Ghent-based Highsail has exited stealth and raised pre-seed funding from Entourage, the startup studio and VC founded by Showpad co-founder Pieterjan Bouten, to build AI-powered agents that eliminate administrative burdens for field workers.
Founded in 2024 by Jonas Maeyens (ex-Cronos Group) and Lance De Waele (ex-Tekst), Highsail transforms field workers’ voice updates, photos, and notes into structured reports, ERP entries, and follow-up tasks in real time. The platform cuts administrative overhead by up to 70%, enabling technicians to focus on their jobs rather than post-job paperwork.
“Frictionless data capture is the foundation for transforming field service efficiency,” said Maeyens. “Our customers see immediate ROI—better data quality, faster job completion, and improved margins and satisfaction.”
Already deployed at companies like Climagroup, Elneo, and Firma Beel, Highsail supports hundreds of technicians and back-office teams daily.
Tackling the field service bottleneck
Field operations account for nearly 90% of the global fleet of service work, yet remain underserved by modern software. While AI has boosted office productivity, frontline teams are stuck with manual paperwork, siloed systems, and clunky checklists.
The startup addresses this by embedding AI directly into the flow of field work. Technicians simply speak into the mobile app in any language; Highsail’s AI generates structured updates instantly, syncing data across the organization and triggering next steps automatically.
“Technicians ask to keep using Highsail after just 15 minutes of testing,” said Maeyens. “That’s our North Star.”
Advertisement
Backed by Entourage and SaaS operators
The pre-seed round was led by Entourage, the startup studio backed by Europe’s leading SaaS founders. Bouten emphasized:
“Highsail is the kind of practical AI we love to back: embedded, ROI-driven, and solving a massive pain point for an industry that has long been underserved.”
Climagroup COO Stijn Cools added:
“In HVAC, where the talent gap is growing, tools like Highsail help us stay competitive. We deliver better service without overloading our teams—every minute counts.”
Scaling from Ghent
With funding secured, Highsail plans to accelerate product development and expand globally from its Ghent base. The company is hiring across engineering, product management, and marketing to scale adoption among industrial maintenance, inspections, and global field service organizations.
“Autonomous, AI-driven field ops aren’t about hype—they’re about giving back time to the people who keep our world running,” said CTO De Waele. “That’s where the magic happens.”
