Jentic, a Dublin-based start-up building the integration layer for artificial intelligence, has raised €4m in a funding round led by Irish investment firm Elkstone.
The company has developed a communication middleware layer for AI agents, which enables developers and organisations to easily hook their AI agents up to other systems, and manage and control their communication.
AI agents are software programs that use AI to plan how to accomplish goals and tasks, and perform the steps in those plan by connecting to other software systems.
Jentic is focusing on the connection layer between agents and all other software, with the intention of increasing agent capability, maximising reliability and helping organisations monitor and manage large-scale AI deployments.
Jentic was founded in late 2024 by CEO Sean Blanchfield, co-founder of PageFair and DemonWare; COO Dorothy Creaven, former managing director at Rent the Runway and co-founder of Element Wave; Michael Cordner, co-founder of Mindconnex; and Dr Tilman Schaefer, a founder team member at DemonWave.
In addition to Elkstone, Sure Valley Ventures, TechOperators, and Shuttle all participated in the round, and many notable technology founders and leaders also joined the round as angel investors.
The funding will be used to expand the team, accelerate product development, and bring an integration layer for AI to market.
Jentic aims for its platform to unite the expanding ecosystem of AI agents, from those offered by tech giants to bespoke agents created by in-house teams in the wave of unprecedented growth, driven by rapid innovation and a surge in investment.
“We're building critical infrastructure to enable developers to easily and securely hook their AI systems up to the world's APIs,” said Blanchfield.
“This is the future of automation, and it needs a new kind of integration layer to manage the unique complexity, reliability and security issues that arise when AI becomes highly connected.
"We have a strong history of building category-leading middleware, and this funding will allow us to quickly expand our world-class team, match the tremendous pace of AI development, and deliver a platform that empowers developers and organisations to deploy sophisticated AI with confidence.”
Niall McEvoy, head of ventures at Elkstone, said: “Jentic’s clear vision to establish a universal AI integration layer aligns perfectly with our mission to drive technological innovation.
"Backing experienced serial founders with a clear global market opportunity underpins why Elkstone is leading this funding round, and we are enthusiastic to support Jentic’s growth.”
Jentic's board of advisors features tech leaders such as Steven Collins, CTO of Unity, former CTO of King, co-founder of Havok and Swrve; Patricia Scanlon, Ireland’s AI ambassador and founder/former CEO of Soapbox Labs; Colm Long, formerly of Facebook and Google; Fergal Reid, VP of AI at Intercom; and Mark Cummins, former founder/CEO of Pointy and Plink.
Photo: (l-r) Sean Blanchfield, Dr Tilman Schaefer, Dorothy Creaven, and Michael Cordner. (Pic: Supplied)
