A Seattle-based company called Certivo has secured $4 million in seed funding to grow its artificial intelligence-driven platform designed to streamline supply chain compliance processes.
The funding round was spearheaded by Suffolk Technologies, a Boston-based investor focused on construction technology. Pioneer Square Labs, based in Seattle, also participated in the investment. With this latest capital injection, Certivo’s total funding now stands at $6 million.
Having emerged from PSL in 2024, Certivo describes the funding as marking the birth of what it terms “AI-native compliance automation” as a distinct category. The company aims to transform manual compliance workflows into intelligent systems capable of operating continuously.
At the heart of Certivo’s offering is what it refers to as a Compliance System of Record, driven by an AI agent called CORA. This system performs automatic collection and verification of supplier documents, monitors regulatory updates across different jurisdictions, aligns compliance requirements with product portfolios, and connects with current software applications to preserve an up-to-date compliance record.
The startup, which currently employs 17 people, focuses on serving manufacturers and businesses in the “built world” sector, assisting them in managing changing regulations concerning PFAS, sustainability requirements, and supply chain transparency standards.
The company chose not to disclose specific information about its customer base or revenue figures.
Certivo originated from a collaboration between PSL and Fortive and is headed by Kunal Chopra, who previously served as CEO of Kaspien and is a veteran of Seattle’s technology sector. His most recent position was as CEO of Beckett Collectibles. Chopra’s professional background also includes leadership roles at major technology companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Unikrn, and Groupon.
“We built Certivo as an AI-native system that makes compliance continuous, proactive, and durable,” Chopra stated.
Ahmed Khan, who co-founded Certivo, departed from the company in the previous year and is currently developing a new stealth startup, based on his LinkedIn profile.
Certivo represents one of several emerging companies leveraging AI technology to address traditionally manual enterprise operations like compliance management. Another Seattle-area company, Signify, which originated from the AI2 Incubator, operates in a comparable space and secured $2.1 million in funding during 2024.
The growing interest in AI-powered compliance solutions reflects a broader trend of automation entering regulatory and supply chain management functions. As businesses face increasingly complex regulatory landscapes, particularly around environmental concerns and supply chain transparency, technology platforms that can automatically track and manage these requirements are gaining traction.
The construction and manufacturing sectors, which Certivo targets, face particularly intricate compliance challenges due to the diverse range of materials, suppliers, and jurisdictions involved in their operations. Traditional approaches to managing these compliance requirements often involve significant manual effort, spreadsheets, and disconnected systems that can create gaps in oversight.
By positioning itself as “AI-native,” Certivo distinguishes its approach from legacy compliance software that may have added AI features after the fact. The company’s platform is built from the ground up with artificial intelligence as a core component, rather than as an add-on feature.
The participation of Suffolk Technologies as the lead investor is particularly relevant given the firm’s specialization in construction technology. This alignment suggests strong sector-specific validation for Certivo’s approach to compliance automation in the built environment.
As regulatory requirements continue to evolve and expand, particularly in areas related to environmental sustainability and supply chain transparency, demand for automated compliance solutions is expected to grow across multiple industries.