Led · Equity · Feb 2024

Akela Hub operates an augmented company scouting platform that combines artificial intelligence algorithms and human intelligence to match companies to specific innovation needs. The platform offers CRM integration for data enrichment, targeted scouting services, and a database of 5 million companies. Content is sourced directly from the media and the web and processed with smart matching algorithms. The company raised €1.0M in February 2024 and will use the proceeds to support global expansion of its AI scouting platform. Akela Hub was founded by Giels Brouwer and positions itself to help innovators identify solution providers at scale. The report does not include revenue or user metrics.

Led · Series A · Jun 2022

Lalaland is a fashion tech platform that uses artificial intelligence to generate hyper-realistic virtual models representing every body type, size, and skin tone. The company’s virtual-model solution aims to replace traditional photoshoots, reportedly costing just 15% of conventional shoot expenses. Lalaland says its platform can boost sales, increase conversion, reduce return rates and cut waste while delivering a more inclusive and personalised shopping experience. Founded in 2019 by Michael Musandu and Ugnius Rimsa and based in Amsterdam, the startup has onboarded major European retailers including Zalando, Wehkamp, and Otto. The recent €2.1 million raise will be used to drive the next stage of commercial expansion and to hire a diverse group of talent. LALALand builds neural-network–generated images of artificial humans to let shoppers visualise apparel on age-, size-, and ethnically inclusive models. The product targets e-commerce apparel webshops by enabling personalised, customisable shopping experiences and aiming to reduce returns and operational costs for brands. The company offers brands a large library of models so customers can see clothing tailored to their sizes and preferences. LALALand was founded by Michael Musandu and Ugnius Rimsa in 2019 and is an ACE Incubator and UtrechtInc alumni. It has secured pre-seed funding from ASIF Ventures and is preparing an upcoming launch with a well-known lingerie brand. The startup plans to expand to mainstream retailers and, in 2020, to develop new features, add more brands, and further personalise the customer experience.