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Gyver, the Italian startup
developing workforce infrastructure for Europe’s industrial and energy sectors,
has raised €1.4 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Brighteye,
with participation from āltitude, Vento Ventures, Zanichelli Venture and
existing investor Antler, alongside several business angels.
Founded by Francesco Defendi, Leo Acciarri and Mattia Zarrelli, Gyver is focused on addressing the
growing shortage of skilled blue-collar workers across Europe, particularly in
sectors linked to electrification, energy and industrial infrastructure.
As Europe accelerates
investment into renewable energy, data centres and grid modernisation, demand
for skilled electrical workers continues to increase. While there are currently
around 28 million skilled blue-collar workers across the EU, industry estimates
suggest an additional 5.8 million workers will be needed by 2030.
Gyver has developed an
AI-powered conversational hiring platform designed to replicate the referral
and word-of-mouth processes commonly used by electricians to find work, while
helping employers identify and access skilled workers more efficiently.
The company plans to
expand the platform beyond recruitment into areas including upskilling,
learning and workforce productivity tools for electricians. Gyver says its
long-term goal is to provide modern technical tools for tasks such as
electrical design and PLC workflows, helping improve productivity across
skilled trades.
Francesco Defendi,
co-founder of Gyver, said:
We want the job of an
electrician to be as cool as being a VC or a famous entrepreneur. Electricians
are the most important yet neglected workers category in the modern economy.
They embody the combination of brain and manual craft that cannot be replaced
by AI, yet they have been left behind by modern technology. The future of work
in the AI age is the future of manual craft.
Gyver’s broader aim is to
become a workforce platform for electrical employers, supporting hiring,
workforce management and worker enablement.
The new funding will be
used to strengthen Gyver’s technology platform, including its AI agents and
workflow systems, and to support growth while improving the experience for both
electricians and employers.