In Europe’s bustling entrepreneurial scene, few stories capture the attention of founders like the rise of Complir, a Danish startup redefining retail compliance. As I dove into this story, I couldn’t help but think of how similar hurdles plagued me during the early days of my entrepreneurial journey in education technology. Challenges like operational bottlenecks and the constant battle to stay ahead of regulations are universal pain points. With Complir having just raised €1.7M in pre-seed funding to tackle retail’s regulatory complexities using artificial intelligence, there are powerful lessons here for every startup founder, particularly those bootstrapping or navigating competitive markets.
Let’s break it down.
How Complir Is Transforming Retail Compliance
Compliance isn’t the most glamorous topic, but anyone who runs a global business knows it’s a make-or-break challenge. When a retailer wants to expand internationally, they must meet the local regulations for product labelling, safety tests, and certifications. Imagine you’re selling cosmetics or electronics. Without knowing the specific requirements for 27 EU countries or global markets, delays can stretch into weeks, or worse, months. This often involves endless spreadsheets, consultants, and back-and-forth emails.
Complir’s solution eliminates all of this static. In 2024, founders Gustav Bang, Tine Kühnel, and Marc Kaa Brejner launched the startup with the idea of building a smarter compliance engine. Their platform automates compliance checks for retailers, flagging potential risks and surfacing the legal requirements for every individual SKU across infinite product categories. Retailers like Flying Tiger Copenhagen, one of their clients, benefit from a seamless, centralized tool that shrinks processing times dramatically.
Where the platform excels is its scalability. Complir integrates directly with systems like ERP or PIM software, preventing outdated, siloed information from jeopardizing a product launch. When you’re growing your business, tools like these can be game-changers.
Four Lessons for Female Entrepreneurs in Europe
Build Systems from Pain Points
Complir exists because its founders understood the stress of compliance bottlenecks. For anyone launching a startup, the first step is understanding your market’s biggest headache. Don’t just listen to industry buzzwords, talk to customers, ask uncomfortable questions, and do the groundwork. When I was conceptualizing Fe/male Switch, this approach led me to discover that many entrepreneurial tools excluded women entirely.If you want inspiration, read more about how Complir’s platform simplifies retail compliance by visiting Complir’s official website.
Leverage Local and International Resources
Complir tapped into diverse funding avenues, including Innovation Fund Denmark, Vendep Capital, and angel investors with strong retail connections. In Europe, resources like these are there for the taking, but success depends on your ability to articulate value. For example, early on in CADChain, I relied on grants, leveraging initiatives like Venture Deals and accelerator programs. Platforms like Innovation Fund Denmark can provide a great starting point.Make Your Tools Accessible
Even the smartest platform isn’t effective if it’s cumbersome. Complir ensures its product adapts to retailers’ existing systems instead of forcing clients to overhaul operations. As female founders, we have a tendency to aim for perfection rather than practicality, particularly in tech. Learn from Complir: test quickly, launch broadly, and improve iteratively.Turn Diversity Into Your Advantage
Complir’s founding team embraces diversity, with a mix of technical, design, and commercial expertise. Building a cross-functional and diverse team mirrors the way problems should be solved, through collaboration. If you’re a solo founder, partner with others whose strengths complement yours.
Avoid These Startup Errors
Many early-stage entrepreneurs lose focus by prioritizing features over scalability. Avoid these mistakes:
- Neglecting Core Needs: Understand the one problem your solution must excel at first. Complir’s founders didn’t start by covering every compliance regulation worldwide; instead, they focused on efficiency for European markets.
- Underestimating Stakeholder Buy-In: Whether it’s team alignment or convincing investors, weak communication will kill momentum. Use stories and numbers to solidify credibility.
- Relying Too Heavily on Manual Processes: I’ve seen startups grind to a halt because their operations couldn’t scale. Automate processes early, no matter how basic they seem.
How to Fundraise Like Complir
Founders often feel fundraising is a mysterious puzzle. Complir structured its funding round by pitching to a mix of angel investors, venture funds, and grant providers. Here’s how to adapt their approach:
Craft a Clear Pitch Story:
Investors need to see how their money fuels impact. Complir’s focus on saving retailers time proved compelling. For example, imagine being able to cut compliance timelines from weeks to seconds.Combine Strategic Investors with Angel Expertise:
Complir brought on Vendep Capital, but they also leaned into the expertise of retail and tech angels like Kraen Østergaard Nielsen, former CEO of Coop Group. Having both institutional and specialized angels broadens your network and leverage.Use Non-Dilutive Funding:
If grants are available, don’t ignore them. Complir’s €146K grant from Innovation Fund Denmark laid a strong foundation even before equity funding came into play.Validate Early, Pitch Often:
Show traction before asking for money. Complir launched pilots with Scandinavian retailers, proving demand and streamlining product-market fit.
Final Takeaways for Startups
Running a company in Europe comes with its own unique hurdles, but Complir demonstrates how solving one big problem can secure a niche and scale for broader impact. The pre-seed funding is just their first leap, but the foundation, a simple yet essential product that addresses real customer friction, is solid. Whether you’re a retail-tech founder or expanding in any other space, this story offers lessons in focus, clarity, and purpose.
For motivated founders, particularly women looking to break into male-dominated industries, remember: The best businesses are built by pinpointing frustrations and delivering real solutions. Complir isn’t just selling software, it’s giving time and peace of mind back to brands. Isn’t that what all great startups strive for?
As for me, I might start using Complir’s methods as inspiration for my next venture. Until then, here’s my advice: stay persistent, stay curious, and step into every opportunity ready to learn. The future is female, and compliant.
FAQ
1. What is Complir, and what does it aim to solve?
Complir is a Danish startup founded in 2024 that leverages AI to automate retail compliance, enabling retailers to meet global regulatory requirements efficiently. Its platform centralizes compliance checks, flagging risks and surfacing requirements for markets worldwide. Read about Complir’s mission
2. How much funding has Complir raised in its pre-seed round?
Complir secured €1.7 million in pre-seed funding, reaching a post-money valuation of €6.8 million. The funding will support product development and European market expansion. Find funding details
3. Who are Complir’s founders?
Complir was founded by Gustav Bang, Tine Kühnel, and Marc Kaa Brejner. Each brings expertise in startups, digital product design, and system architecture. Learn about Gustav Bang | Explore Tine Kühnel’s profile | Learn more about Marc Kaa Brejner
4. Which investors participated in Complir’s funding round?
Vendep Capital led the round, joined by retail and tech-focused angel investors like Kraen Østergaard Nielsen and organizations like Plug and Play. Check out Vendep Capital | Discover Plug and Play
5. How does Complir’s platform improve compliance processes for retailers?
Complir automates regulatory checks for retailers across markets, reducing delays and replacing manual, error-prone workflows with AI-driven efficiency. Explore Complir’s solution here
6. Which key client is currently using Complir’s platform?
Flying Tiger Copenhagen, a Scandinavian retailer, uses Complir’s platform for product compliance across toys, textiles, cosmetics, and electronics markets. Learn about the client Flying Tiger Copenhagen
7. What makes Complir stand out compared to traditional compliance solutions?
Complir integrates directly with ERP and PIM software, allowing for seamless scalability and eliminating outdated and siloed processes that complicate product launches. Understand Complir’s scalability
8. How did Complir utilize non-dilutive funding for growth?
Complir benefited from a €146,000 grant from Innovation Fund Denmark prior to equity funding, solidifying its financial foundation. Learn about Innovation Fund Denmark grant
9. What diversity initiatives has Complir implemented within its team?
Complir’s founding team embraces a cross-functional and diverse approach, with a mix of technical, design, and commercial expertise, creating a collaborative company culture. Read Complir’s diversity approach
10. How can retailers benefit from Complir’s vision for product compliance?
By utilizing AI, Complir aims to simplify compliance, reduce risks, and turn regulatory burden into a competitive advantage for retailers expanding globally. Explore Complir’s future goals
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp’s expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic “without any funding and without any code,” this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call “gamepreneurship”. By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique “play to learn and earn” model.
