Early-Stage AI Startups Secure Large Seed Rounds
Investor appetite for AI-native and vertical SaaS remains strong, with several companies announcing significant early-stage funding. Adapt, an "AI computer for business," closed a $10M seed round, while Plato raised $14.5M for its AI-powered OS for distributors. Additionally, Anvil secured $10M for its document workflow platform, and Odynn raised $9.5M for its travel and loyalty platform.
- Adapt's $10M seed round was co-led by Activant Capital and Headline, with participation from Susa Ventures, to build a horizontal AI platform that integrates with business systems like HubSpot and Slack. - Plato's $14.5M seed funding, led by Atomico with participation from Cherry Ventures, will be used to expand its AI-powered operating system for wholesale distributors, which is already securing six-figure average contract values with large European firms. - Anvil's total $10M in Series A funding includes a $5M extension with participation from Craft Ventures and Gradient Ventures, Google's AI-focused investment fund. - Odynn's $9.5M seed round, led by Bonfire Ventures and co-led by Fiat Ventures, will accelerate the go-to-market strategy for its AI-powered travel and loyalty platform for banks and fintechs. - The significant seed funding for these vertical SaaS companies reflects a broader market trend where AI-native startups are demonstrating faster growth and better retention compared to traditional horizontal SaaS. - Investor focus is shifting towards vertical AI applications that solve specific industry problems, with these companies capturing over $1 billion in funding year-to-date in 2025. - Early-stage AI valuations are notably high, with the global median pre-money valuation for AI startups in the first quarter of 2024 reaching $70.63M, significantly higher than Fintech at $50M and general SaaS at $46M. - While overall early-stage funding in Europe has seen a decline, AI and Machine Learning startups have bucked the trend, attracting €4.6 billion in the first quarter of 2025, surpassing SaaS in deal value for the first time.
