The Venture Codex

Participated · Seed · Nov 2013

Founded in 2011 by Francisco De Sousa Webber and Daniel Schreiber, CEPT Systems GmbH is commercializing a patent-pending technology called the CEPT-Retina, which converts words into semantic fingerprints so users can retrieve documents based on meaning rather than keywords. A government-backed prototype was completed in 2012, validating and refining the scientific concept. The company’s initial go-to-market focus is on enterprise and website search solutions, with plans to enter the broader global natural-language-processing market in 2014. Management positions the technology as a science-driven advance in semantic search that could outperform traditional keyword-based approaches. While still pre-revenue, the startup has secured early customer interest for its forthcoming products. The recent capital raise provides runway to productize the technology and begin international commercialization. CEPT Systems operates from Vienna, Austria, and emphasizes its research pedigree and intellectual-property portfolio.