Tue Sep 17 07:00:02 UTC 2024: ## Belgian Startup Timefold Secures $6.7 Million to Revolutionize Operational Planning with AI

**Ghent, Belgium** – Timefold, a Belgian startup specializing in AI-powered operational planning solutions, has secured $6.7 million in funding led by VC firm Lakestar and existing investor Smartfin.

The company, founded by Geoffrey De Smet and Frederik Demets, aims to tackle complex planning problems across industries like transport, logistics, and supply chain management. Their software analyzes a business’s data and, using a proprietary algorithm based on the open-source OptaPlanner project, generates optimized planning models.

“Planning is everywhere, yet efficient schedules are rare,” said De Smet, CTO and co-founder of Timefold. “From field technicians to airline flight assignments, schedules run the world. We’re providing out-of-the-box planning models that IT teams can easily run, test, and configure.”

Demets, Timefold’s CCO, highlighted the company’s unique approach: “Our platform fills a gap where existing solutions fall short. It’s extendable and uses heuristics, rather than large language models or machine learning, to deliver solutions.”

Timefold has already worked with companies like Deutsche Bahn and Palantir, and the new funding will be used to expand its platform, increase marketing efforts, and grow its team to around 40 staff this year. The company’s vision is to provide businesses with powerful AI tools that can significantly improve their operational efficiency and planning capabilities.

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