Deeployan “IT-as-a-service” startup for SMEs, has raised $6.5 million in a seed funding round led by European VC Atomico.
The one-year-old German startup helps companies reduce the friction and, ultimately, lost productivity that results from a degraded IT setup — particularly those that don’t have the resources for a dedicated IT department. Indeed, Deeploi connects key IT tools and facilitates the automation of workflows related to on-boarding or off-boarding staff, device management, compliance and cyber security.
Deeploi co-founder and CEO Julian Lübke sees its main competition as legacy managed service providers (MSPs) such as Bechtle, Cancomthe Computer center, which says it’s fine for larger businesses, but doesn’t really address the “needs, budgets and resources of SMEs”. And for those looking for more advanced tools, they often have to compile different tools designed for specific purposes.
“At the startup end of the market, we tend to compete with expensive in-house IT setups with too many expert tools managed by a ‘random’ IT owner,” Lübke told TechCrunch. “This is both inefficient and costly to the business in the long run.”
Through Deeploi, companies can connect all their various internal applications such as HR systems, mobile device management (MDM) software and cybersecurity software, making it easier to set up new employees and their respective devices in minutes.
Deeploi dashboard. Image Credits: Deeploy
“All data is made easily accessible for ‘random IT owners’ via a unified user interface,” said Lübke. “It will become the single point of entry for almost any existing vertical IT solution in the market.”
Founded out of Berlin last February, Deeploi raised 3 million euros ($3.25 million) pre-launch funding round followed its official launch over the summer, and the company has gone on to grow a 20-person team and acquire around 30 SME clients.
While agencies, consultancies and startups are the focus for now, there is scope to target a larger segment of the market in the future.
“As the product becomes more advanced, we unlock further target segments and customers — for example, reducing repetitive tasks for larger IT teams,” said Lübke.
In addition to lead investor Atomico, Deeploi’s seed round included participation from Cherry Ventures, which led the pre-seed round last year.
