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Automated production planning in real time: akeno receives €4.5 million in funding

akeno team4 min read
The akeno founders, from left: Dmitrij Direktor, Steffen Ramm and Alexander Ebbrecht
The founders, from left: Dmitrij Direktor, Steffen Ramm, Alexander Ebbrecht
  • German B2B tech company akeno secures €4.5 million seed funding from Cusp Capital, TS Ventures and another.vc
  • akeno is the world's only production software that continuously compares planning and reality, and intelligently adjusts the production plan before problems arise
  • Companies such as BASF Coatings, SunChemical and the Beckers Group rely on akeno

Hamburg, May 15, 2025. Production plans quickly become outdated: they often lose 75 percent of their informative value within three days. The reason is that conventional tools do not react flexibly to changes. The consequence: unused capacity, excess inventory and constant replanning. The Hamburg-based tech company akeno provides a remedy with a globally unique, AI-based software for adaptive production planning in real time. The solution thinks for itself, adapts and automates processes sustainably. For this approach, akeno is now receiving €4.5 million in seed funding, led by Cusp Capital, together with TS Ventures and another.vc.

The solution is aimed specifically at sectors with complex and sensitive production processes, including the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, the food and beverage sector and the metalworking industry. Here, parallel processes encounter tight capacity limits, heavily used systems and numerous disruptive factors, from fluctuations in raw material quality and variable production times to unforeseen machine failures.

Real-time production data and self-learning algorithms

akeno does not plan on the basis of fixed times or general assumptions. The software analyzes a wide range of operational data in real time, such as machine status, material availability and capacity utilization, and uses this to calculate the most likely process sequences. This results in adaptive plans that continuously adjust and become more precise with each application.

"Anyone who plans their production based on outdated master data runs the risk of losing their competitive edge," says Co-Founder and CEO Alexander Ebbrecht. "Our long-term vision is to fully automate production planning, enabling our software to autonomously adapt to real-world events and conditions and optimize production plans in real time."

Our long-term vision is to fully automate production planning.

From BASF project to international rollout

akeno anticipates potential disruptions or bottlenecks in advance. For example, if a machine takes longer than expected or a new production window opens up, akeno immediately suggests how orders can be rescheduled. This makes the production process dynamic and responsive, and risks are minimized before they lead to a standstill. Large, well-known companies such as BASF Coatings, the Beckers Group and SunChemical rely on akeno. "BASF Coatings is excited to be working with akeno on an innovative project to enhance its production planning and scheduling. Their product promises to bring a new level of optimization and comprehensiveness to our processes," explains a representative of BASF Coatings.

A vision for the future of production planning

akeno was founded by Alexander Ebbrecht, Dmitrij Direktor and Steffen Ramm. Their vision: production planning that is intelligent and adaptive and no longer relies on rigidly defined values or Excel spreadsheets. "Our software uses real-time data from production, learns from past mistakes and continuously optimizes planning, for reliable delivery dates, reduced inventories and greater energy efficiency," says Ebbrecht.

Strong market fit and growth potential

"akeno uses the increasingly available operational technology data for AI-based, real-time optimized production planning. The solution achieves impressive results such as higher plant utilization and reduced working capital. The focus is currently on the chemical industry, but other batch industries such as pharmaceuticals and food are also benefiting. However, many companies are still working with outdated tools and reactive processes," says Dr. Maximilian Rowoldt, Investor and General Partner at Cusp Capital. "akeno has the potential to become a central building block in the digital infrastructure of industrial companies and to strengthen Europe's competitiveness."

With the fresh capital, akeno plans to triple its team and tap into new industries. Having already entered the Chinese market, the company plans to expand into other international markets, including North America and other Asian countries. The seed round is the company's first major milestone since its foundation in 2021 and now paves the way for scaling the technology.

About akeno

The B2B tech company akeno was founded in Hamburg in 2021 by Alexander Ebbrecht, Dmitrij Direktor and Steffen Ramm with the aim of rethinking production planning in the process industry. The AI-supported software solution enables companies to manage their production processes based on real data: flexibly, predictively and automatically. akeno analyzes ongoing production processes, detects deviations at an early stage and dynamically adapts plans. For the first time, production plans can be optimized to meet multiple customer objectives simultaneously, from delivery reliability and inventory reduction to greater energy efficiency.

For further details: akeno.ai

About Cusp Capital

Cusp Capital is a venture capital firm focused on European software and technology. The fund invests in fast-growing technology companies on the cusp of redefining their markets. The Cusp Capital team members are long-time contributors to the technology ecosystem. Over the last 15 years, they have invested more than €600m in companies such as Zalando, Delivery Hero, Klarna, Scalable Capital, data Artisans, Personio, and SoSafe.

Learn more about Cusp Capital and its current focus themes at cuspcapital.com.

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