The Swedish startup Pit has drawn attention for its provocative social media content, but it is also emerging as a notable AI venture from Stockholm.

Pit is spearheaded by the founders of the European scooter company Voi, including Voi’s CEO Fredrik Hjelm. He collaborates with former engineers from iZettle and Klarna. The startup has attracted backing from a16z, which is leading its $16 million seed funding round. Stockholm, home to Lovable, is one of the regions where a16z is keenly searching for the next European unicorn.

Focusing on enterprise AI, Pit aims to develop products that learn how client businesses operate and subsequently create tailored software to automate their processes, as stated by Pit CEO Adam Jafer in an interview with TechCrunch.

Jafer departed from Voi last summer after a seven-year period during which the company grew to a workforce of nearly 1,000 across 13 countries. Drawing from his engineering background, Jafer recognized the maturation of AI for enterprise applications. Initially perceiving an opportunity to substitute basic SaaS tools with internal applications, he soon envisioned a broader opportunity beyond Voi.

“The pivotal moment for recognizing the larger opportunity was when AI models evolved from merely being chatbots that produce text to becoming more proactive and capable,” he shared with TechCrunch. In contrast to competitors who are promoting AI agent development or vibe-coding solutions, Pit positions itself as an “AI product team as a service.”

Entering a saturated market, Pit aims to distinguish itself through two main components: Pit Studio, which empowers enterprise staff to navigate processes suitable for AI-generated software; and Pit Cloud, which, according to the startup, delivers that software while adhering to enterprise standards concerning governance, certifications, and auditability.

As of mid-January, the startup began piloting its strategy with initial customers across telecommunications, healthcare, logistics, and additional sectors, dedicated exclusively to automating internal processes. “No customer interactions, no conversational AI, just straightforward back-office, service, and support operations that we transform into automations, allowing individuals to reclaim time to concentrate on their core business,” Jafer stated.

The startup is gearing up for commercial scaling, ensuring an active approach. In line with the trend of AI enterprises recruiting forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) to facilitate enterprise integration, Pit is likewise hiring solution engineers. The objective, as Jafer mentioned, is to fulfill the demands of their larger clientele. “They seek to purchase results. They wish for processes to accelerate. They desire to witness enhanced productivity and time efficiency,” he noted.

Jafer emphasized that Pit is not advocating itself as a means to diminish human labor or eliminate jobs. “The overarching theme revolves around elevating individuals to undertake more valuable tasks for the business, rather than engaging in repetitive back-office duties.” Success metrics extend beyond mere time and cost savings. “Some aspects involve improving work quality, minimizing human errors, and so forth.”

Nevertheless, Pit’s own employment practices became a topic of debate earlier this year when Jafer posted on LinkedIn stating, “Yes, our team currently has no junior engineers. At Pit, agents now perform most tasks that junior engineers used to handle.”

Although the post remains up, he no longer endorses that stance. “It may have started that way, but a balanced mix is essential as we scale,” he remarked with a smile.

Hjelm expected that the all-male team could prompt scrutiny as well. In a post on X, he remarked that Pit was “founded by tech bros, from Voi and Klarna,” but quickly added, “We also have tech girls on the team, just so you know.” This clarification was not immediately reflected in Pit’s LinkedIn profile, although TechCrunch has conversed with one woman on the communications team at Pit.

What the image conveys, however, is a sentiment of rekindling old friendships. The four co-founders of Voi have remained close, and three are now embarking on this new venture together: Hjelm, Jafer, and Filip Lindvall, who is now a founding engineer at Pit. One of the engineers at the startup, Andreas Hjelm, is indeed the brother of Voi CEO Fredrik Hjelm. 

While Fredrik Hjelm is listed as a co-founder at Pit, he continues as Voi’s CEO, suggesting that his involvement with Pit will be less hands-on for the time being. After achieving profitability in 2024, Voi is seen as a likely IPO candidate, finishing 2025 with impressive results. Nonetheless, his connections as a well-established entrepreneur could still facilitate opportunities — which they already have, specifically with a16z.

In a tweet, Hjelm detailed how a16z partners Alex Rampell and Gabriel Vasquez came to lead Pit’s funding round. He met Ben Horowitz, Gabriel Vasquez, and Jen Kha “a few years back when they visited Stockholm to explore what they could contribute to European tech. We stayed connected. When selecting partners for Pit, we didn’t require funding to initiate, but we desired the most robust supporters we could find. Thus, we chose them, and they chose us.”

Jafer corroborated that Pit did not spend extensive time with other companies to secure its funding, which was also supported by the founders themselves, alongside Lakestar, executives from American tech firms, and affluent families from the Nordic region. This transatlantic capital structure highlights the increasing interest in AI emanating from Stockholm, which has established itself as a vibrant startup hub in Europe. 

Pit may also leverage its European identity for sales advantages. “We are targeting industrial sectors, and there’s an abundance of that in Europe,” Jafer remarked. He also noted that clients value Pit’s adaptable approach. Since it is capable of utilizing various AI and cloud service providers based on client preferences, it could thrive amid the current trend favoring sovereign technology, particularly in crucial fields.

“EU models operating on EU infrastructure is paramount for almost every CIO we engage with,” Jafer stated.