Integral, a Berlin-based AI-powered services company innovating accounting, taxation, and payroll for SMEs, today announced the acquisition of cleverlohn, a digital payroll and HR provider in Germany.
Additionally, the company announced new funding from General Catalyst, Cherry Ventures and Puzzle Ventures, bringing its total funding to €12 million (following its February 2025 €6.3 million raise). Integral says they will use the funds to continue building a strong product in close collaboration with its customers and expanding their team in Germany.
“This acquisition is a huge step forward in our mission to leverage AI to redefine accounting, payroll, and taxes for SMEs,” said Lukas Zörner, co-founder and CEO of Integral. “cleverlohn’s deep expertise in payroll and HR perfectly complements our offering. I am incredibly excited to work together with the team and focus on further expanding the offering for our customers and partners.”
In 2025, several European startups operating in accounting, payroll, tax and adjacent HRTech fields reported new funding, providing useful context for Integral’s latest raise and acquisition.
Germany in particular has been active: Ordio secured €12 million to advance payroll automation for deskless industries, AnyTax raised €1 million to modernise tax infrastructure, and Steuerboard closed a €725k round to automate workflows for tax advisory firms.
Adjacent HR and benefits solutions also attracted investment, including Penzilla in Munich, which raised €3.2 million to simplify company pension schemes, and Spain’s Kabilio, which secured €4 million to expand its AI-based accounting and tax tools.
Combined, these 2025 announcements represent roughly €20.9 million of capital flowing into the sector. Within this landscape, Integral’s updated €12 million total and its acquisition of cleverlohn align with a broader pattern of investment into solutions aiming to modernise accounting, payroll and tax operations, with Germany standing out as a particularly active market for such technologies.
“The joint potential of Integral and cleverlohn is immense,” said Darleen Warda, co-founder and Managing Director of cleverlohn. “By leveraging AI and developing the product further to empower our team, we can focus even more on and invest in delivering exceptional service. We’ll be able to provide even greater support to SMEs, helping them navigate payroll and HR operations with ease and confidence. We are thrilled to join forces with Lukas, Anil, and the team on this next chapter for cleverlohn.”
Germany’s SMEs face mounting challenges due to rising compliance costs, outdated technology, and a critical shortage of skilled professionals. Integral’s leading AI-driven platform automates manual tasks, and ensures a more accurate, efficient bookkeeping process, and with the addition of cleverlohn’s payroll expertise, SMEs will be empowered with real-time insights and exceptional customer service to take control of their financial processes.
Founded in 2024 by Lukas Zörner and Anil Can Baykal, Integral is on a mission to redefine how accounting, taxation, and payroll work for SMEs in Europe, starting with Germany.
Fellow German company cleverlohn is a payroll and HR tech-enabled service solution dedicated to simplifying payroll processes for SMEs. Founded by Darleen Warda and Ole Wohltmann, cleverlohn’s solutions ensure compliance with Germany’s complex labour and tax regulations, empowering businesses to save time and reduce errors.
The move expands Integral’s AI-driven offering and marks a significant milestone as part of its strategy to build Europe’s leading AI-first advisory firm in accounting, tax and payroll.
By combining Integral’s AI-driven capabilities with cleverlohn’s expertise, the company outlines that SMEs, partners and the ecosystem will gain access to a unified solution for accounting, taxation, and payroll.
cleverlohn will continue to operate as a standalone company and brand.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/11/berlins-integral-boosts-total-funding-to-e12-million-and-strengthens-capabilities-with-cleverlohn-acquisition/
