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Germany-Based Startup Zentio Raises €1.4M Pre-Seed to Build AI-Native Real-Time Production Planning Platform

The Berlin-based startup has secured pre-seed backing to build an AI-native system that helps manufacturers make faster, more informed production decisions in real time.

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Berlin-based Zentio has raised €1.4 million in a pre-seed funding round led by HTGF, with participation from SIVentures, as the company works to modernize how industrial manufacturers plan and manage production. Beyond capital, the investors will support the startup with strategic and operational guidance as it moves into its next phase of development.

The round comes as manufacturers face growing pressure to operate more efficiently amid rising costs, volatile supply chains, and increasing production complexity. While many factories have digitized parts of their operations, decision-making often remains fragmented, reactive, and heavily dependent on human judgment.

Turning Complexity Into an Advantage

Industrial operations involve thousands of daily decisions, ranging from shift scheduling to machine allocation and inventory management. Each choice can have cascading effects across the value chain. A minor adjustment on the shop floor can influence machine utilization, inventory levels, cash flow, and delivery timelines.

In practice, these decisions are deeply interconnected, yet no single system—or person—can realistically assess all potential outcomes in real time. As a result, many companies rely on simplified assumptions, limited scenario analysis, or static planning tools, often leading to inefficiencies, underused capacity, and capital locked up in excess inventory.

Zentio is positioning itself as an alternative to incremental digital upgrades. Its platform is designed to enable AI-native, real-time production planning by structuring and centralizing operational, machine, and production data through a network of AI agents. The system continuously learns from factory-level data, allowing manufacturers to treat operational information as a strategic asset rather than a byproduct of execution.

A Model Built for Real-Time Decisions

By combining operational data with mathematical optimization and agent-based automation, Zentio aims to give decision-makers a clearer view of what is happening on the shop floor—and what is likely to happen next. The platform allows teams to anticipate capacity requirements weeks in advance, simulate the impact of disruptions, and respond to issues such as machine failures or material shortages with data-backed alternatives.

According to co-founder and chief commercial officer Immo Polewka, the company’s goal is to raise the standard of decision-making in European manufacturing. He says the focus is on helping companies plan strategically while retaining the ability to react quickly when conditions change, rather than relying on rigid schedules or manual interventions.

German MarTech Startup Peec AI Raises $21M Series A to Help Brands Optimize Visibility Across AI Search Engines

Building the Foundations for Scale

Founded in 2025, Zentio is currently working with a network of pilot customers and strategic partners across Europe as it refines its technology and validates its approach in real-world production environments.

The fresh capital will be used primarily to strengthen the company’s core technology stack. Co-founder and chief technology officer Christophe Kafrouni says the near-term priority is advancing Zentio’s mathematical optimization systems and machine learning pipelines, while integrating them seamlessly through user experience design and AI agents. To support that effort, the company plans to expand its engineering team with a focus on building what it describes as the first generation of truly AI-native production planning software.

With its pre-seed round in place, Zentio is now laying the groundwork for deeper partnerships and broader adoption, aiming to deliver long-term impact across European manufacturing at a time when operational resilience and efficiency are becoming business-critical.

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Denmark-Based VC Firm PSV Tech Closes €56M Second Fund to Back Early-Stage AI, Software and Digital Infrastructure Startups Across the Nordics

to invest in pre-product-market-fit startups across the Nordics, focusing on artificial intelligence, software and digital infrastructure.

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PSV Tech, a Denmark-based venture capital firm operating under PSV Venture House, has announced the final closing of its second investment fund, Fund II, at €56 million. The fund will support early-stage technology startups across the Nordic region, with a particular focus on companies developing artificial intelligence, software and digital infrastructure solutions.

The fund has attracted commitments from new investors Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker and Nordea-fonden, alongside existing limited partners including ATP, EIFO and IDA. Individual investors include Templafy founders Christian Lund and Henrik Printzlau, King co-founder Sebastian Knutsson, and Siteimprove founders Morten and Niels Ebbesen.

Launched in 2020, PSV Tech specializes in investing in startups before they achieve product-market fit, prioritizing founding teams, technical capabilities and long-term growth potential. The firm is led by General Partners Helle Uth, Richard Breiter, Alexander Viterbo-Horten and Christel Piron.

Since the first closing of Fund II, PSV Tech has completed 19 investments, including 11 previously unannounced investments made during 2026 across Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

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PSV Tech Closes €56M Fund II Backed by Institutional Investors

The €56 million final closing strengthens PSV Tech’s ability to invest in technology startups at the earliest stages of development, when companies may have limited commercial traction or established business models.

The fund introduces two new institutional investors, Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker and Nordea-fonden, while retaining support from existing limited partners such as ATP, EIFO and IDA. Its investor base also includes entrepreneurs with experience building technology companies, reflecting the fund’s connections with the Nordic startup ecosystem.

Claus Gregersen, CEO of Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker, said the investment aligns with the organization’s strategy of supporting fund managers that contribute to the development of emerging Danish growth companies. He highlighted PSV Tech’s role in providing early-stage financing and strengthening Denmark’s innovation ecosystem.

Nordea-fonden, which previously invested in PSV Hafnium, has also expanded its relationship with PSV Venture House through its commitment to Fund II. Lars Ingemann Nielsen, CFO of Nordea-fonden, said the investment reflects confidence in PSV Tech’s experience and its potential to support future growth companies while generating long-term returns.

Investing in AI, Software and Digital Infrastructure Before Product-Market Fit

PSV Tech’s investment strategy focuses on companies operating before product-market fit, when business models, products and customer demand are still being validated. At this stage, the firm places particular emphasis on the capabilities and adaptability of founding teams rather than relying primarily on established revenue or market traction.

Helle Uth, General Partner at PSV Tech, explained that early-stage investors often have limited commercial evidence available when evaluating startups. As a result, the firm’s assessment process focuses on identifying founders with complementary skills, technical expertise and the ability to respond to changing market conditions.

The firm is particularly interested in AI, software and digital infrastructure businesses, including startups emerging from research institutions and developing proprietary technologies. PSV Tech’s historical connections with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) also provide access to engineering talent and research-driven innovation.

According to Uth, advances in AI are changing how startups operate, allowing smaller teams to develop products and reach customers without rapidly increasing headcount. However, she emphasized that technical capabilities alone may not create sustainable competitive advantages, as successful companies must also establish effective distribution strategies and integrate their products into customers’ daily workflows.

PSV Tech therefore evaluates how founders respond when initial assumptions change, particularly in technology markets where new AI models and tools can quickly alter product development and competitive conditions.

Fund II Completes 19 Investments Across the Nordics

PSV Tech has already made 19 investments through Fund II, including 11 previously unannounced investments completed in 2026 across Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The activity reflects the firm’s strategy of expanding its investment reach beyond Denmark and supporting promising founders throughout the Nordic region.

The fund builds on the performance of PSV Tech’s first investment vehicle, which backed 47 startups and recorded six exits, including Helloflow and Heyhack. Other portfolio companies, including Teton and Spektr, have subsequently secured $20 million Series A funding rounds after receiving early backing from PSV Tech.

These investments reflect the firm’s approach to supporting companies from their earliest stages through the development milestones required to attract larger venture capital investors. Beyond providing initial funding, PSV Tech works with portfolio companies to identify the operational, commercial and technical progress needed to secure subsequent financing.

Uth explained that a central part of the firm’s role involves preparing startups for growth-stage investment by understanding what international and larger venture capital funds expect to see before committing capital.

Strengthening the Nordic Startup Investment Ecosystem

PSV Tech’s second fund also supports its ambition to strengthen connections between entrepreneurs, experienced technology executives, research institutions and investors across the Nordic region.

Uth pointed to Stockholm as an example of an ecosystem where successful founders, senior executives, universities and investors have helped generate new startups and investment opportunities. She noted that similar patterns are emerging in Denmark, where experienced entrepreneurs and technology professionals are increasingly establishing new companies and supporting younger businesses.

The firm’s broader investment philosophy reflects the importance of maintaining access to capital at the earliest stages of startup development. While European venture capital discussions frequently focus on the shortage of growth-stage financing, PSV Tech argues that sustained investment in pre-seed companies is equally necessary to develop the next generation of scaleups.

The firm’s origins can be traced to an investment initiative established at DTU approximately 25 years ago to support the commercialization of research and technology. That initiative has since evolved into PSV Venture House, which has participated in nearly 500 early-stage investments.

Anders Bjarklev, President of DTU, highlighted the university’s long-standing commitment to translating research into commercial applications, emphasizing the importance of risk capital in supporting innovation, company formation and technological development.

PSV Tech Expands Early-Stage Investment Strategy With Fund II

With €56 million in committed capital, PSV Tech plans to continue backing startups developing AI, software and digital infrastructure technologies across the Nordics. The fund will focus on identifying founding teams capable of navigating uncertainty and building businesses with long-term growth potential.

Its strategy combines early financial support with guidance on product development, market validation and preparation for subsequent investment rounds. The firm also intends to use its connections with research institutions, entrepreneurs and experienced technology executives to support portfolio companies as they develop.

Through Fund II, PSV Tech aims to strengthen the availability of pre-seed financing across the Nordic startup ecosystem while maintaining its focus on companies operating before product-market fit.

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France-based AI Startup Verso Raises $6M Seed Funding to Expand Consumer Intelligence Platform Globally

led by Angular Ventures to expand internationally, integrate new consumer data sources and develop AI agent capabilities.

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French artificial intelligence startup Verso has raised $6 million in a seed funding round led by Angular Ventures, with participation from 100in, Kima Ventures, Olympe Capital, Sharpstone Capital and several business angels. The company is also backed by startup studio Hexa.

Co-founded by Lydia Bellahouel and Camille Epitalon, Verso develops an AI-powered consumer intelligence platform designed to help businesses access and apply customer insights throughout their decision-making processes. Its technology automates consumer research, from study design and participant recruitment to interviews, analysis and knowledge management.

The funding will support Verso’s expansion beyond France, including into the United States, alongside further development of its platform. The company also plans to integrate additional consumer data sources, introduce access for AI agents and expand its engineering and go-to-market teams.

Verso currently serves more than 30 companies, including Ferrero, Orange and Michelin, as businesses increasingly seek faster and more accessible consumer research to support product development, marketing and strategic decisions.

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Verso Secures $6M Seed Funding Led by Angular Ventures

The $6 million investment will support Verso’s next phase of growth as it expands its consumer intelligence technology and enters international markets.

Angular Ventures led the seed round, joined by 100in, Kima Ventures, Olympe Capital, Sharpstone Capital and a group of angel investors. Verso also receives backing from Hexa, a startup studio focused on developing technology companies.

The company intends to use the capital to strengthen its platform’s data integration capabilities, develop interfaces that allow AI agents to access consumer intelligence and recruit additional employees across technical and commercial functions.

International expansion is another priority, with Verso targeting markets outside France, particularly the United States. The startup aims to make its research platform available to more businesses seeking to incorporate consumer insights into everyday operations.

Verso Uses AI to Automate Consumer Research and Analysis

Traditional consumer research often requires businesses to commission studies, recruit participants, conduct interviews and manually analyze findings. These processes can involve significant costs and lengthy timelines, while the resulting insights may remain within dedicated research departments rather than being shared across an organization.

Verso addresses these challenges by managing the research process through a single AI-powered platform. Its technology supports study design, participant recruitment, AI-moderated video interviews and automated analysis, allowing companies to collect and interpret consumer feedback more efficiently.

The platform’s AI interviews adapt in real time based on participants’ responses, enabling businesses to explore consumer opinions and experiences in greater depth. Findings from thousands of hours of conversations are then synthesized and organized into a searchable knowledge base.

Instead of producing isolated research reports, Verso maintains consumer personas that are continuously enriched as new studies are conducted. This allows teams to compare different consumer segments, monitor changes in attitudes and revisit previous findings when new business questions arise.

According to the company, its platform delivers consumer insights approximately ten times faster and at one-quarter of the cost of traditional research agencies, while enabling businesses to engage with around 15 times more consumers. These performance figures are company-reported.

Making Consumer Intelligence Accessible Across Business Teams

Verso was established to address the gap between consumer research and business decision-making. Although large organizations invest heavily in understanding customer behavior, research findings are not always available to the teams responsible for product development, marketing and commercial strategy.

Lydia Bellahouel, Co-Founder of Verso, said her experience at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) highlighted the financial consequences of businesses making decisions without timely access to consumer insights.

She explained that the company’s objective is to create a centralized consumer knowledge layer that allows business teams to access relevant information when making decisions, rather than relying on separate research projects or static reports.

By organizing research findings into a continuously updated knowledge base, Verso aims to make consumer intelligence accessible across different departments. Teams can query existing information, examine consumer preferences and compare audience segments without commissioning an entirely new study for every question.

The platform is already used by more than 30 companies, including Ferrero, Orange and Michelin, demonstrating its adoption among established businesses across different industries.

Expanding Data Integrations and AI Agent Capabilities

While qualitative video interviews currently form the foundation of Verso’s platform, the company is developing additional capabilities to incorporate a broader range of consumer information.

Planned integrations include quantitative research data, social listening and other sources that can provide a more comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior. By combining these datasets, Verso intends to create a unified intelligence platform that supports both detailed qualitative analysis and broader market insights.

The startup is also developing interfaces that will allow AI agents to access its consumer knowledge base and perform initial analysis within existing business workflows. This would enable organizations to incorporate consumer intelligence into AI-assisted processes without requiring employees to access a separate research platform for every task.

These developments form part of Verso’s broader strategy to move beyond individual research studies and establish a continuously updated source of consumer knowledge that can support business decisions across multiple functions.

Verso Targets US Expansion and Further Platform Development

With its new seed funding, Verso plans to accelerate international expansion while strengthening the technology behind its consumer intelligence platform.

The company will focus on developing new data integrations, improving access for AI agents and expanding its workforce across engineering and go-to-market operations. Its planned entry into the US market represents a significant step in extending its services beyond its existing French customer base.

As businesses increasingly adopt AI-powered tools for research and decision-making, Verso aims to position its platform as a central source of consumer intelligence that can be accessed by both employees and automated systems.

By combining AI-moderated research, continuously updated consumer personas and broader data integration capabilities, the startup seeks to help organizations incorporate customer insights more consistently into product, marketing and strategic decisions.

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Italy-Based FinTech Startup Computis Raises €2M Pre-Seed Funding to Automate SME Accounting, Improve Financial Visibility

The Techshop Capital-led round will support Computis in developing its accounting automation platform, designed to help small and medium-sized businesses access financial information and make more informed decisions.

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Computis, an Italy-based FinTech startup developing an accounting automation platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has raised €2 million in a Pre-Seed funding round led by Techshop Capital, with participation from Heartfelt, Zanichelli Venture, Vento, Alecla7, Alpha Ventures, Moonstone and P3Ventures.

Founded in 2026, Computis aims to transform accounting from a primarily compliance-focused process into a financial management tool that helps business owners understand their financial position and make operational decisions. The startup combines automated accounting software with an internal operations team and a network of independent partner accountants to provide SMEs with more continuous access to financial information.

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Computis Secures €2M Pre-Seed Funding Led by Techshop Capital

The €2 million investment will support Computis as it develops its technology-driven accounting services for smaller businesses. The startup is addressing the challenges SMEs face when managing financial records, monitoring cash flow and obtaining timely information about their business performance.

Many small businesses continue to rely on manual accounting processes and periodic financial reports, which can delay access to information needed for operational decisions. Computis aims to reduce these delays by automating routine accounting activities and organizing financial data into a more accessible format.

The company is developing a service model that combines software automation with professional accounting support, allowing business owners to access financial information without managing every administrative process themselves. This approach is intended to reduce administrative workloads while improving the availability of financial data for day-to-day business management.

Automating Accounting Processes for SMEs

Computis has developed a platform designed to automate several time-consuming accounting activities. Its technology supports document collection, recovery of invoices from foreign suppliers, bank reconciliation and invoicing, with these functions intended to reduce manual data entry and improve the organization of financial records.

By automating repetitive processes, Computis aims to help SMEs maintain more up-to-date accounting information and reduce the administrative workload associated with financial management. The platform also integrates an internal operations team and independent partner accountants who support businesses with accounting-related activities.

This hybrid approach combines digital tools with professional expertise rather than relying exclusively on software. Computis is positioning the service as a way for smaller businesses to access financial management capabilities that have traditionally been more common among larger organizations with dedicated finance teams.

Providing Real-Time Financial Visibility

A central objective of Computis is to help entrepreneurs understand their financial position throughout the reporting period rather than waiting for monthly, quarterly or annual accounting updates. The company aims to make financial information available closer to the time business decisions are made, reducing the gap between accounting activities and operational management.

This approach is intended to support activities such as monitoring financial performance, assessing operating costs and understanding the financial implications of business decisions. By organizing accounting information more continuously, Computis aims to provide business owners with a clearer view of their financial position.

CEO and Co-Founder Enrico Nicosia said the company’s objective is not to reinvent accounting but to use technology to eliminate unnecessary manual processes and make financial data more useful. He explained that many entrepreneurs only gain a clear understanding of their company’s financial position after receiving accounting reports at the end of a reporting period.

Computis aims to address this information gap by combining automated data processing with ongoing accounting support. The company intends to make financial information more accessible to business owners, allowing them to use accounting data as part of their regular decision-making processes.

Founded by Former Jet HR Team Members

Computis was founded in 2026 by Enrico Nicosia, Chief Executive Officer; Riccardo Donatelli, Chief Revenue Officer; and Leonardo Drici, Chief Product and Technology Officer. The three founders previously worked together at Jet HR, bringing experience in technology, business operations and product development.

Their professional backgrounds also include companies such as Spendesk, Amazon, Deliveroo and Eurostar. The founding team is applying this experience to develop an accounting service tailored to the operational requirements of small and medium-sized businesses.

The company’s strategy focuses on simplifying financial administration while improving access to information that supports business management. Through its combination of software and accounting expertise, Computis aims to help entrepreneurs spend less time managing routine financial processes and gain greater visibility into their business performance.

Zanichelli Venture Expands Beyond EdTech Investments

The funding round also includes participation from Zanichelli Venture, the corporate venture capital arm of Bologna-based publishing group Zanichelli. The investment reflects Zanichelli Venture’s expansion into technology businesses operating beyond its traditional education technology focus.

The investor has recently backed Gyver, a platform serving electricians and technical professionals, and Gamindo, which develops gamification solutions for corporate training. Its participation in Computis extends this investment activity into financial technology and business operations software.

The investment aligns with a broader interest in digital platforms that improve professional workflows, automate administrative processes and support decision-making. Through Computis, Zanichelli Venture is backing a company focused on applying technology to financial administration and management within smaller businesses.

Targeting Digital Transformation in SME Financial Management

Computis enters the market as small and medium-sized businesses increasingly seek digital tools to simplify financial administration and improve operational efficiency. While accounting software has become more widely available, many businesses still face challenges integrating financial records, automating workflows and obtaining timely insights from their accounting data.

Computis aims to address these needs through a combination of automation, financial information management and professional accounting support. Its model is designed to reduce repetitive administrative tasks while helping business owners access financial information throughout the reporting period.

With €2 million in Pre-Seed financing, the startup will continue developing its platform and business model for the SME market. Its longer-term objective is to make accounting information more accessible and useful for entrepreneurs, enabling smaller businesses to incorporate financial data into everyday operational decisions.

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