paddy Raises €1 Million in Pre-Seed Round
paddy, a Bielefeld-based EdTech startup that offers an AI platform designed to assist teachers with their daily tasks, has raised €1 million in pre-seed funding.
The round was led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with participation from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital, and 45 companies and family offices.
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is one of the most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe. HTGF finances startups in Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences, and Chemistry. With over €2 billion under management, HTGF invests in pre-seed and seed stages and can also significantly participate in later-stage financing rounds. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has funded more than 780 startups and achieved nearly 200 successful exits.
The company will use the funds to develop its AI platform further, expand user adoption, and support growth in the DACH education market.
Founded in 2024 by Matty Frommann, Lukas Portmann, and Tobias Schröder, Paddy has developed an AI platform that supports teachers in preparing, conducting, and following up on lessons. The platform streamlines lesson planning, content creation, and class performance analysis. Launched in January 2025, Paddy already serves over 12,000 teachers and 100 school customers, helping educators spend less time on administrative work and more time on personalised student support.
Funding Details
Company: paddy
Raised: €1.0M
Round: Pre-seed
Funding Date: August 2025
Lead Investor: High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF)
Additional Investors: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital, and 45 companies and family offices
Company Website: https://paddy.app/
Software Category: AI EdTech / Teacher Productivity