Understory, based in Aarhus, Denmark, seeks to reshape the business landscape for experience providers worldwide. Offering a platform designed to simplify the process of managing bookings, payments, and marketing, Understory aims to support businesses in the modern demands of the experience economy. The company has recently secured €12 million in a Series A funding round led by Smedvig Ventures, a known backer of promising B2B tech ventures in Europe, aiming to propel its presence into new markets while expanding its product capabilities.
Understory’s recent achievements have led to notable industry recognition. The platform’s growth is highlighted by a sixfold increase in its customer base over the past year, which includes active service in ten countries. It has also been identified as one of Europe’s top 100 promising software startups by Notion Capital and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Cloud for 2025. These accomplishments reflect the ambition and effectiveness of Understory’s approach in the highly competitive experience market.
What Does Understory Offer?
The core of Understory’s platform is its AI-driven system, which integrates various business functions into a single interface. This approach is designed to cater to the evolving needs of both providers and consumers in the experience sector. Understory enables ease of discovery, booking, and enjoyment of experiences for consumers while streamlining operations for businesses, thus addressing the industry challenge of outdated systems.
How Is Understory Adapting to Market Trends?
As consumers lean increasingly towards digital interactions, Understory’s platform meets the demand for seamless and efficient processes in the experience economy. This shift is crucial as approximately 50% of commerce still transpires offline, posing a challenge for traditional systems. Understory strives to bridge this gap by offering a comprehensive digital solution, thus facilitating growth opportunities for providers.
The funding will not only bolster Understory’s growth but also support broader initiatives like the Female Founders Lab, which aims to empower women in the experience business arena. This academy seeks to equip women with mentorship and the necessary tools for success.
Looking ahead, Understory’s CEO, Lasse Kjær, expressed enthusiasm about the company’s future trajectories.
“With this investment, we can further develop our product and infrastructure while also expanding Understory internationally,” said Kjær.
The strategic move towards international markets reflects Understory’s mission to scale and adapt its solution globally, ensuring more businesses have access to its innovative tools.
Understory’s initiatives are in response to current industry needs, focusing on refining the user experience and expanding provider capabilities. The company’s history includes the creation of Truestory, a successful experience portal in the Nordics, which demonstrates its founders’ grasp of the market dynamics and trends.
Understory is poised to enhance its offers and market strategies further, backed by a solid team and visionary leadership. The company’s long-term success will depend on its ability to adapt to consumer behaviors and leverage technological advances effectively in the competitive landscape.
