Pit, an AI Startup from Voi Founders, Raises $16M from a16z

Pit, a Stockholm-based AI startup founded by former Voi executives, has raised a $16 million seed round led by a16z. The company aims to automate enterprise back-office processes using custom AI-generated software. CEO Adam Jafer, who left Voi last summer after seven years, leads the startup alongside Voi CEO Fredrik Hjelm and former iZettle and Klarna engineers. Pit offers two products: Pit Studio, which guides employees through process automation, and Pit Cloud, which ensures governance and auditability. The startup began pilot testing in mid-January with clients in telecom, healthcare, and logistics, focusing on internal automation rather than customer-facing AI. Pit plans to hire solution engineers to drive enterprise adoption, emphasizing productivity gains rather than job cuts. The round also includes participation from Lakestar, Nordic family offices, and Pit's founders. a16z partners Alex Rampell and Gabriel Vasquez led the investment, with Hjelm having previously connected with Ben Horowitz and others during their visits to Stockholm. Pit enters a crowded market but differentiates itself as an "AI product team as a service." The startup's all-male founding team drew criticism, though Hjelm noted on X that women are on the team. Jafer highlighted that EU models running on EU compute are a priority for CIOs, positioning Pit to benefit from sovereign tech trends.