Crown, a Paris-based startup revolutionizing how procurement source and negotiate through innovative eAuction technology, has announced a successful of its €2 million pre-seed investment round. The round was led by HEARTFELT_, with participation from Kima Ventures, Backbone Ventures, Another.vc, Apok Invest, Bpifrance, and Prequel VC. Ukrainian VC fund ZAS Ventures is also among the investors, as the startup shared with AIN.
About Crown
- Founded in 2024 by Franco-Ukrainian solo founder Mykyta Voytenko, Crown is disrupting procurement by replacing traditional negotiations with real-time, competitive bidding.
- Crown’s platform enables companies to achieve true market pricing, foster stronger supplier relationships, and streamline deal execution. By leveraging automation and data insights, it eliminates inefficiencies and opaque pricing practices that have long burdened procurement teams.
Image: Negotiation simulation through Crown’s eAuction platform
- Crown’s early customers include four industry-leading clients in manufacturing, healthcare, and other key industries, demonstrating the growing trust in its eAuction platform. According to the company, it has delivered an average of 9% savings across sourcing operations to its clients.
Investment details
The round was led by HEARTLEFT_, with participation from Kima Ventures, Backbone Ventures, Another.vc, Apok Invest, ZAS Ventures, Bpifrance, and Prequel VC, a leading investor in procurement technology.
Additionally, notable angel investors joined the financing, including: Dr. Marcell Vollmer, former COO of SAP Ariba; Christophe VIllain, Global Head of Supply Chain & Procurement Technology at Nestlé; and Mario Götze, footballer and tech investor.
With the fresh capital, Crown is setting new industry benchmarks while expanding its capabilities to optimize the entire procurement lifecycle.
About ZAS Ventures
ZAS Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2021, with offices in San Francisco, USA, and Kyiv, Ukraine. The firm specializes in early-stage investments, particularly in SaaS and cloud infrastructure startups led by entrepreneurs from Central and Eastern Europe aiming to enter the US market. Its recent portfolio includes: Mantis Analytics, CloudAvocado, InputSoft, and Fintellect.
