Gyver, a fast-growing startup focused on modernising the skilled trades workforce, has announced a €1.4 million pre-seed funding round to strengthen its AI-powered workforce platform for electricians across Europe.
The funding round was led by Brighteye, with participation from āltitude, Vento Ventures, Zanichelli Venture, and existing investor Antler, alongside several angel investors.
The Brescia-based startup plans to use the fresh capital to improve its technology stack, expand AI-driven workflows, accelerate growth, and deliver a better hiring and workforce management experience for both electricians and employers.
Tackling Europe’s Skilled Electrician Shortage
Gyver was founded during an Antler founder residency in Fall 2024 by Francesco Defendi, Leo Acciarri, and Mattia Zarrelli.
Before launching Gyver, the founding team worked together building a solar installation general contractor for industrial SMEs. During that experience, they witnessed the severe shortage of skilled electricians and blue-collar workers firsthand.
According to the company, Europe currently has around 28 million skilled blue-collar workers, but demand is rapidly increasing due to renewable energy projects, industrial electrification, grid modernisation, and the expansion of data centres. An estimated 5.8 million additional skilled workers will be needed by 2030 to support Europe’s reindustrialisation efforts.
Electrical contractors across the EU are struggling to recruit and retain talent, creating a massive opportunity for workforce-focused technology platforms.
AI-Powered Workforce Infrastructure for Electricians
Gyver describes itself as the “Workforce Infrastructure for Europe’s New Industrial Era.” The startup is developing an AI-powered conversational hiring platform that mirrors how electricians traditionally find work through referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations.
The platform enables employers to connect with qualified electricians more efficiently while giving workers access to better job opportunities and career growth tools.
Over the coming years, Gyver plans to expand beyond hiring into areas such as:
- Workforce productivity tools
- Upskilling and technical learning
- AI-powered workflow automation
- Electrical design support
- PLC and industrial systems tools
The company believes modern software and AI can make skilled trades significantly more productive, similar to how digital tools transformed white-collar office work.
Founders Want to Elevate the Electrician Profession
Speaking about the company’s mission, co-founder Francesco Defendi said:
“We want the job of an electrician to be as cool as being a VC or famous entrepreneur.”
Defendi emphasised that electricians represent one of the most important yet overlooked categories of workers in the modern economy. He argued that skilled manual craft combined with technical expertise cannot easily be replaced by artificial intelligence.
He added that the future of work in the AI era will increasingly value technical and manual professions that remain essential to industrial infrastructure and electrification.
Investors See Massive Market Opportunity
David Guérin, Partner at Brighteye, highlighted the scale of the market opportunity, noting that Europe has approximately 2.7 million electrical workers and a €3 billion hiring market that remains underserved by modern technology.
Guérin explained that ageing populations, industrial maintenance needs, and global electrification trends are widening the talent gap faster than traditional hiring systems can handle.
He also stressed that Gyver’s use of AI focuses on enhancing worker productivity rather than replacing skilled labor, which he believes is critical for solving long-term structural workforce challenges.
Why Gyver’s Vision Matters
As Europe accelerates investment into renewable energy, industrial automation, EV infrastructure, and smart grids, the demand for skilled electricians is expected to rise dramatically over the next decade.
However, the sector has historically lacked modern workforce technology tailored specifically to blue-collar professions.
By combining AI-driven hiring, workforce management, and technical productivity tools, Gyver aims to position itself at the centre of Europe’s industrial transformation.
The company’s latest funding round marks an important step toward building the digital infrastructure needed to support the next generation of skilled trades workers.
