Estonian startup Supersimple Technology OÜ has created what it says is a “super simple” artificial intelligence-powered data analytics platform for business workers, and now it’s looking to accelerate its growth after landing $2.2 million in pre-seed funding.

Today’s round was led by Tera Ventures and saw contributions from Specialist VC, Tiny VC and various angel investors, including the former chief technology officer of Twilio Inc. and the founder of Grünfin AS.

The startup’s AI-native data analytics platform is said to meld a semantic data modeling layer with sophisticated “explainable AI” techniques to provide a reliable and consistent stream of data-informed business insights. As the name suggests, it’s designed to be easy to use, aimed especially at business-to-business software-as-a-service companies, letting them answer their own ad-hoc data questions and surface the insights they need to make better decisions.

Supersimple reckons that many organizations are still struggling to obtain insights from their data, even with today’s modern data stacks. One of the main reasons for that is the complexity of big data tools, which can be difficult to navigate and use. Supersimple says its platform is super-simple because it avoids the complex dashboards associated with other data analytics tools that require a certain skill set to navigate, meaning even the least technical workers can use it.

According to the startup, advances in data warehouses and AI have made it possible for it to design an entirely new experience that makes it easier to detect and explain valuable business insights.

The startup said it’s a firm believer in transparency, and to that end its AI models are based on the concept of “explainable AI,” which refers to algorithms whose actions can easily be understood. It contrasts with the “black box” approach of large language models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which use opaque algorithms that make it impossible, even for its creators, to explain how it came to a certain decision or conclusion.

With this approach, Supersimple says, it can explain every step it has taken to arrive at its outcome. That means there’s much less risk of AI “hallucinations,” which occur when AI algorithms simply make stuff up.

Supersimple reckons explainable AI is necessary to ensure trust in data-based insights, and it goes further too, also supporting follow-up questions in natural language, so users can clarify anything they don’t understand. With traditional data analytics platforms, users need to have knowledge of technologies such as Structured Query Language or Python to get this kind of additional context.

Co-founder and Chief Executive Marko Klopets says Supersimple is the antidote to the static dashboards and bland, ChatGPT-style chat interfaces that dominate today’s business intelligence landscape.

“Most of the value in data doesn’t come from staring at a dashboard, but instead comes from deep, specific questions, testing hypotheses, exploring and iterating,” he said. “Supersimple was built around this insight to help teams always have the right information to make great decisions.”

The startup believes its approach will enable it to become much more than just a data analytics platform. “Making structured data from data warehouses accessible and usable is the first step toward Supersimple becoming the operating system of the fastest-growing companies,” he said.

Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. said AI is transforming almost every area of enterprise software, and the data analytics field is a prime target for its capabilities.

“Supersimple is innovating with AI analytics to make business intelligence more accessible to everyday users, in a more intuitive way based on using natural language,” the analyst said. “What’s clever is it’s using AI not just to handle the queries, but also to explain the insights and findings it delivers through its platform. It’s a small funding round as $2.2 million does not go far these days, but it’s enough to give Supersimple a head start as it bids to change the future of work.”

Tera Ventures Partner Eamonn Carey said that although data warehouses and data stacks are ubiquitous and better than ever, most people are still struggling to extract maximum value from their data. “When I heard Marko explain his vision and I saw the platform in action, it became crystal-clear what the future would look like,” he said.

Supersimple will use its pre-seed funding to grow its customer base and deliver new advances in explainable AI, the CEO added. His team has plenty of experience in growing startups. Klopets, along with co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Priit Haamer, previously co-founded Sixfold.

Image: Supersimple