Minerva, an innovative AI-driven platform, is transforming Europe’s public procurement landscape. The company has already attracted 115 clients and helped them win tenders worth over PLN 250 million (approx. $60 million). Among its users are global brands such as Lafrentz and Iron Mountain. The startup raised $3 million from Finnish venture capital fund Open Ocean VC — known for investing in Booksy — and is currently valued at around PLN 100 million. Its founders aim to achieve unicorn status by 2028.
Key Facts
- $3 million raised from Open Ocean VC (investor in Booksy)
- 115 clients, including Iron Mountain, Lafrentz, and Hebu Medical
- 383 tenders won through Minerva, totaling over PLN 250 million
- 5,000 tenders analyzed daily across Europe
- 9x faster analysis, 90% process optimization
- Target market: Public procurement, representing up to 20% of EU GDP
- Goal: Expand active tender participants in the EU from 3.5 million to 15 million companies
A New Standard in Public Procurement
Minerva is among the first European platforms to radically streamline and accelerate companies’ participation in public tenders using artificial intelligence. Its algorithms analyze data from more than 1,000 sources, identify and profile opportunities, and support the preparation of tender documentation.
The result is a ninefold increase in analysis speed, leading to 90% efficiency gains for clients. In practice, Minerva acts as a digital co-worker that takes over repetitive administrative tasks, freeing up human teams to focus on strategy, negotiations, and business development.
“Our goal from the beginning was to create an AI solution that not only analyzes data but truly understands user needs. Minerva learns from each client’s history and tailors its recommendations to their profile. That means even competing companies can preserve their unique advantages. In short, it doesn’t level the playing field — it elevates everyone,”
— Piotr Gerke, Co-founder & CTO, Minerva.
Proven Market Traction
In just its first six months of operation, Minerva’s clients won 383 tenders worth over PLN 250 million. The platform now processes over 5,000 tenders daily across Europe.
Notably, none of Minerva’s clients have discontinued the service, and the company signs an average of two new clients per day.
“The difference between startups often isn’t the idea, but whether you have clients or not. We do — and ours win real contracts. That’s the best proof Minerva meets a genuine market need,”
— Maciej Stoiński, Co-founder & COO, Minerva.
Democratizing the Public Procurement Market
Public procurement represents 20% of the EU’s GDP, yet it has long been dominated by large corporations. Minerva is changing that by lowering the entry barrier and enabling smaller firms to compete for tenders that were previously out of reach.
The startup’s ambition is to increase the number of companies actively participating in tenders from the current 3.5 million to up to 15 million across the EU. This could drive not only economic growth but also greater transparency, reduced corruption risks, and more efficient public spending.
European Expansion and Global Vision
Although born in Poznań, Poland, Minerva has thought globally from the start. The platform is already used by clients in three European countries, with foreign customers accounting for 2% of users and 5% of revenues.
“We grow alongside our clients, who increasingly invite us to participate in joint projects abroad. It’s a natural direction for us — proof that Polish technology can compete internationally,”
— Maciej Stoiński, Co-founder & COO.
Validated by Investors and Clients
Minerva’s diverse client base spans construction, healthcare, and digital services. Examples include:
- Iron Mountain, a global leader in information management and data security, which uses Minerva to digitize bidding processes and win tenders in Sweden and Germany.
- Lafrentz, a leading infrastructure and energy projects company, which has optimized tender analysis and increased its bid volume thanks to Minerva’s automation.
- Hebu Medical, a producer of surgical tools and medical equipment, which leveraged Minerva to secure key public contracts and strengthen its position in the healthcare market.
The startup’s credibility is reinforced by a successful audit by KPMG and the backing of Open Ocean VC, the Finnish fund behind several major European tech successes.
A Team with Experience and Vision
Minerva was founded by three entrepreneurs from Poznań:
- Wiktor Gaweł – visionary CEO driving the company’s unicorn mission.
- Piotr Gerke – AI-first technology architect and product strategist.
- Maciej Stoiński – experienced manager and MBA lecturer, formerly with Piotr i Paweł, where he managed business scaling and operations.
They lead a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, AI engineers, and product designers — young, ambitious, and results-driven. Their mission extends beyond building a billion-dollar startup: they aim to digitize Europe’s public procurement system and enhance the EU’s competitiveness against the U.S. and China.
“Public procurement represents a massive share of Europe’s economy, yet remains one of its least digitalized processes. Minerva is changing that — making access to contracts easier and more transparent. We believe Europe can produce global tech leaders, and our ambition is to become the first unicorn in this space,”
— Wiktor Gaweł, Co-founder & CEO, Minerva.
Source: CEO.com.pl – Poznań Startup Raises $3M to Revolutionize Public Procurement
