Milan-based B2B SaaS startup Cato AI, which develops an AI-native platform for managing public tenders, has secured €1.6 million in pre-seed funding led by Italian Founders Fund.
- Established in 2026 by Andrea Zorzetto and Matteo Bossolini, Cato AI is an Italian startup developing an AI platform for managing public tenders.
- The system continuously scans fragmented public procurement portals, filters relevant opportunities based on a company’s profile, and uses AI to extract requirements from documents such as specifications and administrative forms. It then supports users in drafting responses, managing compliance paperwork, and handling the end-to-end bidding process within a single workspace.
- According to the company, the platform aggregates and monitors more than 100,000 tenders, has analysed over 2,000 procedures, and has automated the creation of over 500 documents. Since launch, it has been adopted by more than 30 companies across healthcare, pharma, construction, and IT services, with around 200 active users.
Details of the deal
- The pre-seed round in Cato AI was led by Italian Founders Fund, with support from Vento, Moonstone Venture Capital, Alecla7, B Heroes, Nova Ventures, IAG (Italian Angels for Growth), HEARTFELT_, and a group of angel investors.
"They’re building in the Italian public tenders space: a complex, highly fragmented market that rewards focus and disciplined execution. What stands out is how quickly they’ve developed real depth, and how deliberately they’re building around it," Italian Founders Fund's team, commented on LinkedIn.
- The startup will use the capital raised to grow its workforce, strengthen and further develop its AI-powered platform, and expand its services to more companies involved in public tenders across Europe.
- It will also invest in improving automation across the tender process, helping users more easily find opportunities, prepare bids, and manage documentation, with the goal of scaling Cato AI into a more complete operating system for procurement work.
