Software as a service (SaaS) – Silicon Canals https://siliconcanals.com European technology news Tue, 03 Dec 2024 06:34:28 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://siliconcanals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Silicon-Canals-10-year-logo-thumbnail-150x150.jpg Software as a service (SaaS) – Silicon Canals https://siliconcanals.com 32 32 Germany’s carbmee raises €20M in funding to help companies manage and reduce carbon emissions https://siliconcanals.com/germanys-carbmee-raises-20m/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 06:34:25 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=57410

carbmee

Berlin-based carbmee, a developer of AI-powered carbon management software, announced on Tuesday that it has secured €20M in a funding round led by CommerzVentures, with participation from Fly Ventures. The announcement comes as the company claims to have consistently achieved sustainable growth, whilst maintaining capital-efficient operations, carbmee’s revenue has tripled over each of the past ... Read more]]>

carbmee

Berlin-based carbmee, a developer of AI-powered carbon management software, announced on Tuesday that it has secured €20M in a funding round led by CommerzVentures, with participation from Fly Ventures.

The announcement comes as the company claims to have consistently achieved sustainable growth, whilst maintaining capital-efficient operations, carbmee’s revenue has tripled over each of the past three years.

Fund utilisation

The German company will use the capital to enhance its software and service offerings, drive product innovation, and expand its reach to enterprises globally.

The funds raised will also be invested in further developing carbmee’s Environmental Intelligence System with a focus on features like collecting granular LCA data.

Additionally, the company will invest in carbmee Studio—the recently launched customisation tool that enables users to create tailored, AI-driven reports and dashboards with ease.

Christian Heinrich, CEO and co-founder, says, “This funding round is a validation of the innovative work we’ve done so far, but it’s also a launching point for what comes next.”

“With over 80% of emissions being rooted in the supply chain, we have built a platform that not only meets the evolving needs of complex industry enterprises but also plays a critical role in the global shift toward sustainability,” adds Heinrich.

Previously, carbmee has been backed by more than 15 high-profile angel investors – among them industry leaders such as Noah Eisner (co-founder of procurement platform Coupa), Gisbert Rühl (CEO of Klöckner & Co.), Dirk Hoke (CEO of Volocopter), Mike Corbo (former chief supply chain officer at Colgate-Palmolive), Pat McCarthy (VP Workspace & Gemini at Google), Marcel Vollmer (former CIO of Celonis), Ulrich Piepel (former CPO at RWE and AG & innogy SE). 

carbmee: Help companies manage carbon emissions

Founded in 2021 by Christian Heinrich and Robin Spickers, carbmee helps companies manage, reduce, and report on their carbon emissions with unparalleled accuracy and efficiency on a centralised platform through advanced data analytics and AI.

Robin Spickers, the co-founder, adds, “We address one of the biggest challenges faced by the manufacturing industry. Currently, teams in large organisations work in data silos – procurement, R&D, finance, production – and rely on manual Excel spreadsheets to calculate carbon footprints, causing data inaccuracy and ineffective processes.”

“Our platform provides a centralised platform for all enterprise users to manage CO2 emissions at the corporate, product, supplier, and SKU levels—enabling CO2 data to be managed as accurately as financial data in an ERP system,” he continues.

Consequently, procurement teams can collect data to choose eco-friendly suppliers.

Finance teams can report according to CSRD or CBAM standards. R&D engineers can create sustainable products, and sustainability teams can find ways to reduce CO2 emissions, especially in Scope 3.

Currently, carbmee works with numerous international customers, including Lufthansa Technik, Maersk, Kärcher, Hilti, Miele, Coca-Cola, Schaeffler, and Anglo American.

The investor

CommerzVentures is a specialised fintech VC investor with assets under management of €550M.

CommerzVentures invests in early and growth-stage companies in Fintech, Insurtech, and Climate Fintech.

CommerzVentures is a return-oriented investor with a geographical focus on Europe and pursues a global strategy including Israel, the USA, and Africa.

Paul Morgenthaler, Managing Partner at CommerzVentures, comments, “Christian and Robin have already achieved phenomenal growth since founding carbmee. They are at the forefront of a vital industrial step-change as businesses around the world demand the knowledge and support to manage their carbon emissions. Their powerful software breaks down the complexity of decarbonising global supply chains, solving a key problem for industries. We share in the team’s exceptional ambition for the future and look forward to helping them deliver on this journey.”

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Paris-based Trace For Good bags €3.5M to help companies better manage traceability and compliance data  https://siliconcanals.com/trace-for-good-bags-3-5m/ Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:31:49 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=56495

Trace For Good

Paris-based Trace For Good, a company specialising in the traceability of consumer goods supply chains, announced on Tuesday that it has secured €3.5M in funding. The latest funding round was led by Hi inov Dentressangle and Ankaa Ventures, alongside CS Ventures and historical investors, including Seed4soft. With this funding, the company will expand its consumer ... Read more]]>

Trace For Good

Paris-based Trace For Good, a company specialising in the traceability of consumer goods supply chains, announced on Tuesday that it has secured €3.5M in funding.

The latest funding round was led by Hi inov Dentressangle and Ankaa Ventures, alongside CS Ventures and historical investors, including Seed4soft.

With this funding, the company will expand its consumer goods activities in Europe, partnering with leaders Intertek in quality assurance and certification.

“Thanks to our platform, we enable brands to achieve full supply chain traceability while drastically reducing the manual effort for data collection and verification, for them and their suppliers!” says Léa Gillet, co-founder of Trace For Good.

“With this funding, we will not only accelerate our business growth but also expand our technological leadership to meet the growing demands for traceability,” adds Gillet.

Trace For Good: Tracing of consumer goods supply chains

Founded in 2022 by Léa Gillet and Laura Bréban, Trace For Good helps companies manage traceability and compliance data with an easy-to-use SaaS platform.

The platform gathers product and supplier information from the supply chain, making it simpler to track and verify compliance and risk management data while reducing social and environmental impacts.

The company helps brands meet regulatory requirements (AGEC, EU Deforestation Regulation EUDR) while guiding them towards more sustainable production models and building new desirability models.

The company’s solution is based on two platforms:

  • The Client Platform helps brands and retailers track their products from raw materials to the final item. It uses intelligent data flows to centralise and verify information from suppliers, external databases, or other recognised certifications.
  • The Traceability Platform, dedicated to suppliers, enables them to quickly and easily respond to customer requests and consolidate responses. By using AI, information is pre-filled as much as possible and inconsistencies are detected in advance to ensure maximum accuracy of responses while facilitating data collection through personalised interfaces.

The French company currently targets the French textile market with customers such as IKKS, Fusalp, and Courir.

The investor

Hi inov is a pan-European B2B venture capital fund, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.

The VC fund supports high-growth European companies that contribute, through their innovative digital technologies, to the transformation of the industry and service sectors.

With over €350M in capital from entrepreneurs, medium and large companies, and institutional investors, it places sustainability and energy efficiency of technical architectures at the heart of its investment and support criteria.

Its portfolio of around thirty European companies includes Deepki, Platform.sh, 360Learning, Agorapulse, Ninox, Awork, and Kenjo.

Wolfgang Krause, Managing Partner of Hi inov, says, “Trace For Good is positioned in a rapidly growing market. Regulatory pressure in Europe is pushing brands to adopt solutions that guarantee the traceability and compliance of their products. We are delighted to support this mission-driven company and accompany the team in its ambitious European expansion project. This investment perfectly aligns with our desire to make a significant place for climate tech in the portfolio of our new Hi inov 3 fund.”

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Belgian VC Entourage backs San Francisco-based SaaS firm OneCrew; eyes Europan expansion in 2025 https://siliconcanals.com/belgian-vc-entourage-backs-onecrew/ Mon, 11 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=56445

OneCrew Entourage

San Francisco-based OneCrew, an end-to-end business management software platform, announced on Monday that it has secured $3.25M (approximately €3M) in seed funding round. The latest funding round was led by Entourage, a Belgian venture Studio and early-stage VC, and Bienville Capital, with participation from Alaris Capital. Explaining the partnership/connection with Entourage to Silicon Canals, Ari ... Read more]]>

OneCrew Entourage

San Francisco-based OneCrew, an end-to-end business management software platform, announced on Monday that it has secured $3.25M (approximately €3M) in seed funding round.

The latest funding round was led by Entourage, a Belgian venture Studio and early-stage VC, and Bienville Capital, with participation from Alaris Capital.

Explaining the partnership/connection with Entourage to Silicon Canals, Ari Bleemer, CEO and co-founder, says, “I was introduced to Evert Beeckman, Partner at Entourage, through a mutual Bain & Company connection, and the partnership grew rapidly. Entourage quickly stood out as a partner who truly understood our vision, customers, and success path. Their deep experience in multinational SaaS makes them an ideal partner for our expansion journey. With their guidance and connections in Europe, we’re well-positioned to successfully bring OneCrew overseas.”

Fund utilsation

The US company will use the funds to accelerate its product development around higher complexity jobs, add new features supporting contractor relationships with customers and subcontractors, and expand its user base throughout North America.

Regarding European expansion, Ari Bleemer says, “While our current focus is on the U.S. and Canadian markets, we plan to expand into Europe in 2025. Entourage’s deep experience in European markets will be instrumental in helping us bring OneCrew’s value to new regions.”

OneCrew: Simplifying complex workflows

Founded in 2022 by Ari Bleemer and Max Kostow, OneCrew simplifies complex workflows for paving businesses by combining CRM, estimating, scheduling, job costing, and more into one platform.

Designed particularly for contractors, the company provides an end-to-end solution for managing operations from the office to the job site, enabling companies to streamline their processes, improve efficiency, and boost profitability.

Since it started, OneCrew has started working with top contractors in the asphalt and concrete paving industries in the U.S. and Canada.

As per the company’s claims, users have said they can submit bids 75 per cent faster while also improving accuracy and managing jobs and workers more effectively.

Expansion to Europe

According to Bleemer, the company’s initial rollout in Europe will focus on pilot programs to ensure a smooth introduction.

“We’re confident that these pilots will quickly convert into standard licensing agreements as customers experience the value OneCrew brings. We take pride in launching products and features only when they truly add value, and our approach in Europe will be no different—we’ll bring the same care and precision to this transition as we do in North America to ensure a positive impact for each customer,” adds Bleemer.

However, the platform will need adjustments for different languages and currencies, he says.

Currently, OneCrew is available through a subscription-based model and offers pricing to accommodate businesses of various sizes.

The investor

Based out of Ghent, Entourage is a venture Studio and early-stage VC that invests in early-stage B2B and SaaS sectors.

Pieterjan Bouten, General Partner of lead investor Entourage, adds, “We are excited to lead this seed round in OneCrew, a groundbreaking platform transforming the paving industry with its data-driven, end-to-end solutions.”

“OneCrew’s ability to scale the estimation process and provide accurate, real-time insights while streamlining operations for construction companies has already demonstrated impressive growth, and we believe their vision and innovative approach position them to become an industry leader. With Ari and Max’s leadership, we’re confident they can continue scaling rapidly and are thrilled to support their ambitious growth trajectory,” adds Bouten. 

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The Hague-based Bubty secures an additional €3M to help companies mitigate freelancer misclassification risks https://siliconcanals.com/bubty-secures-an-additional-3m/ Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:36:53 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=56448

Bubty

The Hague-based Bubty, a provider of Freelance Management Systems (FMS), announced on Monday that it has secured an additional $3.3M (approximately €3M) in seed funding from its existing investors. The company will use the funds to accelerate its growth and scale its solution — Bubty Services, globally. The announcement comes around eleven months after raising ... Read more]]>

Bubty

The Hague-based Bubty, a provider of Freelance Management Systems (FMS), announced on Monday that it has secured an additional $3.3M (approximately €3M) in seed funding from its existing investors.

The company will use the funds to accelerate its growth and scale its solution — Bubty Services, globally.

The announcement comes around eleven months after raising €1.73M in a Seed funding round.

Bubty: Managing flexible workforces

Founded in 2020 by Lee Willoughby and Benjamin Schriel, Bubty offers a Freelance Management System (FMS) that enables companies to onboard, manage, contract, and pay freelancers globally.

As regulations on worker classification grow stricter, the Dutch company is launching its new service, Bubty Services, worldwide.

This service ensures that companies follow local laws when hiring freelancers and independent contractors.

With automated screening and routing, the Dutch company helps businesses manage compliance and reduce the risk of misclassification.

If an independent contractor doesn’t meet the requirements, the company provides an Agent of Record (AOR) service. This means the Hague-based company acts as the legal intermediary between the company and tax authorities, ensuring that freelancers and independent contractors are hired correctly.

The Dutch company also protects clients from misclassification risks, so they won’t be liable for any compliance issues. At the same time, clients keep full control and flexibility over their freelance workers, claims the company.

Since its inception, the platform has gained international traction, particularly in the UK and U.S., where over one million freelancers are managed through the company.

“Governments worldwide are cracking down on freelancer misclassification, aiming to protect vulnerable freelancers and contractors. This places a significant burden on businesses, who risk legal and financial penalties for non-compliance. Many companies, as a result, avoid engaging freelancers altogether. With Bubty Services, we remove that fear, offering companies a compliant, flexible way to engage freelancers, while preserving their independence,” says Lee Willoughby.

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London-based SaaS firm Cogna secures €14M to address complex business inefficiencies https://siliconcanals.com/cogna-secures-14m/ Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:15:57 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=56417

Cogna

London-based Cogna, a provider of precision software solutions, announced on Monday that it has secured $15M (approximately €14M) in a Series A funding round led by Notion Capital, with participation from Hoxton Ventures and Chalfen Ventures. With this investment, the London-based company plans to expand its platform capabilities, supporting a broader range of sectors and ... Read more]]>

Cogna

London-based Cogna, a provider of precision software solutions, announced on Monday that it has secured $15M (approximately €14M) in a Series A funding round led by Notion Capital, with participation from Hoxton Ventures and Chalfen Ventures.

With this investment, the London-based company plans to expand its platform capabilities, supporting a broader range of sectors and increasing the capabilities of its automated AI-powered software factory.

In 18 months since its inception, Cogna has grown to a team of 40 and is working with clients, including Cadent Gas and Network Plus.  

Kevin Fowlie, CEO of Network Plus, says, “Our partnership with Cogna has revolutionised how we have started to manage customer interactions. Unlike off-the-shelf software solutions that require us to adapt our processes, Cogna has given us custom solutions that fit our exact needs, driving immediate value and efficiency. Their ability to quickly iterate and adapt solutions cost efficiently means we can continuously improve and innovate at pace to meet our clients and customers’ needs.”

Cogna: Automating the IT consultancy

Founded by Ben Peters and Lars Mennen, Cogna uses AI to automate the IT consultancy process to identify and overcome specific productivity challenges within large, traditional enterprises.

Ben Peters, Co-founder and CEO of Cogna, says, “Traditional industries have been left behind by the digital revolution due to the complexity of their operational challenges. Cogna’s mission is to empower these sectors with precision software technology that addresses every unique company pain point on its terms, enabling immediate productivity gains. This funding allows us to bring our technology to more industries and help organisations reduce bottlenecks and free their expert teams from arduous manual tasks, unlocking their vast untapped potential.”

The London company’s AI platform targets important industries that make up over 70 per cent of the economy, like utilities, manufacturing, energy, and the public sector.

It helps non-technical teams identify their specific challenges and creates custom software solutions quickly and cost-effectively, with no programming skills needed.

This approach allows companies to overcome outdated systems, improve processes, and automate important tasks. It also boosts productivity in areas such as procurement, operations, and asset management.

The investor

Notion Capital is a European B2B SaaS and Cloud VC with more than $1B in assets under management and with more than 100 investments to date.

The Notion team founded, built, and exited two highly successful SaaS businesses – Star and MessageLabs – and invests exclusively in exceptional founders with the ambition to build global category leaders.

The Notion portfolio includes GoCardless, Mews, Paddle, Unbabel and YuLife.

Jos White, General Partner at Notion Capital, says, “Cogna is reimagining what’s possible for industries historically overlooked by the digital transformation revolution. The team’s precision approach offers not just great software, but solutions that align exactly with what each client needs to work more effectively. We’re thrilled to be backing the Cogna team for a second time as they revolutionise how organisations tackle their biggest productivity challenges affordably and quickly.”

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Austrian SaaS startup iDWELL secures €10M to simplify property management: Here’s how https://siliconcanals.com/austrian-idwell-secures-10m/ Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:50:54 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=56247

iDWELL

Vienna-based iDWELL, a PropTech company, announced on Monday, November 4 that, it has secured €10M in funding from Knight Capital as well as existing investors such as Flashpoint Venture Capital and Wecken & Cie. The Austrian company will use the funds to accelerate its growth, invest in an even smarter property management platform, and expand ... Read more]]>

iDWELL

Vienna-based iDWELL, a PropTech company, announced on Monday, November 4 that, it has secured €10M in funding from Knight Capital as well as existing investors such as Flashpoint Venture Capital and Wecken & Cie.

The Austrian company will use the funds to accelerate its growth, invest in an even smarter property management platform, and expand the range of services and service providers.

“The focus will be on developing even more efficient property management based on artificial intelligence (AI), expanding the range of financial and insurance solutions, and broadening the service portfolio,” explains Anna Matzenberger, COO of iDWELL.

iDWELL: Simplifying property management

Founded in 2017 by Alexander Roth, iDWELL has developed a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that optimises efficiency and transparency in property management and connects all parties involved in a property on a central platform.

As a result, it enables efficient communication and management.

At present, the Austrian company manages over 1.5M portfolio units in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland and serves more than 750 customers.

“We want to continue to grow consistently by winning new property management companies, diversifying our product offerings, and fostering long-term partnerships within the DACH region”, says Alexander Roth, founder, and CEO of iDWELL. 

The investors

Knight Capital is an investment firm in Northwestern Europe, focusing on industry-specific software sectors such as real estate, healthcare, and (semi-)public organisations.

Its investment in iDWELL represents the firm’s second investment in the DACH region.

“We are excited to partner with iDWELL, a leading provider in the PropTech sector. With its impressive growth and a highly satisfied customer base, iDWELL is perfectly positioned to provide cutting-edge solutions in the rapidly digitizing real estate industry”, says Diederik Ingen Housz, Managing Partner of Knight Capital.

Wecken & Cie. is the investment vehicle of the Wecken Family Office. The company has been investing in early-stage venture capital since 2007 with a primary focus on disruptive B2B companies in the FinTech and PropTech space.

The company participates together with other institutional investors in Seed/Series A investment rounds with €500k to €3m initially, with the ability to provide additional capital over the life of the investment. 

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Dutch VC HenQ leads €8M Series A in Danish startup Kanpla https://siliconcanals.com/dutch-vc-henq-leads-danish-kanpla-8m-series-a/ Fri, 01 Nov 2024 05:54:00 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=56103

Kanpla founders

The global contract catering market, valued at approximately €285 billion ($300 billion), is crucial to the daily well-being of millions of employees and students. Danish SaaS startup Kanpla aims to disrupt the contract catering industry by digitalising it. Today, it announced an €8 million Series A funding round led by Dutch venture capital firm HenQ. ... Read more]]>

Kanpla founders

The global contract catering market, valued at approximately €285 billion ($300 billion), is crucial to the daily well-being of millions of employees and students.

Danish SaaS startup Kanpla aims to disrupt the contract catering industry by digitalising it. Today, it announced an €8 million Series A funding round led by Dutch venture capital firm HenQ.

The new investment will further fuel its international expansion across Europe and the United States.

“Kanpla growing incredibly well”

“Kanpla is growing incredibly well. It is truly exceptional how they expanded from their home market to multiple countries successfully so quickly, which makes you wonder about all the other great things this team can do.”

“Their progress inspired us to do something we almost never do: lead an internal follow-on round, without any new external money joining the round – the biggest sign of bullishness we can give,” said Jan Andriessen, Partner at HenQ.

The contract catering industry faces ongoing challenges such as reducing food waste, meeting ESG sustainability goals, and managing irregular customer flow.

Kanpla digital platform

Kanpla’s digital platform addresses these issues by enabling canteens to optimise operations and enhance the customer experience.

Only 28% of businesses require employees to work full-time from the office, and educational institutions are increasingly adopting hybrid models, so the demand for flexibility in canteen services has never been higher. 

The United States accounts for a significant portion of the global contract catering industry, with an estimated annual market size exceeding $53 billion.

As the largest region for catering services, North America presents numerous opportunities for Kanpla to introduce its effective solutions to new clients.

Consequently, the recent funding will be used to launch the product in the U.S. in 2025.

“We’ve seen tremendous demand for digital transformation across Europe’s contract catering sector. Our platform is helping caterers deliver more personalised experiences, better manage fluctuating foot traffic, and reduce food waste,” Peter Bæch, CEO and co-founder, says. 

Expanding

In less than two years, the Danish startup has expanded its operations from Denmark to 10 European countries, including Scandinavia, the UK, and Benelux. 

With now a team of 45, Kanpla wants to double its workforce over the next year to support its growth ambitions.

The platform is currently being used by over 3,000 canteens in both workplaces and educational institutions.

It enables more than 250,000 users to view menus that display CO2 emissions and nutritional information, make purchases, earn loyalty points, and provide feedback.

Users can access these features through the app, point-of-sale systems, or the web.

“As the workplace culture has changed, we’ve noticed key challenges like increased amounts of food waste, excessive manual work,  and disconnected systems. We believe software can be a significant enabler in overcoming these issues and aim to position ourselves as the global technology leader in contract catering, helping chefs worldwide save time and creating the best possible customer experience,” says Jonas Gøttler, COO and co-founder.

HenQ: a little different

HenQ is an Amsterdam-based early-stage VC fund that invests in European early-stage B2B software businesses that are “simply a little different,” whether their industry is considered boring, the founders are overly obsessed, or the business model is atypical.

Ticket sizes range from €1 to 10 million.

They lead Kanpla last year’s €2.2 million seed round that was set to bring Kanpla to the Dutch market.

The founders of the Danish startup, the then 21-year-old entrepreneurs Peter Bæch and Jonas Gøttler, were among some of the youngest ever in Europe to raise €2M or more.

HenQ was an early-backer of freshly minted hotel software unicorn Mews, dating back to its €6 million Series A.

Other noteworthy HenQ portfolio companies are HousingAnywhere, Sendcloud, and Cloudtalk. Among their exits are SEOShop, Mendix, and Studytube.

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Paris-based Welii rebrands to Najar; bags €15M to help companies with procurement and financial operations https://siliconcanals.com/paris-based-najar-bags-15m/ Thu, 17 Oct 2024 09:00:18 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=55476

Najar

Paris-based Welii, a company specialised in modular, AI-driven procurement solutions, announced on Tuesday, October 15 that it has raised €15M in funding from 13books Capital, Portage, and TOMCAT. The French company will use the funds to expand its platform’s capabilities, developing new tools to offer even greater control over procurement and financial operations. Besides funding, the ... Read more]]>

Najar

Paris-based Welii, a company specialised in modular, AI-driven procurement solutions, announced on Tuesday, October 15 that it has raised €15M in funding from 13books Capital, Portage, and TOMCAT.

The French company will use the funds to expand its platform’s capabilities, developing new tools to offer even greater control over procurement and financial operations.

Besides funding, the company also announced that it has rebranded its name to Najar.

“Our new name, Najar, carries deep meaning that ties directly into our philosophy and future vision. In Arabic, “Najar” means carpenter—a powerful symbol of strength, structure, and craftsmanship. Just as a carpenter lays the foundation for a building, we help businesses create strong financial infrastructures that support sustainable growth,” explains the company.

“But the inspiration for Najar also comes from the Nightjar, a bird known for its agility and keen ability to navigate with precision. The Nightjar’s vantage point and capacity to anticipate challenges from above mirrors what we aim to provide our clients: a clear, elevated perspective on procurement, with the flexibility to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. This dual meaning—rooted in both strength and agility—forms the backbone of our brand identity,” adds the company.

Najar: Revolutionising procurement and finance operations

Founded in 2021, Najar (previously Welii) helps companies save time and money by optimising the purchasing process and management of all their SaaS software.

The company’s platform unifies expense optimisation and streamlines procurement to help organisations reduce costs and simplify complex financial processes into a user-friendly experience.

The company says its purchasing expertise and advanced technology allow for quick integration with clients’ tools, providing visibility, compliance, and operational efficiency.

“Our platform now offers end-to-end control of procurement processes, ensuring that businesses can lay solid financial foundations while staying agile and adaptable to market demands,” says the company.

Besides optimising past expenditures, Najar also provides the tools and insights that companies need to structure their financial operations, anticipate challenges, and fuel their growth.

“As we transition from Welii to Najar, our core promise remains the same: we are The Architects of Trust. Our new visual identity reflects this bold vision. Inspired by themes of space and architecture, Najar’s design speaks to precision, visibility, and innovation. Just as a spaceship requires trust in its systems and crew to navigate new frontiers, our platform enables businesses to rise above the complexities of procurement, offering both stability and adaptability,” says the company. 

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Czech sportstech startup Eyeball.Club secures €5M Seed round: Know more https://siliconcanals.com/eyeball-club-secures-5m/ Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:18:59 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=55411

Eyeball

Prague-based Eyeball.Club, a B2B SaaS sports tech company, announced on Wednesday that it has secured €5M in a Seed funding round led by Vendep Capital with participation from Sportlogiq, Heartland, and Founderment. The Czech company will use the funds to fuel its expansion into key U.S. and Latin American markets, as well as further improve ... Read more]]>

Eyeball

Prague-based Eyeball.Club, a B2B SaaS sports tech company, announced on Wednesday that it has secured €5M in a Seed funding round led by Vendep Capital with participation from Sportlogiq, Heartland, and Founderment.

The Czech company will use the funds to fuel its expansion into key U.S. and Latin American markets, as well as further improve its technology capabilities across the platform. 

“We’ve seen a three-fold increase in revenue in 2024, and this latest funding round is a strong validation of our vision to redefine how talent is scouted across the globe, by top clubs,” says Manfred Lerley, CEO and Co-founder of Eyeball.Club. 

This seed round will help Eyeball.Club grows and improves its technology for recruiting young talent in professional football.

“We are empowering clubs to access a broader talent pool with data-driven insights that were previously unavailable,” adds Lerley.

Eyeball.Club: Digitising the scouting process through AI

Founded in 2020, Eyeball.Club’s platform digitises the scouting process through AI-powered data analytics, offering insights into player performance and potential to the clubs.

The company’s platform is built on full-match video and uses computer vision AI, data analytics, and video analysis to give clubs a complete view of up-and-coming talent across various markets and continents.

Eyeball currently operates in 28 countries, profiles over 160,000 young players, and has partnerships across 100+ professional clubs.

This includes the majority of Premier League and Ligue One clubs, as well as over 50 per cent of both the German Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A.

Players who have been identified through Eyeball.Club’s platform includes:

  • 18-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder Abdoulaye Kanté, moved from FC Montfermeil to ESTAC (Troyes), which is part of the City Football Group.
  • 17-year-old Norwegian winger Daniel Skaarud, was spotted playing for Norwegian side Lillestrøm before transferring to Ajax’s academy.
  • 19-year-old Ivory Coast defender Assane Ouedraogo, moved from the Ivory Coast club FC San Pedro to the MLS club Charlotte FC.

According to Lerley, “Our Mission is clear;  it is not just about finding the best talent; it’s about equipping clubs with the digital tools they need to future-proof their recruitment processes by building and securing a reliable pipeline of young talent. Whether it’s expanding scouting networks into new regions or leveraging AI-driven insights, we’re creating a new paradigm in sports tech.”

In addition to the company’s elite-level global club partners, they also have partnerships with National Federations and Governing Bodies, further solidifying the company’s position as a leader in sports technology innovation.  

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UK-based Diesta secures €3.4M to streamline B2B premium payment processing for insurance companies https://siliconcanals.com/insurtech-startup-diesta-raises-e3-4m/ Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:53:26 +0000 https://siliconcanals.com/?p=55376

Diesta

London-based Diesta, a B2B SaaS company focused on transforming payment operations for the insurance industry, has secured $3.8M (approximately €3.49M) in a Seed funding round led by New York-based FinTech Collective (FTC). FTC is a global VC firm founded in 2012. It focuses on backing founders in transforming financial processes and offers deep expertise in ... Read more]]>

Diesta

London-based Diesta, a B2B SaaS company focused on transforming payment operations for the insurance industry, has secured $3.8M (approximately €3.49M) in a Seed funding round led by New York-based FinTech Collective (FTC).

FTC is a global VC firm founded in 2012. It focuses on backing founders in transforming financial processes and offers deep expertise in fintech, a global portfolio, and US network connections.

Diesta’s Seed round also saw participation from Commerce Ventures and existing investors Restive Ventures and SixThirty.

Toby Triebel, Partner at FinTech Collective, says, “The status quo surrounding payment processing in the insurance industry is stuck in the 20th century and cannot last. We are thrilled to partner with the Diesta team on their mission to reimagine this industry from the ground up.”

“Their vision to eliminate premium processing time and costs, offering real-time payments, reconciliation, and treasury management has resonated strongly since the first meeting.”

Diesta’s Seed investment follows its $2M pre-seed round secured last year.

Transforming the premium payments industry

According to Diesta, it aims to tackle inefficiencies in the insurance industry, where outdated manual processes lead to significant financial losses—estimated at $32B annually due to premium payment misallocation.

Founded in 2022 by Julian Schoemig and Christopher Davis, Diesta is a payment operations platform for the insurance industry. Its goal is to streamline premium processing for intermediated insurance, enabling companies to expand into new markets and products while reducing inefficiencies and saving billions.

CEO Schoemig, says, “We’re addressing one of the insurance industry’s biggest back-office challenges—premium payments. We’ve shown that we can bring digital payment innovation to a space long considered an unsolvable burden.”

“By working with everyone from nimble insurtechs to some of the largest brokers and MGAs in the London market, we know that the Diesta platform can deliver immense value for entities of all sizes. We are thrilled to have the backing of such high-profile investors as partners in our growth journey.”

Diesta’s technology serves as the financial operations backbone for the insurance industry, streamlining various payment and premium data into a unified platform. This approach boosts efficiency and creates new revenue opportunities in an industry burdened by manual processes.

The company has gained traction in the London market, attracting a diverse client base, including both emerging insurtechs and large enterprises with revenues over $1B.

Capital utilisation

Diesta plans to use the funds to expand across the UK, Europe, and the US, targeting new geographies and insurance classes. 

The company will invest in enhancing its platform with AI-driven integrations and fintech partnerships, aiming to provide advanced tools for insurance finance teams.

This funding also supports Diesta’s goal of becoming the leading payment operations platform for the insurance sector, driving digital transformation in a traditionally outdated industry.

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