Plancraft secures €12 million funding to digitalize the European labor industry

June 5, 2024

● Plancraft, which helps craftsmen digitize their work processes, raises €12 million in Series A funding led by Creandum.
● Plancraft enables businesses to tackle current challenges like labor shortages and bureaucracy. One billion euros in construction volume has already been processed through the software.
● The Hamburg-based company was founded in February 2020 by Julian Wiedenhaus, Alexander Noll, and Richard Keil. Today, Plancraft employs more than 40 people and serves over 10,000 customers.
● With the fresh capital, plancraft aims to become the first European contractor operating system.

Hamburg, June 5, 2024 – The Hamburg based company plancraft has successfully closed a €12 million Series A financing round led by Creandum, the European backer of Spotify, Klarna and Bolt.

Supporting Craft Businesses in Challenging Times
The craft industry, including construction, roofing and carpentry, faces significant changes, such as demographic shifts, labor shortages, and increasing bureaucratic demands. Plancraft helps address these challenges through optimized and digital processes. The software makes important business data more accessible and saves valuable time through automated workflows, allowing craft businesses to focus on their core competencies. The sector is essential for building, renovating, and maintaining structures, providing skilled labor and expertise to create and improve our built environment.

Expansion and Innovation – Big Plans for the Future of the Craft Industry
Plancraft has struck a chord with the digitalization of the craft industry. This is evident from the trust of existing investors, such as Bitstone Capital and High-Tech Gründerfonds and our new partner, Creandum. With the fresh capital, plancraft aims to build the first European contractor operating system and expand beyond the DACH region. In addition, the new capital will be used to expand the product to create further digitalization opportunities for craft businesses.

The craft industry is in crisis: order declines, labor shortages, and excessive bureaucratic requirements are causing problems for many businesses. Demographic changes and uncertain material prices are additional challenges which will not become easier in the future. With plancraft, craft businesses can easily reduce bureaucracy and operate more efficiently. The high demand for our product shows how important it is to digitalize the craft industry. We are very grateful to Creandum as a new investment partner, helping us get one step closer to our vision of becoming the first European contractor operating system.

Julian Wiedenhaus, CEO and founder of plancraft

Staffan Helgesson, General Partner at Creandum, sees the current crisis in the craft industry as an opportunity for startups that really want to make a difference: “Ultimately, the craft industry affects all of us, which is why it is so important to make the lives of businesses easier. plancraft has recognized this. With a well-thought-out product and a dynamic team, plancraft has everything it needs to drive the digitalization of the craft industry throughout Europe. We are very excited to support plancraft in their mission.”

Customer experiences confirm the benefits
Jeroen Smeelen, a plancraft user, explains his recent challenges as a managing director of carpentry Holzbau Lübber GmbH: “When two of my employees were unavailable to the company for a long period of time, I had to go to the construction site every day to ensure everything ran smoothly. Without plancraft, this challenge would have been impossible to overcome, as it was the only way I could work remotely. The software simplifies so many processes, from bidding and project planning to time recording and invoicing, so that I can concentrate on the essentials – my craft.”

About plancraft
Plancraft offers a software solution for the digitalization of work processes in the craft industry, including invoicing, pricing, construction site documentation, and time tracking. This allows craft businesses to optimize their processes and tackle current challenges like labor shortages and increasing bureaucracy. Since its founding in February 2020, the company has employed more than 40 people and serves over 10,000 customers. Nearly one billion euros in construction volume has already been processed through the software. For more information, visit https://plancraft.com.

About Creandum
Founded in 2003, Creandum is a leading pan-European early-stage venture capital firm. The fund’s portfolio of 120+ companies includes some of Europe’s most successful tech companies across a wide range of industries, including Spotify, Klarna, Depop, Trade Republic, Pleo, and neo4j. Today, every sixth company is a unicorn. Creandum’s advisory teams are based in Stockholm, London, Berlin, and San Francisco and offer extensive operational expertise to support the funds’ portfolio companies from seed to exit to become global category leaders. Learn more at www.creandum.com.

Press Contact
Malin Zeuchner
malin.z@get-press.de
Tel: 017615417841

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
The seed investor High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) finances tech start-ups with growth potential and has supported more than 700 start-ups since 2005. With the launch of its fourth fund, HTGF now has about 1.4 billion euros under management. Its team of experienced investment managers and start-up experts support young companies with expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have injected about 5 billion euros of capital into the HTGF portfolio via more than 2,000 follow-on financing rounds. In addition, HTGF has already successfully sold shares in more than 180 companies. Fund investors in this public-private partnership include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital and 45 companies from a wide range of industries.

Media contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH  
Tobias Jacob, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager   
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 121 
t.jacob@htgf.de