Funding Round attributes
Ghent-based startup Ravical has raised €7.3 million in a Pre-Seed funding round to further develop its AI-based “Virtual Employees” for professional services firms. The round was led by venture capital firm Lakestar and marks an early milestone for the company, which aims to automate a substantial portion of work in industries such as tax, legal, accounting, and insurance.
Ravical was co-founded by Joris Van Der Gucht, a serial entrepreneur known for founding Silverfin, an accounting automation company that was sold in 2023 for €320 million. With Ravical, Van Der Gucht is continuing his focus on the automation of professional workflows, this time using domain-trained AI agents.
These AI agents are designed to function as virtual employees, integrating domain-specific knowledge, firm-specific workflows, and client context to deliver digital services. According to the company, the agents can automate up to 80 percent of tasks typically handled by professional services firms, allowing human staff to focus on the remaining 20 percent of work that involves strategic input and client relationship management.
Van Der Gucht described the rationale behind the platform. “We don't believe AI will replace expert firms – but we do think that 80 percent of the work in these firms lends itself to AI automation,” he said. “We offer these firms agents that deliver high-quality digital services that respect their unique knowledge and culture.
The company is positioning its technology as a solution to staffing challenges faced by professional services firms, particularly in attracting and retaining top talent. Ravical argues that firms are facing increasing strain as knowledge work becomes more competitive and as AI models rapidly evolve, potentially widening gaps in institutional expertise.
Beyond automation, Ravical also aims to support the “productisation” of professional services—a shift that many firms have attempted but struggled to implement. Van Der Gucht explained, “Our solution can deliver this almost overnight through the automation of expert professional services. It unlocks the ability to focus the firm’s employees on higher value and strategic support, while offering new possibilities to grow revenue.”
Lakestar partner Enrico Mellis commented on the firm’s investment in Ravical. “Agentic AI is moving from buzzword to board-level priority,” Mellis said. “Ravical’s team has already proven they can automate professional workflows at scale; we’re excited to support them as they bring that playbook to a much broader services market.
The company has already completed 10 pilot projects with professional services firms of varying sizes and across several industry sectors. These pilot deployments have allowed Ravical to test and refine its platform in real-world environments.
With the new funding, Ravical plans to continue developing its AI solution, expand its team, and support international growth. The company’s goal is to provide professional services firms with tools that enhance efficiency while preserving and leveraging firm-specific knowledge and practices.
