Norwegian retail technology startup Jenz has raised €540,000 in pre-seed funding from Antler and Ada Ventures, alongside a NOK 1 million (approximately €92,000) non-dilutive grant from Innovation Norway. The financing will support further development of its AI-powered retail operations platform and planned expansion into the UK market.
Founded in 2026 by Remi Bjørnestad (CEO), Jo Schou Sandåker (CTO), and Natnael Belete Seifo (CCO), Oslo-based Jenz develops AI software designed to help retailers manage operational information and automate back-office activities.
The platform connects data from e-commerce stores, point-of-sale systems, inventory management software, accounting tools, and marketing platforms. Its AI agent uses this information to support demand forecasting, inventory analysis, purchasing decisions, pricing assessments, and routine administrative workflows.
Jenz began onboarding pilot customers in late August 2026, working with online merchants and retailers operating multiple physical stores. During the pilot programme, customers assigned more than 3,000 tasks to the platform across over 20 back-office systems.
According to the company, some pilot customers reported saving up to 100 hours of work during their first month, while one retailer reported a 31% increase in team capacity.
The founding team won the Norway AI Hackathon organised by Ada Ventures and Startuplab in June 2026. Ada Ventures subsequently became the startup’s first investor. The team later relocated from Kristiansand to Oslo and joined Antler’s residency programme.
Jenz plans to use the financing to strengthen its retail data integration infrastructure, expand its automated workflows, and grow its Oslo-based team. The company is also preparing to enter the UK market within nine months of the funding announcement.
