Switzerland-based DemoSquare, an EPFL spinoff that develops AI technologies to help companies anticipate political and regulatory changes, has secured CHF 1.2M (approximately €1.28M) in a pre-seed round of funding from Swiss and German investors.
The round was led by Zurich-based QBIT Capital and co-invested by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF).
Georges Khneysser, QBIT Capital’s founder, says, “Victor and Jérémie are visionary entrepreneurs poised to redefine industry standards.”
“By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to monitor and analyse complex activities, they are addressing significant industry challenges with groundbreaking innovation. We are excited to be part of their journey and look forward to seeing their full potential unfold.”
Capital utilisation
The funds will accelerate DemoSquare’s expansion into European markets and influential EU institutions.
DemoSquare’s co-founder and CEO Victor Kristof says, “We are thrilled to announce the closing of this first funding round one year after launching DemoSquare, and we are honoured to count such impactful investors onboard. This is a gratifying validation of our team’s efforts and a testimony to our ambitions.”
“The investment will now support us in reaching our next goal: To deploy our cutting-edge solution to public-affairs teams in Europe.”
What does DemoSquare offer?
DemoSquare mentions in a statement that regulatory risks can disrupt business operations, as seen with companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Nvidia. To address this, governmental affairs teams are becoming increasingly essential.
DemoSquare, an EPFL spinoff, has developed an AI-powered platform to help companies anticipate and manage these regulatory challenges efficiently and cost-effectively.
Founded in 2023 by Dr. Victor Kristof and Dr. Jérémie Rappaz, DemoSquare’s AI-powered SaaS platform assists companies in navigating regulatory complexities and staying ahead of legislation. The platform is based on their PhD research in machine learning and AI.
The startup counts multinational companies and major public institutions among its initial customers in Switzerland.
Daniela Bach, principal at HTGF, says, “We invested in DemoSquare because data and AI can play a major role in bringing more transparency and predictability into law-making processes.”
“This is key in a current dense regulatory environment for political stakeholders and corporates alike, and we are excited to back Victor and Jérémie who have the perfect academic and tech background for building this company.”
Brief about the investors
QBIT Capital, founded in Zurich by Georges Khneysser, is a VC firm dedicated to supporting Swiss startups. The firm collaborates with Active Investors and partners with industry experts like Speedinvest Pirates and TiCapital. It focuses exclusively on Swiss companies, leveraging a global network to benefit its portfolio.
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) finances tech startups with growth potential, having supported over 750 startups since 2005. Managing about €1.4B across four seed funds, HTGF focuses on high-tech startups in digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences, and chemistry.
The fund has facilitated around €6B in follow-on financing and successfully exited over 180 companies. Fund investors include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital, and 45 industry companies.
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