Procurement, traditionally viewed as a slow and complex support function within companies, is undergoing a profound transformation, evolving into a pivotal lever of competitiveness amid strained supply chains, austerity measures, and rising industrial resilience demands. Central to this shift is the adoption of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) in procurement management, which transcends conventional chatbots or digital assistants by enabling autonomous, operational decision-making grounded in real-time data, rules, and objectives.
Berlin-based startup Mercanis, established in 2020, is at the forefront of this evolution. Its SaaS platform offers a comprehensive suite of procurement modules, encompassing spend analysis, sourcing, supplier and contract management. However, it is Mercanis’ AI co-pilot, Mercu, that distinguishes the company. Mercu automates intricate procurement tasks such as risk detection, tender management, quote comparison, and supplier qualification, which traditionally consumed days of manual effort but now can be completed within hours. This automation fosters improved transparency and accelerates decision-making processes, even when multiple stakeholders are involved, as noted by Uwe Kreplin, procurement director at GASAG, an industrial client of Mercanis.
The tangible benefits reported by users include productivity gains of up to 40%, a 2.5-fold increase in operational efficiency, and a return on investment that can reach twelve times the initial outlay. Such compelling outcomes have attracted industrial giants like BASF-Coatings, Brose, and Wilson, alongside investors drawn to AI solutions that demonstrate rapid and scalable deployment in billion-dollar enterprises. Philippe Collombel, managing partner at Partech, highlights Mercanis’ approach as pragmatic and impactful: rather than offering a futuristic vision, the startup delivers an operational product that automates core business activities, not merely convenience features.
This momentum signals the emergence of a new ecosystem around agentic AI in procurement, with geographic variations in approach. For example, France’s established players such as Ivalua and Oalia emphasize governance and performance but have yet to fully embrace autonomous agents. In contrast, Northern and Central Europe, especially Germany, hosts a burgeoning cohort of AI-native startups like Mercanis, Scoutbee, Tacto, Archlet, and Kodiak Hub, highly attuned to industrial demands. Meanwhile, the US market sees companies like Zip, Arkestro, and Fairmarkit innovating procurement ergonomics and automation with modular systems tailored for both scale-ups and large organisations. Traditional giants such as Coupa and SAP Ariba also attempt to layer AI onto their legacy suites, but they reportedly struggle to match the seamless integration of native agentic solutions.
The strategic importance of procurement has grown amid geopolitical instability and supply chain challenges, with access to raw materials, reliable suppliers, and compliance requirements becoming critical factors. In this context, AI agents act as strategic multipliers by alleviating repetitive manual tasks, enabling procurement professionals to focus on negotiation, risk management, and value generation. Fabian Heinrich, CEO and co-founder of Mercanis, underscores that in economically uncertain times, their AI technology bolsters operational resilience and safeguards profit margins.
Mercanis recently secured €17.3 million in a Series A funding round led by Partech and AVP, with contributions from Signals.VC, Speedinvest, Capmont Technology, and prominent business angels including Victor Jacobsson of Klarna and Mirko Novakovic of Instana. The company intends to deploy these funds to expand its team and strengthen its foothold in the North American market, advancing the global adoption of agentic AI as a foundational pillar for redefined support functions.
Complementing this development, Mercanis has demonstrated how Mercu AI delivers practical advances such as automating sourcing event creation, supplier discovery, market analysis, and business intelligence. Webinars hosted by the company reveal how Mercu’s agents accelerate strategic decisions, reduce errors, and provide real-time transparency through tools handling document comparison, price indexing, supplier scouting, and tender optimisation.
Further insights from Mercanis highlight agentic AI’s central role in supplier discovery by autonomously analysing global datasets to identify suitable suppliers, automate onboarding, and facilitate scalable searches far beyond manual capabilities. Predictive risk assessment and continuous supplier monitoring enhance strategic supplier management, reinforcing procurement’s role in mitigating risks and creating value.
As agentic AI continues to redefine procurement’s scope and capabilities, solutions like Mercanis’ Mercu offer a compelling glimpse into a future where procurement functions are not only more efficient but strategically indispensable to organisations navigating complex global challenges.
Source: Noah Wire Services
