In the AI gold rush, small and mid-sized businesses are being left behind. Integrating artificial intelligence into products often presents two poor options: use off-the-shelf tools like OpenAI that don’t understand your business, or spend months (and budgets) building a custom ML stack that rarely delivers. Meet Outter, a Manchester and Bilbao-based startup on a mission to rewrite the rulebook.
In an exclusive interview with TFN, CEO and co-founder Dima Kapranov reveals how Outter is building the “Shopify for AI features” — a plug-and-play engine that lets companies embed advanced, contextual AI into their products without writing a single line of machine learning code.
“You don’t need to be an ML engineer to deliver powerful AI to your users. With Outter, you connect your data, and AI features are live in days, not months,” says Kapranov.
Kapranov told TFN exclusively that the company is now preparing to raise a €1M–€1.2M seed round to shorten deployment timelines even further, from weeks to days, and make AI adoption as simple as launching an online store.
AI adoption is broken. Here’s how Outter wants to fix it
The fundamental challenge is clear: most businesses struggle to implement AI effectively. They’re caught between using generic models that ignore their unique context or investing in expensive custom solutions with high failure rates.
“Companies think AI is just about chatbots. But it’s so much more than that. The problem is, most of them don’t know where to start, or how to get results,” explains Kapranov to TFN.
Outter’s platform eliminates these barriers through rapid deployment, business-specific training, and full compliance with GDPR and EU AI ethics. The platform avoids shared data, third-party access, and U.S.-based models. Instead, each client receives their own isolated AI environment, hosted in the UK and Europe.
“We take data security and ethics seriously. Your data isn’t just protected — it’s separated. We don’t even share your data with ourselves. That’s our baseline,” says Kapranov.
Built by founders with AI in their DNA
Outter was founded by Dima Kapranov, Mike Keeman, and Daria Pasik. Kapranov brings nine years of experience building and scaling software startups. Keeman, with a PhD in data science, developed predictive AI systems for Olympic athlete selection before ChatGPT existed. Pasik contributes expertise from Huawei and global tech in growth and large-scale operations.
Outter was inspired after the team sold their previous company’s AI technology to a U.S. buyer. This experience sparked a question: Could more businesses access similar AI capabilities without the complexity and cost?
“That exit showed us the value of AI-as-a-service. We realised a much bigger need: helping companies get AI features into production without needing an entire machine learning department,” says Kapranov.
In one word? A European AI engine, built for privacy
Outter’s standout feature is its co-pilot functionality, beyond typical AI assistants. Unlike conventional co-pilots that merely chat, Outter’s solution actively performs tasks. Users can trigger real actions within their product through natural language commands.
“You can ask our co-pilot to change pricing, update listings, and onboard new users, and it just does it. That’s the difference. Everyone talks about AI co-pilots, but they’re just chatbots. Ours gets things done,” explains Kapranov. This practical approach reflects Outter’s emphasis on delivering measurable business outcomes rather than just conversation, reassuring potential clients about the tangible benefits of their AI solutions.
“We had an edtech client that uploaded legacy PDFs. Outter turned those into interactive digital lessons in hours. We’ve built engines that recommend matches in dating apps, personalise travel packages, or optimise logistics — all without custom development,” says Kapranov.
Kapranov highlights their recommendation system, which is built on Keeman’s expertise in predictive modelling. Before generative AI became widespread, Keeman helped governments forecast athletic performance years in advance. This technology now powers AI solutions for personalising products, matching users, and predicting engagement across the dating, e-commerce, and media sectors.
“We’re firm on recommendations. That’s what our last company was acquired for, and we’ve only improved it since,” Kapranov notes.
The next milestone: AI in days, not weeks
The upcoming funding will accelerate Outter’s deployment cycle. Their goal is clear: make AI implementation as simple as signing up for a SaaS tool. This includes launching an onboarding co-pilot to streamline AI feature customisation and integration.
“We’ve already onboarded clients in under two months. But the next milestone is same-week results. We want clients to connect data today and start seeing ROI tomorrow,” says Kapranov.
Though already profitable and sustainable, this funding round serves a strategic purpose. The team seeks a partner to help shape their growth strategy, join the board, and share their long-term vision. Current valuation discussions range from €8–€14M, with the round expected to close by autumn.
“We don’t need to raise to survive—we’re profitable. We’re raising to grow faster and smarter, with the right people at the table,” says Kapranov.
What’s next for Outter? Be the AI engine of Europe
Outter aims to become Europe’s default AI engine. Just as Shopify democratised e-commerce for non-developers, Outter wants to make AI accessible to companies of all sizes, from startups to enterprise teams.
“You don’t need an e-commerce developer to use Shopify. You shouldn’t need an ML team to have great AI features. We’re building that same plug-and-play model, just for AI,” notes Kapranov.
Over the next three to five years, the team plans to expand across all 27 EU countries and the UK, offering European companies complete control over their AI. Local infrastructure, data privacy, and speed are at its core.
As Kapranov concludes, “You connect your data, and the AI features go live. That’s the future we’re building — and we’re almost there.”
