Zero Raises $10.3M to Replace CRM Systems with AI

The big picture: Zero, a Helsinki-headquartered startup founded by Tuomo Riekki and Santtu Koivumäki, has raised a $10.3 million seed round, bringing its total funding to $13 million. The company, which also has an office in New York, aims to develop AI agents that can replace conventional CRM systems.

Why it matters:

• Market Opportunity: The CRM software market, valued at approximately $287.26 billion in 2025, is projected to reach $633.34 billion by 2030, indicating significant growth and demand for innovative solutions.
• Experienced Founders: Co-founders Riekki and Koivumäki previously built and sold Smartly.io, an enterprise sales platform that grew to 1,000 employees, providing them with deep domain expertise in the sales technology landscape.
• Addressing User Pain Points: Traditional CRM systems often suffer from low adoption rates among salespeople due to their complexity and manual data entry requirements, a problem Zero aims to solve with automated AI agents.

How it works:

• Ambient Monitoring: Zero’s AI agents operate in the background, continuously monitoring conversations across various platforms, including WhatsApp, LinkedIn direct messages, and social media comments.
• Automated Data Management: The system automatically takes notes, keeps CRM records current, and monitors customer engagement, eliminating the need for manual input from sales teams.
• Proactive Lead Generation: The AI agents can assist with identifying leads, such as pinpointing specific types of businesses in a given region, and support the building of sales campaigns.

The catch: The CRM market is highly competitive, featuring established giants like Salesforce and HubSpot, as well as well-funded AI-native rivals such as Attio (total funding $116M) and Clay (Series D at $7.1B valuation). Zero’s 13-member team must demonstrate that its ambient monitoring approach offers a distinct and superior value proposition compared to existing solutions and automated outbound messaging, especially given the intense competition and the need to prove its model quickly.

Key Facts

• Company: Zero
• Amount: $10.3M
• Round: Seed
• Investors: Primary Venture Partners (lead), Inception Fund, Defiant, Greens, 20VC, James Hawkins
• Founders: Tuomo Riekki, Santtu Koivumäki
• Sector: AI-native CRM
• Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland