A Berlin-based company, deeploi aiming to enhance IT management for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has announced the successful closing of its $6.5 million seed funding round.
The round was led by European VC giant Atomico, with participation from existing investor Cherry Ventures. This significant investment comes just ten months after deeploi’s €3 million pre-seed round, marking an impressive growth trajectory for the young company.
Founded in 2023 by Julian Lübke and Philipp Hoffman, deeploi’s all-in-one IT management platform caters to a critical need in the European SME market. With cyberattacks on the rise and data breaches posing an increasing financial burden, effective IT management has become paramount for businesses of all sizes.
However, traditional solutions often fall short, addressing only a specific aspect of the problem or catering solely to large enterprises with dedicated IT teams. This leaves SMEs, who typically lack the resources or budget for a full-time IT professional, struggling to navigate a complex and ever-evolving tech landscape.
A tailored solution for the “accidental IT admin”
deeploi steps in to bridge this gap with its comprehensive platform, designed specifically for the “accidental IT admin” – non-specialists within SMEs who are often tasked with managing the company’s IT infrastructure. The platform streamlines everything from onboarding and offboarding employees to device management, compliance, and cybersecurity. Existing users report significant improvements in efficiency, with onboarding times slashed from hours to minutes and an estimated 80% reduction in overall IT management time. The platform is further backed by deeploi’s expert support team, providing prompt resolutions to user queries within 30 minutes.
“Simple and safe IT management is mission-critical,” says Andreas Helbig, Partner at Atomico. He further adds, “The current landscape forces SMEs to either outsource to expensive managed service providers or overburden their ‘accidental IT owner.’ Both founders of deeploi have experienced this challenge firsthand, and their solution directly addresses this pain point. We are incredibly impressed by what they have achieved in such a short time and are thrilled to partner with them on their journey.”
Fueling future growth
The latest funding round will empower deeploi to accelerate its expansion plans. The company intends to invest in product and engineering development, bolster its IT support and Go-to-Market teams, and further refine its platform to cater to the evolving needs of modern, cloud-native businesses.
CEO and co-founder of deeploi, Julian Lübke envisions the company becoming the “IT OS for SMEs,” capturing a significant share of the €88.6 billion managed services market in Europe. He acknowledges the challenges posed by established players and competing internal IT setups, but deeploi’s unique value proposition and focus on user experience position it well to disrupt the market and empower SMEs with smarter, more efficient IT management.
The startup believes that every business requires IT solutions, but existing options often fail to cater to the specific needs and budgets of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By providing an attractive and accessible offering specifically designed for SMEs, deeploi expands the true market size beyond the traditional managed services segment.
What we think
deeploi’s success hinges on its ability to overcome established players and complex internal IT setups. However, their unique value proposition, focus on user experience, and strategic approach position them well to disrupt the market and empower SMEs with smarter, more efficient IT management. With a clear vision and growing momentum, deeploi is poised to enhance the way SMEs approach their IT needs.
