Leiria-based food manufacturing software startup BRAINR has secured a €1.5 million extension to its record-breaking seed round from Portugal Ventures, bringing new capital to support the company’s growth as demand for its platform increases.
The investment extends BRAINR’s €11 million seed round in 2025, which was led by C2 Capital Partners and structured around milestone-based funding. At the time, the round set a new record for the largest seed investment raised by a Portuguese startup.
Founded by CEO Paulo Gaspar, COO Rui Batista and CTO Ricardo Granada, BRAINR has developed an AI-powered manufacturing execution platform for the food industry.
The company says its software already supports a quarter of Portugal’s meat production and plans to expand into additional food sectors and international markets, including the United States and Brazil.
Announcing the extension on LinkedIn, BRAINR said the additional funding reflects faster-than-expected market adoption rather than an original fundraising target.
“This wasn’t capital we originally planned to raise,” the company noted. “It reflects a market moving faster than we expected.”
Growing demand for AI in food manufacturing
BRAINR explained that the increasing complexity of food manufacturing is driving demand for digitalization, with modern factories requiring real-time execution, complete traceability, intelligent planning, and AI to support operational decision-making.
According to the company, its AI-powered Meat Factory Operating System now supports more than €1.3 billion in annual food production and is being deployed by leading meat processors across Europe.
Portugal Ventures said the investment reflects its strategy of backing Portuguese technology companies with the potential to transform strategic sectors, promote competitiveness and internationalization, and expand into global markets.
“We believe that great transformations happen when exceptional teams combine in-depth industry knowledge with cutting-edge technology,” Portugal Ventures wrote on LinkedIn, describing BRAINR as “an ambitious team, a differentiating solution, and a strong international vocation.”
Read also: BRAINR, food industry software startup, raises record €11 million seed round
Featured image: BRAINR co-founders (from left): Ricardo Granada, Paulo Gaspar, and Rui Batista (Photo courtesy of BRAINR)
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