Plato, a Berlin‑based startup, secured a $14.5 million seed round led by Atomico to embed generative AI into wholesale distribution. The company links AI directly to legacy ERP systems, turning historical sales data into automated quotes, revenue alerts, and risk flags. Early pilots have generated six‑figure contracts with large distributors, proving demand for AI‑driven sales intelligence. The funding will fund product expansion into procurement, customer‑service automation, and geographic growth across Europe and the United States.
Venture capital is moving into traditionally “hard” sectors—government, defence, energy, manufacturing—after years of avoidance. Rapid growth in public‑sector tech spending, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2025, and the rise of AI‑first solutions are reshaping procurement cycles and lowering...

London‑based deep‑tech startup Stanhope AI closed a €6.7 million ($8 million) seed round led by Frontline Ventures to develop adaptive AI for robotics and defence. The company’s “Real World Model” leverages neuroscience principles, especially the Free Energy Principle, to enable edge‑run perception,...