Cato Raises €6 Million to Expand AI-Powered Public Tender Platform

The round was led by Keen Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors including Vento, Heartfelt, Moonstone, BHeroes, Alecla7 and Nova Venture. Several angel investors, including the founders of Lexroom, Sibill and Pillar, also joined the round.

The latest funding takes Cato’s total funding to €7.6 million, following an earlier pre-seed round led by Italian Founders Fund.

Cato plans to use the new funds to improve its platform, expand its sales operations and grow its team. The company also plans to enter new sectors and help its multinational customers manage tender processes outside Italy as it expands into international markets.

“In this first phase we have already managed thousands of tenders. Our greatest satisfaction is hearing from our clients that they see our technology as a true ally: it helps them find the most suitable public tenders, understand the requirements and prepare their bid, increasing their chances of winning and growing,” said Andrea Zorzetto, CEO and co-founder of Cato.

“We are delighted that this value is also being recognised by an international investor like Keen Venture Partners, alongside the VCs who believed in us from the start,” he added.

About Cato

Founded in 2025 by Zorzetto and Matteo Bossolini, Cato is an Italian AI startup focused on helping businesses compete for public-sector contracts. The company has built an AI-powered platform that makes it easier for businesses to find relevant tenders, understand lengthy documents and prepare bids.

According to Cato, public procurement represents around 14% of the EU’s GDP, worth nearly €2.5 trillion each year.

However, the tendering process is still largely manual, with companies often spending hours reviewing hundreds of opportunities and preparing bids.

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