Berlin-based Integral, a startup redefining how businesses manage accounting, taxation and payroll services, has raised €6.3M in a pre-seed funding round. The startup is targeting German SMEs from the professional services sector.
The funds will help Integral expand its team and accelerate product development as it reimagines financial management for SMEs.
Investors supporting Integral
The investment was led by General Catalyst and Cherry Ventures, with participation from Puzzle Ventures and various European entrepreneurs.
Zeynep Yavuz, Partner at General Catalyst, says, “SMEs are the backbone of Europe’s economy and society, yet they remain underserved when it comes to digital tools for accounting and taxation.”
“We believe Lukas and Anil are exceptional founders with a compelling vision and have deep experience building financial products for SMEs. We’re excited to partner with them on their mission to help the European economy thrive.”
Filip Dames, Founding Partner at Cherry Ventures, says, “At Cherry, we back founders with the ambition to fundamentally reshape industries. The Integral team’s bold vision to revolutionise tax and accountancy services for SMEs across Europe tackles a deeply entrenched pain point.”
“Lukas, Anil, and their team are building something transformative, and we’re thrilled to be their partners on this journey.”
Transforming financial services for European businesses
Germany’s accounting and taxation industry faces significant challenges, with outdated systems, manual workflows, and a shortage of skilled professionals driving high costs, poor service quality, and inefficiencies for SMEs.
According to a statement by Integral, 71 per cent of advisory firms report staffing issues, leading to errors and missed deadlines, while businesses struggle with limited real-time financial insights.
“Our vision is clear: to redefine how SMEs manage accounting, taxation, and payroll. We believe businesses should focus on what matters most – growing their business,” says Integral’s founder, Lukas Zörner.
He adds, “Traditional self-service software solutions require substantial time & effort by SMEs – time they cannot spend on growing their business. We want to be the trusted partner for SMEs as they leverage the power of AI to reinvent these operations to be faster and smarter.”
“We are building a platform enabling SMEs to outsource these services entirely.”
Integral, co-founded by Anil Can Baykal and Lukas Zörner in 2024, offers a digital-first, fully managed solution to simplify accounting, payroll, and taxation for SMEs, starting in Germany.
By optimising financial processes, Integral seeks to reduce administrative burdens and improve efficiency in the sector.
The company’s platform offers features including a central collaboration hub, seamless integration with financial tools, and AI-driven support for SMEs and advisors, with a partner tax advisor for expert guidance.
Financefwd reports that Integral has already onboarded its first customers, including AI platform Langdock, whose CEO Lennard Schmidt is also an investor. Initially focusing on service industry clients, the fintech aims to expand across industries and scale throughout Europe in the long run.
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