Jahir Khan

Strato Create, a startup specializing in automation for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector, has secured €167,400 in a bridge round investment to support its expansion into foreign markets and enhance its cloud-based automation platform. The funding round included participation from Coinvest Capital and three business angels, with Coinvest Capital contributing €125,523.60.

Strato Create aims to transform architectural workflows by automating home design, estimation, and sales. The company’s platform leverages mathematical optimization models and real-time builder data to generate production-ready designs instantly. By streamlining early-stage design processes, the platform can potentially reduce the time required for these tasks by up to 80%, minimizing inefficiencies and costly errors.

The platform allows users to explore, create, and modify designs while accessing real-time pricing and 3D visualizations. It also facilitates comparisons between builders, selection of architects, project collaboration, and centralized communication. By incorporating site dimensions, building regulations, client preferences, and other relevant factors, the platform generates multiple design options with price estimations, energy calculations, and 3D visualizations.

Strato Create was co-founded by Beatrice Laurinkute and Jokubas Vaisvila. Laurinkute has a background in creative industries and real estate, with a focus on innovation. Vaisvila brings expertise in engineering, building information modeling (BIM), and digital construction, emphasizing automation and optimization. The team behind Strato Create has previously developed several innovations, including one of Europe’s largest 3D printers, a modular housing system, and materials such as mycelium boards, geopolymer, and bio-polyurethane.

The funding will allow Strato Create to expand its operations and further refine its technology. The company seeks to modernize workflows in the construction industry, which has been slow to adopt innovations seen in other sectors. Speaking about the industry’s challenges, Laurinkute stated, “By leveraging builder data and advanced algorithms, we're replacing inefficiency with intelligence and fragmentation with seamless collaboration. We saw this need firsthand while developing our modular house system—countless hours spent on repetitive tasks like tailoring designs for clients, implementing changes, managing revisions, estimating costs, analyzing energy performance, and more.”

The investment partners expressed confidence in Strato Create’s potential to drive change in the industry. Audrius Dzikevicius, the lead business angel of the investment round, highlighted the company’s approach to innovation. “The Strato team has an impressive track record of innovation. They are driven by curiosity and ambition, constantly seeking to improve both their work and the tools they use. Unafraid to challenge the status quo, they stand apart from those merely seeking a comfortable place in the market. With no comparable tool available globally, their solution addresses a universal challenge for anyone designing and outfitting spaces.”

With the additional funding, Strato Create is positioned to expand its reach, bringing its automation-driven approach to a wider market. The company’s focus remains on improving efficiency in the design and construction processes, reducing manual work, and integrating data-driven solutions to enhance collaboration between architects, builders, and clients.

French healthcare software-as-a-service (SaaS) company Faks has raised €6 million in its latest funding round to enhance its platform and expand internationally. The round was led by Speedinvest, with participation from existing investors Connect Ventures, Seedcamp, and FJ Labs. The investment will support the company’s efforts to centralize and streamline digital services for pharmacies, laboratories, and pharmacy groups.

Faks provides a digital platform designed to facilitate interactions between pharmacies and their suppliers. The platform offers a centralized application that allows pharmacy owners and staff to manage supplier relations, process returns of expired medications, and coordinate commercial operations. Laboratories can use the platform to oversee customer relationships, improve client satisfaction, and enhance commercial efficiency. By integrating these functions into a single interface, Faks aims to simplify and improve communication within the pharmaceutical industry.

The company prioritizes neutrality, modularity, and security, ensuring that data is managed confidentially and in compliance with European regulations. The platform has already been adopted by over 17,000 pharmacies, 500 laboratories, and 130 pharmacy groups, demonstrating its growing role in the industry.

The latest funding will allow Faks to expand its research and development (R&D) team, increasing from seven to 15 employees. Additionally, the company plans to expand internationally, with a particular focus on Spain and Italy.

Commenting on the funding round, Corentin Geoffray, CEO and co-founder of Faks, stated, “This funding marks a key milestone for Faks. After bringing together major industry players on one platform that simplifies their interactions, we are now investing heavily in our technology to help them save even more time and focus on what matters most: their patients.”

Pharmacies today face increasing demands as they diversify their activities while continuing to provide patient care. Managing back-office operations, including order processing and stock management, can be time-consuming. By centralizing supplier interactions and automating administrative tasks with artificial intelligence, Faks aims to reduce the operational burden on pharmacies and other stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Wissam Nasreddine, Principal at Speedinvest, emphasized the importance of streamlining operations in the pharmacy sector, stating, “The growing diversification of pharmacies’ activities, on top of their most important role of advising patients, has left little time to manage back-office operations from order to stock management. We see a huge potential in centralizing all their supplier interactions in a single platform and automating tedious – yet strategic – tasks with AI.”

He further noted, “We have been impressed by Faks’ ability to stay focused on pharmacies’ critical needs, with the vision of reducing their operational burden and making everyone in the ecosystem (pharmacies, associations, laboratories) work more closely together.”

With this investment, Faks is positioned to further develop its technology and broaden its reach within the European pharmaceutical sector. The company's focus remains on improving efficiency, enhancing collaboration between industry stakeholders, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.