AI for the workers it can’t replace: Italy’s Gyver raises €1.4 million to empower electricians

Gyver, a Brescia, Italy-based startup building the workforce infrastructure for Europe’s new industrial era, has today announced a €1.4 million pre-Seed funding round to strengthen its technology, unlock growth and provide a better experience for both electricians and employers.

The round was led by Brighteye, with participation from āltitude, Vento Ventures, Zanichelli Venture and existing investor Antler, alongside several business angels. 

Francesco Defendi, co-founder of Gyver, commented, “We want the job of an electrician to be as cool as being a VC or famous entrepreneur. Electricians are the most important yet neglected workers category in the modern economy. They embody the combination of brain and manual craft that cannot be replaced by AI, yet they have been left behind by modern technology. The future of work in the AI age is the future of manual craft. 

“This funding allows us to build the infrastructure that will elevate this profession and ensure that the people who are the backbone of electrification have the tools they need to thrive.”

Gyver was founded during an Antler founder residency in Fall 2024 by Defendi, Leo Acciarri, and Mattia Zarrelli. The trio had previously worked together building a general contractor for solar installations on industrial SMEs, where they witnessed firsthand the critical importance of skilled labour.

The company’s mission is to become the primary source of the electrician workforce for its customers, helping electrical employers hire, manage and empower the workers who are the essence of their business. It claims to be building the “Workforce Infrastructure for Europe’s new Industrial Era” and aims to empower the workers who will never be replaced by AI.

According to the company, while projects such as renewable energy, data centres, and grid updates are essential for the EU’s reindustrialisation, electrical contractors are facing a massive talent crisis. There are currently 28 million skilled blue-collar workers across the EU, yet an estimated 5.8 million additional workers will be required by 2030.

The startup claims to be tackling the skilled blue-collar workforce shortage. It has developed an AI-powered conversational job platform that replicates how electricians find jobs (referrals/word of mouth) and allows employers access to top talent. Over the next few years, the product will expand towards upskilling, learning and workforce productivity tools for electricians. 

Gyver aims to make the manual craft 10x more productive, similar to how software transformed white-collar desk work, and plans to do so by providing modern tools for technical skills like electrical design and PLC. 

David Guérin, Partner at Brighteye, commented, “Europe has 2.7 million electrical workers and a €3 billion hiring market that has been chronically underserved. The electrification of the world, industrial maintenance and ageing demographics are widening the gap between supply and demand faster than traditional tools can handle. 

“Gyver uses AI not to replace skilled electricians but to make each one more productive and more valuable, which is a distinction that matters. We are convinced this is the right answer to a structural problem with powerful tailwinds. We’re excited to back Francesco, Leo and Mattia: founders who know this industry from the inside and are moving with real conviction to build the category leader.”

With the new funding, the company aims to enhance Gyver’s technology, focusing on AI agents and workflows to drive growth.

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