Shopify for business-to-business transactions, Volta, has raised the largest pre-seed investment in Italy

Volta, a startup with dual headquarters in Milan and Paris, has raised €6 million ($6.3 million) in a pre-seed funding round to create a vertical SaaS platform aimed at revolutionizing B2B sales.

The company positions its product as a "Shopify for B2B transactions," addressing a gap in the market. While Shopify offers a B2B commerce platform, Volta believes there's untapped potential in focusing exclusively on B2B sales.

Currently, many midsize wholesale and distribution companies across Europe still rely on outdated paper catalogs and manual order processes. When attending trade shows or meeting clients, they often navigate multiple catalog versions, tailoring product lists and pricing to specific customers.

Volta aims to modernize this process without replacing existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Once a purchase order is finalized, it is processed through the ERP, but everything leading up to the transaction—such as catalog management, customer interaction, and order tracking—can be streamlined via Volta.

Businesses can upload catalogs from Excel files or ERPs, verify data accuracy, and manage it through Volta’s interface. The platform allows employees to create and share customized catalogs, track negotiations, and update orders in real time while keeping pricing and inventory data synced with the ERP.

“The B2C sector has moved forward with digital platforms replacing paper catalogs, yet B2B operations remain about 15 years behind, stuck in manual processes,” said co-founder and co-CEO Paul Guillemin.

Volta also includes customer management features, enabling users to create profiles, organize clients into categories, and handle basic CRM tasks. While it doesn't rival Salesforce in functionality, it offers enough for many businesses, according to Guillemin.

The startup envisions expanding its offerings with features like logistics integrations and financing options, ensuring companies derive greater value from Volta over time.

This €6 million pre-seed round is the largest for an Italian startup to date, partly due to Volta's experienced founding team. Guillemin previously co-founded Fretlink, a road freight startup that raised significant funds but ultimately failed to scale, leading to liquidation after his departure. His co-founder, Mario Parteli, has extensive experience in the tech industry, having founded Abiby, a beauty subscription box service, and worked at Facile.it and Rocket Internet.

The round was led by Emblem, a European VC firm, alongside contributions from funds like Robin Capital and Founders Future, and prominent angel investors, including scout programs from Sequoia and a16z, and the investment arms of the Berlusconi and Agnelli families.