Neural Concept, a Swiss startup specializing in AI-powered engineering solutions, recently announced its €85 million Series C funding round. As someone deeply immersed in the startup ecosystem, I see this raise as not just a win for Neural Concept, but also for the European deep-tech arena. This round positions Neural Concept as a prominent name in industrial AI, making it a key player in reshaping how design and engineering are approached.
Let’s unpack this achievement further. Neural Concept, based in Lausanne, was spun out of EPFL in 2019 and is led by Dr. Pierre Baqué. It focuses on developing AI tools designed to compress engineering timelines, assist teams in avoiding costly errors, and optimize product design. Their unique platform introduces AI directly into design and simulation workflows, allowing engineering teams to trim development cycles from months down to days.
This investment, led by Goldman Sachs Growth Equity, also includes notable contributions from Forestay Capital, Alven, and High-Tech Gründerfonds. What makes Neural Concept stand out is its partnerships with Microsoft, NVIDIA, Siemens, and AWS. Collaborating with such influential technology leaders enables them to seamlessly integrate their platform into corporate engineering systems. This level of integration makes them a powerful contender in industries like automotive, aerospace, and defense, where rapid iteration and precision are critical.
Why entrepreneurs should care
For founders and innovators, Neural Concept’s story holds lessons. First, their focus on solving an industry-specific problem highlights the importance of narrowing down your target market when aiming for funding success. Neural Concept has zeroed in on engineering, a sector traditionally slow at adopting tools like AI, and simplified workflows that previously involved months of tedious iterations.
Second, their strategic alliances with global software and hardware titans demonstrate the value of partnerships. Partnerships aren’t just about added credibility; they also unlock technical integrations, market access, and scalability opportunities that many smaller startups struggle to achieve on their own.
A closer look at the industry trends
The European AI ecosystem has had a strong year in 2025, with over €386 million raised by startups focused on AI software applications. Neural Concept’s €85 million round is easily one of the largest in industrial engineering, proving their ability to stand out among peers working on AI-driven innovation for design processes.
Competitors like PolyAI, with its €73.2 million recent round for conversational AI, and Stockholm-based Lovable, which raised a jaw-dropping €281 million for software creation tools, have shown that investors are being drawn toward niche AI applications. Neural Concept’s ability to secure funding comparable to these players emphasizes the growing interest in AI tailored for physical product development, a less explored but equally impactful domain.
How Neural Concept plans to scale
Scaling for Neural Concept involves doubling down on its engineering-first approach. Their plans include launching a generative CAD capability by 2026. Generative CAD allows AI to aid engineers in exploring millions of potential design configurations early in the development cycle, without relying on time-consuming manual processes. It’s not an incremental upgrade; it’s a fundamental shift in what engineers can achieve.
On top of this, they intend to build bigger global go-to-market teams and deepen partnerships that provide lucrative entry points to global technology markets. Neural Concept’s alignment with industrial partners not only boosts their networking opportunities but also immerses them in sectors like semiconductors and energy that have lengthy product cycles, cycles that need innovative AI inputs.
Steps entrepreneurs can take to emulate this funding success
There are clear takeaways from Neural Concept’s success for startups aiming to raise funds:
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Focus on customer ROI: Neural Concept offered measurable gains, it trims months off product development timelines. Investors want crystal-clear metrics that prove your product creates tangible value.
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Collaborate with industry giants: They’ve worked directly with Nvidia, Siemens, and AWS. Collaborating with enterprise partners positions your startup as trustworthy and scalable.
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Nail your specialization: Neural Concept didn’t try to appeal to all sectors, they’re strictly focused on applications for engineering challenges. A specialized product presents fewer hurdles when securing funding.
Avoid these common mistakes
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Skimming over proof of scalability: If your product fixes problems but lacks scalability potential, investors will hesitate. Neural Concept’s platform has proven itself across large industrial segments like automotive and aerospace. Without evidence that your product can handle scale, raising large rounds will remain elusive.
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Ignoring the timeliness of your solution: Investors want products that capitalize on trends. Neural Concept’s focus on AI during a period of massive AI adoption couldn’t have been better timed.
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Weak partnerships: Investors often judge startups by their network. Collaborations with industry leaders signal confidence, market compatibility, and expansion potential.
Why it matters for Europe
Neural Concept’s large Series C round also signals Europe’s growing ability to hold its ground against powerhouse hubs like Silicon Valley. The continent has long been considered cautious when funding high-risk ventures, limiting rounds to smaller sizes. However, as seen with Neural Concept and other vibrant startups, European investors are now becoming serious players in deep-tech.
Closing thoughts
What Neural Concept has achieved here isn’t just a leap for their business model but an indication of what the tech community can aim for. Dr. Baqué’s vision of bringing machine learning into industrial processes began as an EPFL research project, and transformed into something making waves across industries. Neural Concept went from lab-concept to €85 million in funding by laser-focusing its vision.
Entrepreneurs building solutions for any domain, be it healthcare, logistics, or fintech, can draw inspiration from this success. With tight focus, impactful partnerships, and proof of tangible results, Neural Concept has set a benchmark that European startups can aspire to meet.
FAQ
1. What is Neural Concept and what does it do?
Neural Concept is a Swiss startup focused on AI-powered engineering solutions. It provides an AI-first platform for product development, designed to compress engineering timelines from months to days, optimize workflows, and improve product performance across efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Learn more about Neural Concept
2. Who led Neural Concept’s €85 million Series C funding?
The funding round was led by Goldman Sachs Growth Equity, with contributions from Forestay Capital, Alven, and High-Tech Gründerfonds. Explore the funding details
3. What sectors does Neural Concept target with its AI platform?
Neural Concept focuses on industries like automotive, aerospace, energy, semiconductors, and defense, where precision and rapid design iterations are critical. Discover Neural Concept's target industries
4. Which global technology players are partnering with Neural Concept?
Neural Concept collaborates with industry giants such as Microsoft, NVIDIA, Siemens, and AWS to seamlessly integrate its platform into major engineering systems. Check out Neural Concept's collaborators
5. How does Neural Concept’s AI platform help engineering teams?
The platform integrates AI into design and simulation workflows, allowing engineering teams to explore millions of configurations early in development, avoiding errors and accelerating timelines. Learn more about Neural Concept's AI platform
6. What is generative CAD and how is Neural Concept using it?
Generative CAD allows AI to assist in exploring millions of design configurations. Neural Concept is set to launch this innovative capability by 2026. Explore generative CAD features
7. What makes Neural Concept’s €85 million funding round significant for Europe?
This Series C round showcases Europe’s growing ability to fund large deep-tech ventures, demonstrating confidence in AI’s role across industrial sectors. Learn about Europe’s tech funding trends
8. How does Neural Concept differentiate from AI competitors in engineering?
Unlike other ventures, Neural Concept specializes in embedding AI at the core of engineering processes, making it particularly effective for high-stakes fields requiring precision and fast iteration. Read more regarding AI competitors
9. What lessons can startups learn from Neural Concept’s success?
Startups can emulate Neural Concept’s focus on solving specific industry problems, building strong partnerships with technology leaders, and offering measurable ROI for users. Explore startup lessons from Neural Concept
10. What are Neural Concept’s plans for scaling globally?
The company aims to expand its global teams, deepen partnerships, and strengthen its position as an intelligence layer across engineering systems worldwide. Discover Neural Concept’s global scaling plans
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.