Cercli, an AI-powered platform that helps companies hire, manage, and compensate employees worldwide, has secured $12 million in Series A funding, with Germany-based Picus Capital leading the round.
The funding round also attracted support from Knollwood Investment Advisory and returning backers Y Combinator, Afore Capital, and COTU Ventures, who reinforced their confidence in Cercli’s growth. Individual investors joining the round included Prabhakar Reddy (OpenFX), Jaime Arrieta (Buk), Marco Ogliengo and Francesco Scalambrino (Jet HR), Francesco Simoneschi (Truelayer), and Mehdi Ghissassi (AI71).
Over the past year, UAE-based Cercli has recorded a tenfold increase in revenue, serving clients from startups to major multinationals such as Vision Bank, Backlite Media (part of Abu Dhabi-listed Multiply Group), Global Climate Finance Centre, Huspy, Lean Technologies, and Ziina.
The platform has managed payroll across 50 countries, distributing over $100 million in employee salaries for companies ranging from 25 to 1,000 staff across the MENA region and beyond.
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“The growth momentum we’ve seen in the past 12 months has been remarkable and played a key role in attracting talent, customers and investors,” said Akeed Azmi, co-founder and CEO of Cercli. “Businesses recognize the benefit of a unified platform as a single source of truth in managing their greatest asset, their people. For us, it’s an exciting time to be building for the AI era, as there is a once in a lifetime opportunity to disrupt the 800-pound gorillas in the ERP market that was long held untouchable by the likes of Workday, SAP and Oracle.”
Experiencing 22% month-over-month growth, Cercli is tapping into the $5.8 billion HR software market in MENA, where many companies still rely on outdated ERP systems that don’t meet the demands of today’s workforce. The region is undergoing rapid digital transformation, with initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 fueling more than $500 billion in projects that require advanced workforce management solutions.
Cercli has leveraged AI internally to accelerate the development of new products and features, allowing the platform to respond quickly to customer needs. This efficiency enables organizations to transition fully to Cercli in just 48–72 hours compared with up to nine months with traditional software driving strong interest from larger enterprises.
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With this funding, Cercli plans to expand its portfolio of AI-native products and services, while exploring adjacent solutions to meet growing demand for an integrated, all-in-one platform.
“We recognized the need to not just add new features but to rebuild workforce management from the ground up with AI at its core,” said David Reche, co-founder and CTPO of Cercli. “This gives us a fundamental advantage in delivering the efficiency, integration and intelligence that modern businesses need. As we scale, we’re focused on attracting world-class talent from around the globe to join our mission of transforming how businesses manage their workforce – human or agentic.”
Cercli also plans to strengthen its focus on attracting top global tech talent to the region. Since 2024, the company has brought on professionals from leading firms such as Google, Meta, Deel, Booking.com, Rippling, and Goldman Sachs, reinforcing its position as a hub for innovation.