akeno receives 4.5 million euros seed

Investors focus on intelligent production planning. Cusp Capital, TS Ventures and another.vc invest in industrial startup akeno.

Hamburg, May 15, 2025 - The Hamburg-based B2B tech company akeno has received seed funding of 4.5 million euros. The round is led by Cusp Capital, together with TS Ventures and another.vc. The aim is to further advance the development of the AI-based production software and open up new markets.

Reactive planning is a thing of the past

In many companies, production plans are no longer up to date after just a few days. This is due to unforeseen events such as machine breakdowns, delays or material bottlenecks. Traditional planning tools often react too late to such changes - at considerable cost.

The solution: Adaptive real-time planning

akeno has developed software that accesses current production data in real time, detects disruptions at an early stage and automatically reschedules processes. The system does not work with fixed time specifications, but calculates probable processes based on machine status, material availability and other factors.

akeno uses the increased availability of OT data for AI-based, real-time optimized production planning - with a measurable effect on capacity utilization and capital commitment.

Dr. Maximilian Rowoldt, General Partner at Cusp Capital

The algorithms learn with every application and create adaptive production plans that are more precise and flexible than conventional planning approaches.

Industrial customers already rely on akeno

Previous customers include BASF Coatings, SunChemical and the Beckers Group. They rely on the software to optimize their production processes and reduce downtimes.

akeno was founded in 2021 by Alexander Ebbrecht, Dmitrij Direktor and Steffen Ramm. Their goal: production planning that is intelligent, automated and future-proof. The solution is primarily aimed at industries with complex processes, such as chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals and metal processing.

Expansion and internationalization planned

With the new capital, akeno intends to triple the size of its team, scale the technology and penetrate new industries. The company has already entered the Chinese market, with North America and other Asian markets next on the roadmap.