Bordeaux-based Genial, specialising in generative AI solutions, has successfully raised €1.8 million in its initial funding round to develop AI agents for the tourism and leisure sectors.
The investment was led by Huttopia and Crédit Agricole (via Aquitaine Expansion and La Réunion-Mayotte), with participation from Founders Futures and several business angels.
“Our first objective is the commercial acceleration of Genial, as an actor of sovereign and ethical artificial intelligence. We have reached a certain level, with a hundred customers. We come from the tourism sector, which represents about 50% of our activity,” said Erwan Simon, Co-founder.
“We want to continue to develop tailor-made and secure AI agents in the company, at the service of employees,” continued Simon.
Founded in 2023 by Fabien Grosyeux and Erwan Simon, Genial aims to democratise the use of AI agents within SMEs and mid-sized companies. The company’s platform offers AI-driven applications tailored for various business functions, including sales, marketing, and customer relations.
These tools are designed to integrate seamlessly with existing systems, assisting employees in daily tasks such as generating quotes and creating presentations, potentially saving up to seven hours of work per week per employee.
Genial has established a significant presence in the tourism sector, which accounts for approximately half of its clientele. Notably, the company developed ‘MarIAnne’, an AI assistant for Atout France, launched during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. MarIAnne provided users with personalised travel itineraries through the France.fr platform.
The recent funding will enable Genial to accelerate its commercial expansion and enhance its AI offerings. Plans include the development of new AI agents capable of tasks such as generating PowerPoint presentations, conducting market research for marketing teams, and implementing AI-powered search engines.
Additionally, the company is poised to double its workforce over the next two years, building upon its growth from 5 to 20 employees in the past year.
Among the current projects is the search engine their Icia, for Charentes Maritime. “We are developing for them the equivalent of a Perplexity of tourism. Icia allows you to answer the question ‘What to do this weekend with our children’ as an example’.”
The start-up is also taking advantage of its fundraising to launch its ‘Genial 4 Good’ programme, in order to support actors in the social and solidarity economy.
Genial is also setting its sights on international markets, having recently secured its first client in Canada. This move marks a strategic step towards establishing a global presence and offering AI solutions to a broader range of businesses.
With this infusion of capital, Genial is well-positioned to further its mission of making advanced AI tools accessible to SMEs, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and competitiveness across various industries.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/02/genial-secures-e1-8-million-to-advance-ai-solutions-for-smes/
