Cologne-based Sunhat, an AI-native compliance platform helping enterprises instantly validate and share ESG and regulatory data, has raised €9.2 million in Series A funding.
The round was led by CommerzVentures, with participation from existing backers Capnamic, EnBW New Ventures, xdeck, and WEPA Ventures.
This brings Sunhat’s total funding to €14.2M since its founding in 2022, with the company already serving thousands of users across 20+ countries.
The “proof gap” problem
Modern enterprises generate endless ESG, compliance, and regulatory data — yet struggle to prove it when customers, investors, or regulators ask. The time lag between internal compliance and external proof is what Sunhat calls the “proof gap”.
- Teams spend 360+ hours annually searching for documentation
- Requests for ESG, quality, and compliance data come in varied formats and deadlines
- Delays in delivering verified proof can cost deals, financing, and credibility
“Enterprises don’t have a sustainability problem, they have a proof problem,” said Lukas Vogt, CEO and co-founder of Sunhat. “Companies are hitting sustainability goals and quality standards, but when someone asks for proof, pulling it all together takes weeks. Time-to-proof now decides who wins business.”
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Proof AI: instant, verifiable compliance
At the core of Sunhat’s platform is Proof AI, trained on thousands of successful audits, questionnaires, and disclosure frameworks (including ISO standards, CDP, and CSRD).
Key features include:
- Proof AI Agents connect to existing systems (e.g. SharePoint, ESG and EHS tools)
- They capture, check, and validate data in real time
- When audits or customer requests arrive, the system generates ready-to-send, verified responses in minutes instead of weeks
This automation not only improves trust and compliance but also gives enterprises a competitive edge by responding faster in sales, procurement, and financing processes.
Scaling momentum
Since 2022, Sunhat has grown rapidly, achieving 10x growth in the last 15 months. The company is now aiming for another 10x over the next year, targeting 500 enterprise customers across Europe, North America, and the UK.
The new funding will be used to:
- Double headcount in the next 12 months
- Expand Proof AI beyond ESG into 100+ global standards and certifications
- Grow the integration ecosystem with 20+ new enterprise and financial partners
Investor confidence
“Too many companies lose deals because they can’t move fast enough,” said Paul Morgenthaler, Managing Partner at CommerzVentures. “We backed Sunhat because it turns that pain into an advantage. Proof AI has the right answer ready instantly — that speed wins business.”
Customer validation
Global ingredient solutions provider Ingredion shared its experience:
“When we got a customer sustainability questionnaire with a 48-hour deadline, this would have been near impossible in the past,” said Brian Nash, VP of Corporate Sustainability. “With Sunhat, we completed it in hours, confident in the accuracy of our responses. It turned a stressful process into a competitive advantage.”
About Sunhat
Founded in 2022 by Lukas Vogt (CEO), Alexander Behr (CPO), and Ali Kamalizade (CTO), Sunhat is building the Collaborative Proof Platform to help enterprises instantly validate ESG and compliance data. Based in Germany, the company already supports leading organizations such as EnBW, Ingredion, Grundfos, and Geberit across Europe and North America.
About CommerzVentures
Founded in 2014, CommerzVentures is a Europe-first fintech investor with €550M under management. The firm backs fintech, insurtech, and climate fintech companies globally, with a focus on scaling early and growth-stage startups.
