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KineDB has raised €850K in a pre-seed round led by Superhero Capital. The Copenhagen database startup plans to use the funding to expand a product initially aimed at software that must work offline.
The round also included NGL Ventures and angel investors including Cactos Chief Technology Officer Jussi Pyörre and Formalize Co-Chief Executive Officers Kristoffer Abell and Jakob Lilholm.
KineDB was founded by Axel Löwenhoff and Allan Zimmermann. They are building a general-purpose database designed to run across both cloud systems and local devices. Its initial focus is sectors where staff often lose network access but still need to record and use data in applications.
One example is industrial work in remote or underground settings. A worker in a mine could update information on a tablet or smartphone without an internet connection, then synchronise that data when the device reconnects.
AI shift
KineDB is making its case as software production increases and more developers use artificial intelligence tools. It pointed to Google DORA research showing 90 per cent of technology professionals now use AI, alongside reports of a 55 per cent year-on-year rise in iOS app releases.
That growth is changing the demands placed on the systems beneath applications, particularly when software must operate across different environments. Many existing setups rely on separate tools to manage offline data on devices and data in cloud back ends, creating more work for engineering teams, according to KineDB.
Its approach is to use a single database engine in both places. Zimmermann, who spent two decades working on cloud and hosting infrastructure before co-founding the company, identified the issue after running into repeated problems with existing database architecture while working on a serverless platform.
Löwenhoff has worked in software sales for more than a decade, including roles involving UiPath, Grafana Labs and Lacework. Together, the founders are positioning the company around what they see as a gap between faster software creation and the complexity of managing data reliably.
The founders said the product is being developed for a broader role beyond its initial offline use case.
"The way AI has opened the gates for developers of all levels to experiment and launch new software is a wonderful thing. A consequence, however, is a lot of software where creators haven't necessarily considered the underlying databases essential to functionality. With KineDB, we want to remove that as a layer of complication for engineers by providing a database that works within this new environment," said Axel Löwenhoff, Co-Founder of KineDB.
Investor view
Superhero Capital led the round as the Helsinki investor continues to back early-stage software startups in the Nordic and Baltic markets. The firm pointed to the founders' backgrounds and the decision to use one engine across local and cloud environments as part of its rationale for backing the company.
"AI means more software is being built than ever, often by people who've never had to think about databases. Allan has spent two decades building cloud infrastructure, and Axel has sold software to enterprises worldwide. Together, they've already shown that one engine can handle data both offline and in the cloud. Starting with apps that have to work without a connection is a sharp entry point into a much bigger market," said Gytenis Galkis, Partner at Superhero Capital.
KineDB will use the new funding to hire engineers with experience in databases, storage and query engines. While the company is starting with offline data handling, its longer-term aim is to become a general-purpose database for software teams working across devices and cloud infrastructure.
The founders argue that as AI lowers the barrier to building software, more teams will need simpler ways to manage the data layer without assembling multiple systems themselves. For KineDB, the immediate test will be whether that argument translates into adoption in sectors where applications cannot depend on a constant connection.