SaaS Sales AI with a European Accent: Kickscale Raises €2.1M to Challenge US Sales Platforms
Austrian startup Kickscale has secured €2.1 million in Seed funding to expand its AI-driven sales intelligence platform across Europe, with plans to enter the Middle East and Asia. Kickscale’s platform captures, analyses, and organises real and virtual sales and customer conversations, turning them into actionable insights that help sales teams improve forecasting, spot at-risk deals, and replicate successful sales tactics.
Unlike dominant US platforms such as Gong, Kickscale is built specifically for European SMEs, taking into account strict data privacy standards, multilingual needs, and the diverse regional business cultures across Europe. This is crucial because European B2B sales cycles often involve longer relationship-building phases, unlike the more transactional approach common in the US.
Why European Sales Teams Need a Different Approach
- Europe consists of many distinct business cultures—German, Italian, Dutch, French—all with unique expectations.
- Most deals are conducted in local languages, whereas many US platforms mainly support English, creating communication barriers.
- European privacy laws like GDPR impose strict requirements that many American platforms aren’t built to handle.
These factors make Kickscale’s tailored approach especially valuable, providing a solution that respects local norms and legal frameworks.
Early Success and Impact
Since its launch in 2024, Kickscale has onboarded over 100 B2B clients across the UK, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan. Notable customers include HILL International Group, Haufe Group, KK Company, ApprovalMax, and bookingkit.
Clients report up to a 24% increase in sales closing rates and save an average of 40 hours per sales rep on routine administrative tasks. The platform also aligns sales with marketing and product teams by sharing customer-driven insights that improve both strategy and execution.
Key features like automated note-taking, key moment detection, and performance tracking reduce manual workload and enable managers to coach their teams more effectively.
Backing and Vision
The funding round was led by aws Gründungsfonds, with participation from altitude VC, Calm/Storm Ventures, and Carinthian Venture Fond. Existing investors include Julius Göllner (former CEO of Zalando Lounge), social media entrepreneur Michael Kamleitner, and Bitmovin co-founders Stefan Lederer and Christopher Mueller.
Gerald Zankl, Kickscale’s CEO and co-founder, explains: “Kickscale is built specifically for European SME and Mid-Market companies with a strong focus on data privacy, ease of use, and multilingual capabilities that respect the nuances of European dialects and business cultures. European businesses have long depended on US tech giants for sales intelligence, but current political uncertainties highlight the need for sovereign technology solutions. We are building a true alternative to the US platforms dominating the market.”
Ingo Drexler, Partner at āltitude and Kickscale investor, adds: “Our investment supports European businesses seeking digital independence. Relying on US sales platforms leaves SMEs exposed to political risks. The time for sovereign tech is now, and we are excited to grow with the Kickscale team.”
Hans Christian Heinemeyer, Chief Revenue Officer at bookingkit, shares: “We explored several US platforms but found they cater mostly to large enterprises and different business cultures. Their approach didn’t fit how we build client relationships in the DACH region. GDPR compliance and legal requirements are also critical for us.”
Sales professionals looking to improve forecasting accuracy, reduce manual work, and work within Europe’s unique sales environment may find Kickscale’s AI platform a strong fit. For more insights on AI tools transforming sales, explore Complete AI Training’s AI tool databases.
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