Plato

Plato, operating as DM Technologies GmbH, provides an AI-native operating system designed for the wholesale distribution industry. Founded in 2023 by Benedikt Nolte (CEO), Matthias Heinrich (CPO), and Oliver Birch (CTO), the Berlin-based company originated from Nolte's direct experience with the challenges within his family's long-standing wholesale business. The founders recognized that wholesalers struggled with outdated software, labor shortages, and inefficient manual processes, which motivated them to develop a technology-driven solution.

The company's core offering is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that integrates with existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP, to automate and enhance sales and procurement workflows. Plato functions as an AI copilot for sales teams, utilizing AI agents to analyze ERP data, identify sales opportunities like up-selling and cross-selling, detect churn risks, and automate routine tasks like quote and order generation. By doing so, the platform aims to increase revenue by up to 15%, save sales staff up to five hours per week, and significantly boost sales efficiency. The system provides a unified interface for sales management, giving teams a holistic view of customer activities and streamlining communication.

Plato targets B2B wholesale distributors, including those in the technical wholesale sector, and has secured contracts with several major European wholesalers. The business model is based on monthly subscriptions for its platform. The company has successfully raised significant capital to fund its growth and international expansion. A pre-seed round in November 2024 brought in $6.5 million, led by Cherry Ventures. This was followed by a larger seed round of $14.5 million in February 2026, led by Atomico, with participation from Cherry Ventures, Discovery Ventures, and D11Z, the investment arm of Lidl founder Dieter Schwarz. These funding rounds support Plato's mission to become a definitive technology provider for the wholesale economy, expanding its product offerings into customer service and procurement.

Keywords: wholesale distribution, sales intelligence, AI operating system, ERP automation, B2B sales, process automation, AI copilot, up-selling, cross-selling, quote generation, procurement optimization, DM Technologies GmbH, SaaS platform, sales efficiency, churn risk detection, Benedikt Nolte, Matthias Heinrich, Oliver Birch, wholesale technology, ERP integration, sales workflow automation, data-driven sales, automated ordering