Checkfirst Secures $1.5M Pre-Seed Funding to Leverage AI for Enhanced Remote Inspections and Audits

We’ve all encountered them: the inspectors with clipboards, meticulously checking off the details of fire extinguisher inspections or ensuring all lights are functioning. These professionals operate in the Testing, Inspection, Certification, and Compliance (TICC) sector, meticulously ticking boxes. While the task may appear straightforward on-site, it becomes significantly more challenging when done remotely.

Founder Ben Lambert recognized this challenge when he moved to Portugal and faced the need to manage his wife’s property inspection business from afar. “On-site inspections became difficult, and reliable information was hard to obtain. Final reports could take weeks to complete,” he explained. Scheduling inspections emerged as an equally daunting hurdle.

Seizing the opportunity, Lambert founded Checkfirst, an innovative startup offering AI-powered workflow tools that facilitate remote inspections and allow businesses to schedule inspectors based on their geographic location and expertise. This approach reduces travel needs, minimizes environmental impact, and enhances employee satisfaction. The company successfully secured a pre-seed funding round of $1.5 million, led by Lisbon-based early-stage venture firm Olisipo Way and Hiero VC, along with contributions from Notion Capital and angel investors from companies such as Source Point, Busuu, Swogo, and FaceIT.

“As our product evolved, we realized that the primary issue wasn’t just data capture, but how companies manage their scheduling—where they earn or lose revenue,” Lambert noted. “AI is particularly adept at streamlining scheduling tasks.”

“The TICC industry frequently involves moving personnel around the globe,” Lambert pointed out. “For instance, an inspector may be in London one day, but a company might dispatch someone from Munich unaware that an inspector is already present in London. When that inspector travels from Munich to London, the company sacrifices its margin. Our tools eliminate the need for unnecessary travel, saving companies thousands of euros or more.”

Lambert shared that Checkfirst “initially utilized a combination of open-source and commercial AI models” but is now developing its own technology based on proprietary data for image recognition and scheduling.

In a competitive landscape, Checkfirst faces established players in the compliance field such as Intact Systems, Lumiform, Safety Culture, and Happy Co, which specializes in property management. However, Lambert emphasizes that Checkfirst distinguishes itself with its API-first approach, leveraging AI for image recognition and automation, resulting in efficient report summaries and scheduling.

The startup is already engaged with several clients on proof-of-concept projects, one of which reportedly serves 30,000 customers. The founding team comprises Lambert, Chief Product Officer Oyvind Henriksen, who previously founded Poq Studio, and Chief Technology Officer Rami Elsawy. Lambert has a background with Nexmo and Agora.