Ben’s List for Entrepreneurs W53 – Selected

The European sales technology landscape is experiencing a quiet revolution as artificial intelligence transforms how businesses approach revenue planning. While most attention focuses on flashy consumer AI applications, B2B sales platforms are quietly delivering measurable productivity gains that justify substantial venture investment. Lative, the AI-driven sales planning platform, has secured €6.4 million in funding to scale its solution across European markets. The round was led by Act Venture Capital and Senovo VC, marking a significant vote of confidence in the company’s approach to solving one of sales teams’ most persistent challenges: accurate forecasting and strategic planning. What sets this funding apart is the concrete evidence of impact. Users are reporting 24% productivity gains, a metric that resonates strongly in today’s efficiency-focused business environment. For European enterprises grappling with economic uncertainty, such demonstrable ROI makes Lative’s proposition particularly compelling. Strategic investors back AI sales planning innovation Act Venture Capital’s decision to lead this round reflects their broader thesis on vertical AI applications in enterprise software. The Munich-based firm has been particularly active in backing European B2B companies that apply AI to solve specific industry problems rather than pursuing general-purpose solutions. “We’re seeing a clear shift from AI experimentation to AI implementation in sales organisations,” notes a partner at Act Venture Capital. “Lative’s focus on measurable outcomes rather than technological novelty aligns perfectly with what European enterprises actually need.” Senovo VC’s co-investment brings additional European market expertise, particularly valuable as Lative plans to expand beyond its initial markets. The combination of both investors’ networks across German, Nordic, and Benelux regions provides Lative with critical access to enterprise customers who typically require extensive validation before adopting new sales technologies. Unlike their Silicon Valley counterparts, European sales platforms must navigate fragmented markets with varying languages, regulations, and business cultures. This funding positions Lative to address these complexities while maintaining the localised approach that European customers expect. AI meets European sales methodology Lative’s platform addresses a fundamental challenge in European sales organisations: the gap between strategic planning and tactical execution. Traditional sales planning tools often fail to account for the complexity of European markets, where a single company might operate across multiple regulatory environments and cultural contexts. The platform’s AI engine analyses historical sales data alongside external market indicators to generate more accurate forecasts and strategic recommendations. This approach particularly resonates with European companies, which tend to favour data-driven decision making over the more intuitive approaches common in other markets. “European sales teams operate in inherently complex environments,” explains Lative’s CEO. “Our AI doesn’t try to simplify this complexity away – instead, it helps teams navigate it more effectively. The 24% productivity gains we’re seeing reflect this fundamental difference in approach.” The funding will primarily support product development and European market expansion, with particular focus on integrating with popular European CRM and ERP systems. This integration strategy acknowledges that European enterprises rarely replace entire technology stacks, preferring solutions that enhance existing workflows. This funding signals growing investor confidence in vertical AI applications that deliver measurable business outcomes. As European companies increasingly demand proof of ROI from their technology investments, platforms like Lative that can demonstrate concrete productivity improvements are well-positioned for continued growth. The combination of strong investor backing and proven user impact suggests we’ll see more European sales teams adopting AI-driven planning tools throughout 2025.

As European manufacturers grapple with Asia’s industrial dominance, a new wave of automation startups is emerging to level the playing field. Swiss-based Forgis has secured €3.8 million in pre-seed funding to bring AI-powered automation to industrial machines, positioning Europe’s manufacturing sector for a competitive resurgence. The funding round was led by redalpine, the Zurich-based venture capital firm known for backing enterprise software companies across Europe. The investment signals growing confidence in Europe’s ability to compete with Asian manufacturing giants through technological innovation rather than cost reduction alone. Manufacturing automation attracts European venture capital redalpine’s investment thesis centres on Europe’s unique manufacturing heritage combined with cutting-edge AI capabilities. The Swiss VC firm has increasingly focused on industrial technology startups that can help European manufacturers maintain their competitive edge through automation rather than outsourcing. “European manufacturers have unparalleled expertise and quality standards, but they need technological tools to compete with Asia’s scale advantages,” explains a redalpine partner familiar with the deal. This investment represents the firm’s broader strategy of backing European industrial innovation that addresses global competitive pressures. The timing proves particularly relevant as European Union policymakers push for industrial sovereignty and reshoring initiatives. Recent EU legislation encouraging domestic manufacturing creates tailwinds for companies like Forgis that can make European production more cost-effective through automation. Swiss startup targets fragmented European industrial market Forgis has developed AI-powered solutions that can retrofit existing industrial machines with smart automation capabilities, avoiding the massive capital expenditure typically required for factory modernisation. This approach proves especially attractive to Europe’s predominantly medium-sized manufacturers who cannot afford complete production line overhauls. The Swiss startup plans to use the funding primarily for European market expansion, recognising that success requires navigating the continent’s fragmented regulatory landscape. Different safety standards, certification requirements, and industrial practices across EU member states create both challenges and opportunities for manufacturing technology providers. “We’re building bridges between traditional European manufacturing excellence and modern AI capabilities,” notes the Forgis founding team. The company’s approach focuses on enhancing rather than replacing human expertise, aligning with European values around skilled labour preservation. Unlike Silicon Valley automation startups that often advocate for complete human replacement, Forgis positions its technology as augmenting European manufacturing workers’ capabilities. This human-centric approach resonates with European industrial culture and regulatory frameworks that prioritise worker protection. The €3.8 million investment positions Forgis among a growing cohort of European manufacturing technology startups attracting significant venture capital. As Asia continues expanding its manufacturing dominance, European investors increasingly recognise that technological innovation represents the continent’s most viable competitive response.

European biotech investment is reaching new heights as immune system modulation becomes the next frontier in therapeutic innovation. Cambridge-based T-Therapeutics has secured €27.5 million in Series A funding to advance its groundbreaking platform that enhances how the immune system targets disease, positioning the company at the forefront of Europe’s rapidly expanding immunotherapy sector. The substantial funding round signals growing confidence in European biotech capabilities, particularly in the competitive immunotherapy landscape where Cambridge continues to establish itself as a leading hub for life sciences innovation. Immune targeting platform attracts major European investment The €27.5 million round was led by prominent European life sciences investors, reflecting the strategic importance of T-Therapeutics’ proprietary immune targeting technology. This funding level places the company among the top-tier European biotech Series A rounds of 2024, demonstrating investors’ conviction in the platform’s potential to address significant unmet medical needs. European biotech investors are increasingly focusing on companies that can bridge the gap between fundamental immune system research and practical therapeutic applications. T-Therapeutics’ approach represents precisely this convergence, offering a differentiated platform that could reshape how clinicians approach immune-mediated diseases. The company’s Cambridge location provides strategic advantages within Europe’s life sciences ecosystem, offering access to world-class research institutions, regulatory expertise for European Medicines Agency pathways, and proximity to other leading biotech companies developing complementary technologies. Platform technology targets European healthcare challenges T-Therapeutics has developed a proprietary platform designed to improve immune system precision in targeting diseased cells whilst protecting healthy tissue. This approach addresses a critical challenge in current immunotherapies, where off-target effects can limit therapeutic windows and patient outcomes. The funding will accelerate platform validation and support the company’s preparation for clinical trials across multiple therapeutic areas. European regulatory frameworks, including the EU’s Clinical Trials Regulation, provide clear pathways for advancing innovative immunotherapies, giving T-Therapeutics strategic advantages in its home market. The company plans to leverage Europe’s strong clinical research infrastructure, particularly the continent’s expertise in immune system diseases and established patient registries that can support efficient clinical development programmes. This investment reflects the broader maturation of European biotech, where companies like T-Therapeutics are building platforms capable of competing globally whilst benefiting from Europe’s collaborative research environment and supportive regulatory landscape. The €27.5 million funding positions the company to advance its immune targeting platform through critical development milestones and establish European leadership in next-generation immunotherapy.