Plato, a fast growing AI software company, is taking aim at one of the most overlooked layers of the global economy: wholesale distribution. The Berlin based startup has closed a 14.5 million dollar seed funding round to accelerate the rollout of its AI driven operating system for distributors, positioning itself as a new infrastructure layer for an industry under mounting pressure.
The funding round was led by Atomico, with participation from existing backer Cherry Ventures. The capital will be used to expand Plato’s product capabilities and support international growth as the company deepens its presence across Europe.
An industry under strain
Wholesale distribution plays a critical role in global supply chains, yet many distributors still rely on fragmented legacy systems, manual workflows, and reactive sales processes. Rising labour costs, shrinking margins, economic volatility, and increasing digital expectations from B2B customers have made these inefficiencies harder to sustain.
Sales teams often spend large portions of their time managing orders, updating ERP systems, and handling internal coordination rather than focusing on customers and revenue growth. At the same time, valuable data sits locked inside legacy ERP platforms, limiting visibility into customer behaviour, risks, and opportunities.
Plato was founded to address these challenges directly by rethinking how distributors operate in an AI first world.
Building an AI operating system for wholesalers
Founded by Benedikt Nolte, Matthias Heinrich Morales, and Oliver Birch, Plato develops AI native software that sits on top of existing ERP systems and automates core commercial workflows. Rather than replacing ERP infrastructure, Plato unlocks and structures the data inside it, transforming it into a foundation for intelligent automation.
The platform focuses initially on sales and quoting workflows, using AI to help teams identify customer risks, uncover upsell and cross sell opportunities, and prioritise actions more proactively. Repetitive processes such as order handling, internal communication, and manual data entry are automated, reducing operational friction and freeing sales teams to focus on higher value work.
Plato is designed specifically for wholesale distributors managing large and complex product portfolios, where traditional software often struggles to adapt to industry specific needs.
From firsthand pain to product vision
According to CEO and co founder Benedikt Nolte, the idea for Plato emerged from direct exposure to the realities of distribution businesses. Experiencing slow processes, disconnected systems, and underutilised data led the founding team to rethink industry workflows from the ground up.
Rather than layering incremental improvements onto outdated tools, Plato was built as an AI operating system tailored to the commercial heart of distribution companies. Intelligent sales automation is the starting point, but the company’s ambition extends far beyond that.
Early traction and expansion plans
Plato has already gained early traction, signing several large European distributors with average contract values in the six figure range. These customers are using the platform to modernise sales operations, improve responsiveness, and gain clearer visibility into their commercial performance.
With the new funding, Plato plans to expand its platform into additional functions, including customer service and procurement. These areas represent further opportunities to automate workflows, improve decision making, and reduce manual overhead across distribution organisations.
International expansion is also a key priority. While the company’s initial focus has been Europe, the challenges Plato addresses are common across global distribution markets.
A new infrastructure layer for distribution
As distributors face growing pressure to modernise without disrupting core operations, Plato is positioning itself as a pragmatic bridge between legacy systems and AI driven workflows. By turning ERP data into actionable intelligence and automating time consuming processes, the company aims to help wholesalers operate more efficiently while unlocking new growth potential.
With strong early adoption and backing from leading European investors, Plato is emerging as a new contender in the race to modernise one of the world’s most essential but under digitised industries.
