Ordio secures 12 million euros Series A

Financing round led by 3VC completed
The Cologne-based software start-up Ordio has raised 12 million euros in a Series A financing round. The round was led by Austrian venture capitalist 3VC, which invests in European tech companies with international scaling, among others. The round was also supported by the Swiss family office Wecken & Cie. which specializes in B2B SaaS business models. Existing investors Capnamic and Simon Capital are also participating again.
Ordio intends to use the capital to accelerate the rollout of its new "Payroll Plus" product component and further advance automation in the area of payroll accounting for so-called "deskless jobs".
Solutions for a largely untapped billion-euro market
Ordio addresses a large, previously under-digitized market: over 100 million people in Europe work in desk-less jobs. These range from service staff in restaurants and care workers to employees in retail and production. The digitalization of these sectors is still in its infancy in many places. While traditional office workplaces have long been covered by comprehensive HR solutions, companies without a fixed workplace often struggle with paper processes, Excel spreadsheets and manual administrative work.
This is not only time-consuming, but also cost-intensive, especially in industries with high staff turnover and small-scale shift organization. Total expenditure on digital solutions in this area is estimated at more than 20 billion euros in Europe.
"Payroll Plus" automated payroll accounting in real time
With its new product "Payroll Plus", Ordio claims to be launching the first fully automated payroll accounting system for complex, dynamic employment relationships in summer 2025. The software processes bonuses, legal requirements and tax conditions in real time, supported by artificial intelligence.
What used to take weeks will now happen in minutes - without human intervention
David Keuenhof, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Ordio
Ordio already enables the automatic calculation of gross wages. With the new extension, net payroll accounting will also be fully integrated in future. The aim is to replace error-prone manual processes and provide a legally compliant, scalable solution for companies without their own HR department.
Born out of personal frustration
The idea for Ordio arose from a practical problem. Keuenhof himself managed around 135 employees at his restaurant chain "Sushi Ninja". He realized that existing HR software did not meet the needs of fast-moving, operational businesses. Together with Gregor Pilz, he founded Ordio in 2021 with the aim of creating a scalable, digital solution for desk-less working environments.
At the center of this is the so-called "People Operating System". This is a modular software platform that covers all core processes, from onboarding and shift planning to payroll accounting. Over 1,500 companies from the hospitality, care, retail and production sectors are already using the platform. According to the company, its turnover quadrupled in 2024.
Investors see market potential and technological differentiation
Investors see Ordio as a strategically well-positioned solution to a real problem in a growing market.
Ordio redefines how staff and work are organized in the hospitality, retail and service sectors. The software combines classic individual solutions in an integrated cloud platform and maps all operational processes end-to-end.
Federico Rota Candiani, Investment Manager at 3VC
The company is predestined to establish itself as the digital standard in desk-less industries. Founded in Cologne in 2021, Ordio develops a cloud-based software solution for the digitalization and automation of HR and payroll processes in desk-less industries. The platform is currently used by over 1,500 companies. Ordio employs around 50 people and is managed by its founders David Keuenhof and Gregor Pilz.
AI-supported processes as the new normal
Ordio's main aim with the current financing is to drive forward the expansion of AI-based payroll technology and establish itself as a central infrastructure provider for day-to-day operations in the long term. The automation of payroll accounting is just the beginning. Further modules for process optimization in personnel administration, time management and compliance are already being planned.

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