Meet The Cohort
Timbi
Timbi
As part of our AI Venture Forge “Meet the Cohort” series, we’re excited to feature a company that is rethinking how innovation is funded across Europe: Timbi. Timbi is focused on empowering organisations to turn ideas into impact through ethical, human-centred access to public funding.
Company | Funding support through AI
What motivated you to tackle EU funding complexity with Timbi?
“Timbi isn’t your typical fast-scaling AI startup aiming for unicorn status or a Silicon Valley exit. From day one, our mission has been clear: fight the bureaucracy that blocks innovation. EU funds are designed to support innovative projects, so why is the process of accessing them so complex and inaccessible? For us, the answer is to democratise access and make the process fairer. Timbi exists to simplify, support, and unlock these opportunities for those who truly need them and aim for impactful projects.”
How does Timbi reduce stress for SMEs applying for funding?
“We hate bureaucracy. It slows progress and kills momentum. Timbi helps SMEs navigate EU funding with a virtual AI assistant that simplifies and speeds up the pre-award process. It guides users to the right opportunities, explains requirements in plain language, and supports them in preparing reports and budgets. By cutting down the time spent on admin tasks by up to 80%, Timbi lets innovators focus on their ideas, not the paperwork.”
What parts of the AI Venture Forge programme are most valuable to you?
“The strategic mentorship and focused AI product validation are invaluable. Access to experts in product-market fit, growth strategy, and applied AI would help us sharpen our offering and move faster. Beyond that, the strength of the network we could gain, both within the cohort and across Ireland’s wider innovation ecosystem, is a huge asset. The programme offers a rare platform for visibility and connection, opening doors to key stakeholders, partners, and investors across Europe and beyond.
We’re especially excited about the international exposure and learning opportunities that come with upcoming visits to Paris and San Francisco, they represent pivotal moments to showcase Timbi on the global stage and build relationships that will fuel our next stage of growth.”
How do you plan to build commercial traction beyond the Accelerator And what challenges have you currently faced?
We’re already working with paying clients across Europe, which gives us a strong foundation. There’s a clear demand, everyone wants equity-free EU funding, and SMEs regularly approach us to help them access it. We plan to keep building on this organic traction by expanding partnerships and refining our value proposition even further.
We’re currently undergoing a rebrand, complete with a new logo and some exciting surprises on the way. One key challenge has been overcoming the perception that we’re “just another AI startup” chasing hypergrowth.
But that’s not us.
We’re here to build real value. We’re committed to hiring locally in Ireland, not outsourcing to the lowest bidder outside the country. We incorporated in Ireland because we believe in creating jobs and impact where we’re based.
We’re not here to burn fast. We’re here to build meaningfully”
Where do you want Timbi to be positioned in 12–18 months?
“Right now, we’re bootstrapping, but we’ve got big plans. In the next 12–18 months, we’re aiming to raise a seed or scale round, intentionally skipping the pre-seed stage thanks to the traction we are building. We’re also focused on expanding and bringing our impact-driven model to other EU countries while building a strong HQ base in Ireland.”
