shaft of the starter motor (2) is arranged substantially perpendicularly to the crankshaft axis, the angular gearing (14) has a crown gear (3) and a cylindrical gear (5) which are arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on an intermediate shaft (4), and the cylindrical gear (5) meshes with a cylindrical gear (8) of the pre-engaged drive (10).