Cercli Raises $12 Million in Series A
Cercli, a Dubai, UAE-based workforce management platform, has raised $12 million in Series A funding.
The round was led by Germany’s Picus Capital, with participation from Knollwood Investment Advisory, Y Combinator, Afore Capital, COTU Ventures, and individual investors from OpenFX, Buk, JetHR, Truelayer, and AI71.
Picus Capital is an early-stage technology investment firm based in Munich, Germany, with offices in major global hubs including New York, Berlin, London, and Bangalore. The firm invests in technology-driven startups at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages, across fintech, climate tech, healthcare, and HR sectors. Picus Capital manages over $1 billion in assets globally.
The company will use the funds to expand its product suite, accelerate AI development, and scale its global presence across MENA, Europe, and North America. It also plans to grow its team by hiring talent from leading technology firms.
Founded in 2023 by Akeed Azmi and David Reche, Cercli provides enterprises with a unified, AI-powered system of record that manages both human and agentic (AI-driven) workers. The platform simplifies global hiring, payroll, and compliance while integrating automation and intelligence into traditional HR workflows. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, Cercli serves customers including Vision Bank, Backlite Media (part of Multiply Group), the Global Climate Finance Centre, Huspy, Lean Technologies, and Ziina.
Funding Details
Company: Cercli
Raised: $12.0M
Round: Series A
Funding Date: October 2025
Lead Investor: Picus Capital
Additional Investors: Knollwood Investment Advisory, Y Combinator, Afore Capital, COTU Ventures
Company Website: https://www.cercli.com/
Software Category: Workforce Management / HR Tech / AI SaaS