Astute, a newly founded Belgrade-based startup, has secured €1.03 million (approximately $1.2 million) in pre-seed funding to launch its artificial intelligence-driven platform designed to simplify how B2B companies manage partnerships with content creators across multiple channels.
The funding round was led by Flyer One Ventures, with participation from Silicon Gardens, Marathon Fund, Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, and a group of strategic angel investors. The capital injection comes as the startup, founded in 2025 by Vida Stanić and Abhishek Manikandan, prepares to roll out its core offering to market.
Automating Creator Partnerships at Scale
Astute’s platform addresses a persistent inefficiency in B2B marketing: the fragmented, manual process of identifying, vetting, and collaborating with independent publishers across newsletters, podcasts, and social media channels. The startup’s AI-powered solution aims to automate these workflows, allowing B2B marketers to identify suitable creators, negotiate terms, and manage ongoing partnerships through a centralized interface.
The company plans to deploy the fresh capital toward building out its technological infrastructure and launching the platform itself. By consolidating what has traditionally been a dispersed and time-consuming process, Astute seeks to help B2B companies expand their reach and strengthen their brand presence through earned media channels operated by independent creators.
Vital Laptenok, commenting on the investment, stated: “There is no better team to be building this company,” underscoring investor confidence in the founding team’s ability to execute on the platform’s ambitious roadmap.
Growing Momentum in European Creator Economy
The investment reflects broader momentum in Europe’s creator economy and B2B marketing technology sectors. As brands increasingly recognize the value of authentic creator-led content over traditional advertising, the need for efficient tools to manage such relationships at scale has become more apparent. Astute enters a market where fragmentation remains a significant pain point for marketing teams seeking to diversify their channel mix and reduce dependency on algorithmic platforms.
The Belgrade location positions Astute within an emerging European technology hub. Serbia has established itself as a growing center for software development and startup activity, attracting international investor interest in recent years. The startup’s success in securing funding from both regional and international investors reflects the confidence that backers are placing in Serbian founders and the region’s technical talent.
With its pre-seed round now closed, Astute is positioned to move into early product development and testing phases. The startup’s combination of AI automation and focus on the creator economy places it at the intersection of two trends reshaping B2B marketing: the rise of independent media and the increasing sophistication of marketing technology platforms.