experial secures €2 million to advance AI-powered market research with Digital Twins

Cologne-based experial, a DeepTech startup innovating market research through AI-powered simulations, has closed a €2 million pre-Seed funding round in order to develop its AI-powered digital twins to help companies make market decisions quickly and accurately.

The round was led by Capnamic, also supported by xdeck and renowned angel investors, including Professor Bernd Schmitt from Columbia University.

Dr Tobias Klinke, Co-founder and CEO of experial, explains: “Our vision is to make data-driven consumer research accessible to every company. Instead of costly and time-consuming surveys, our AI-powered digital twins deliver fast, precise, and scalable market analyses.”

experial was founded in 2022 by Dr Tobias Klinke and Nader Fadl, both with academic backgrounds at Bergische Universität Wuppertal. Their machine learning-based technology simulates consumer behavior, demographic patterns, and purchasing decisions without using personal data. This allows companies to conduct real-time market tests, campaign analyses, and product feedback evaluations.

experial believes that traditional surveys are prone to inaccuracies – participants often provide imprecise answers or lack motivation. experial looks to eliminate these biases with simulation-based audience analyses, which are reportedly up to 100 times more cost-effective than traditional methods.

While conventional studies can take weeks, experial claims to deliver reliable insights in real time. This enables companies to align daily decisions with customer needs and preferences, ultimately boosting long-term profitability.

Olaf Jacobi, Managing Partner at Capnamic, comments: “experial impressively demonstrates how artificial intelligence can revolutionise market research. The technology has the potential to usher in an entirely new era of data-driven decision-making. We are excited to support the team on this journey.”

With the new funding, experial has expanded its team, welcoming Dr Nils Rethmeier as Co-founder and CTO. The company is already working with major clients such as Fressnapf, TDK, and Versicherungskammer Bayern.

The team is also introducing specialised market research agents capable of conducting qualitative data analyses, interviews, and surveys. Additionally, the AI-powered digital twin technology is being optimised with a validity score to assess synthetic statements.

Another key advancement is the ability to analyse visual stimuli, such as social media content and advertisements, allowing companies to gain even more precise market insights.