Klaro, an Italian artificial intelligence platform designed to improve credit access and liquidity management for small and medium-sized enterprises, has raised €3 million in Series A funding. The round was led by 360 Capital through its 360 Digitaly fund, with participation from Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Venture Capital via the Digital Transition Fund, backed by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
The funding will support the development of Klaro’s AI-driven infrastructure, specifically focusing on enhancing credit profile generation and streamlining credit evaluation processes for both SMEs and financial institutions. The platform addresses a persistent challenge in European lending markets: the difficulty traditional banks face in assessing creditworthiness for smaller businesses that often lack comprehensive financial documentation or established banking relationships.
Transforming Data into Credit Intelligence
Klaro’s core offering involves converting existing business data into certified, machine-readable credit profiles that accelerate lending decisions. Rather than relying on traditional assessment methods that can stretch across weeks, the platform enables financial institutions to evaluate loan applications in minutes by leveraging verified data sources and artificial intelligence algorithms.
Lucrezia Lucotti, Partner at 360 Capital, commented on the investment rationale: “Klaro solves exactly this problem: transforms existing data into a certified, understandable, and immediate profile that accelerates credit assessments from weeks to minutes.” This capability addresses a significant pain point for both lenders seeking to reduce operational friction and SMEs waiting for credit decisions that could determine business growth opportunities.
Targeting Italy’s SME Credit Gap
The Italian SME sector represents a substantial portion of the European economy, yet many small businesses struggle to access adequate credit facilities. Traditional lending institutions often require extensive documentation and collateral arrangements that smaller enterprises cannot easily provide. By automating and accelerating the credit assessment process through AI, Klaro positions itself to bridge this accessibility gap.
The involvement of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Venture Capital signals institutional confidence in the fintech’s potential to contribute to Italy’s broader digital transformation agenda. The Digital Transition Fund component of the investment underscores alignment with national objectives to modernize business infrastructure and financial services.
Broader European Fintech Momentum
Klaro’s funding round reflects continued momentum in the European fintech sector, particularly in solutions addressing SME financing challenges. Across the continent, venture capital continues flowing toward platforms that apply machine learning and data analytics to traditional financial services bottlenecks. Italy, home to significant manufacturing and trading communities heavily comprised of family-owned SMEs, represents a particularly relevant market for credit automation technologies.
The investment comes as European policymakers increasingly recognize the role of financial technology in supporting economic resilience and entrepreneurship among smaller businesses. With this capital injection, Klaro joins a growing cohort of European startups working to democratize financial services through artificial intelligence.