Hamburg-based AI startup akeno has secured €4.5 million in seed funding to scale its adaptive AI production planning software, a breakthrough solution built to solve one of the biggest pain points in industrial manufacturing: outdated, inflexible production schedules.
Led by Cusp Capital, with participation from TS Ventures and another.vc, the round will fuel akeno’s international expansion and triple its current team. Already active in the Chinese market, akeno now sets its sights on North America and additional regions in Asia as it brings AI-driven real-time planning to complex manufacturing environments.
“Production plans become obsolete fast—often within 72 hours. Our system doesn’t just keep up, it learns and adapts,” said cofounder and CEO Alexander Ebbrecht. Unlike traditional planning tools that rely on fixed metrics and Excel-based scheduling, akeno continuously analyzes live production data and optimizes plans dynamically.
Cusp Capital’s Dr. Maximilian Rowoldt called the company “a central building block in the digital infrastructure of industrial Europe,” highlighting its early traction in batch-based industries like chemicals, pharma, and food processing.
From Static to Self-Learning: Akeno’s Edge in the Process Industry
Founded in 2021 by Alexander Ebbrecht, Dmitrij Direktor, and Steffen Ramm, akeno is tackling an entrenched problem in the process industry: rigid planning systems that don’t adapt to real-world volatility. According to Ebbrecht, outdated APS (Advanced Planning and Scheduling) systems are reactive, inefficient, and fail to tap into the growing streams of operational data.
akeno’s software offers a fundamentally different approach. Instead of relying on assumed averages or static master data, the AI platform processes real-time inputs—like machine speeds, capacity changes, and raw material availability—to build adaptive, probabilistic models. The result? Planning that continuously improves and responds to change as it happens.
Key features include:
- Self-learning AI algorithms that refine production plans automatically
- Real-time deviation detection for early response to disruptions
- Multi-objective optimisation balancing delivery, cost, inventory, and energy use
- Unified planning horizons integrating short-term execution with long-term strategy
The platform is already proving its value with customers like BASF Coatings, Beckers Group, and SunChemical. In industries where a single hour of unplanned downtime can cost over €147,000, akeno’s ability to anticipate and resolve issues before they escalate offers measurable ROI.
A representative from BASF Coatings praised the collaboration, stating that akeno’s system “elevates the optimisation and comprehensiveness of our processes.”
Looking ahead, akeno aims to fully automate production planning—empowering factories to self-adjust in real time, eliminating manual intervention, and driving continuous gains in efficiency, sustainability, and output.
As manufacturers grapple with supply chain shocks, aging infrastructure, and rising operational complexity, akeno is emerging as a rare deeptech player delivering immediate and scalable impact. With a differentiated product, no direct competitors, and strong industry backing, the startup is poised to reshape a multi-billion-euro global market.
