Amsterdam-based LangWatch, a startup developing the first LLMops (Large Language Model Operations) platform to monitor, assess, and improve LLM-powered applications, has secured €1M in a pre-seed round of funding.
The round was led by Passion Capital, known for backing GoCardless, PolyAI, and Ravelin. Volta Ventures, a Benelux-focused SaaS VC, and Antler, Europe’s most active early-stage VC, also participated.
Sander Vonk, Managing Partner at Volta Ventures, says, “The Langwatch platform addresses a critical pain point for AI engineering teams, and the intuitive, user-friendly design opens doors for collaboration between developers and domain experts.”
“We see massive potential for LangWatch to reshape how enterprises approach AI deployment, and we’re excited to support them in scaling this solution to the global market.”
Monitor, evaluate & optimise LLM performance
LangWatch empowers businesses to monitor, evaluate, and optimise their AI applications, making it easier to build cost-effective and high-performing AI solutions.
Designed for both technical and non-technical users, LangWatch provides intuitive tools that enhance large language model (LLM) performance, ensuring reliability and efficiency in AI-powered applications.
For AI engineers, the startup offers advanced optimisers that identify the most effective prompts and models. These optimisers reduce costs by supporting a switch to more efficient, open-source, or budget-friendly alternatives. Features like the ‘Annotation Inbox’ streamline feedback collection, improving model accuracy and adaptability over time.
A key challenge in LLM development is quality control. Unlike traditional software, LLMs don’t always return the same output, even for identical inputs. LangWatch addresses this by providing an automated platform that continuously evaluates AI performance. This helps teams maintain consistency and adapt quickly as new models emerge. What once took a week of manual evaluation can now be done in minutes.
Unlike other LLM frameworks that require deep AI/ML expertise, LangWatch is designed for all software developers. Its interface enables collaboration between engineers and domain experts, allowing for real-time feedback and refinement of AI-generated responses.
Capital utilisation
LangWatch will use the funds to hire skilled engineers strengthening the platform to meet the demands of enterprise customers.
Manouk Draisma, co-founder of LangWatch, says, “Enterprises worldwide are looking for solutions that provide deep insights, ensure high-quality results, and clearly demonstrate impact to upper management.”
“LangWatch sets a new standard for AI optimisation—equipping engineers with powerful tools, including DSPy-based optimisers, to not only quickly identify and resolve issues but also continuously improve quality.”
“By integrating these frameworks, LangWatch enables teams to iterate faster and more reliably than ever, allowing companies to deploy competitive AI solutions to production with greater speed and confidence.”
Will Orde, Partner at Passion Capital, adds, “LangWatch stands out because they’ve built a platform that makes AI quality control accessible to every engineer and non-technical domain-experts. Their hybrid approach—combining LLM prompt optimisation with an intuitive, low-code framework—removes a major barrier to deploying reliable AI applications at scale.”
“We were particularly impressed by the founding team’s unique blend of deep technical expertise and commercial acumen, which gives them a distinct advantage in bridging the gap between AI research/development and real-world enterprise adoption.”
The founders of LangWatch
LangWatch was founded by Rogerio Chaves and Manouk Draisma, who met during an Antler residency in Amsterdam.
With over 25 years of combined experience at companies like Booking.com and Lightspeed, Chaves specialises in AI engineering and product development, while Draisma brings expertise in commercial strategy and team leadership across startups and public companies.
RJ Schuurs, Partner at Antler, says, “LangWatch is bringing quality control and peace of mind to the Wild West of LLM-powered applications. Rogerio has first hand experience building Booking.com’s first AI agents, and Manouk has the commercial expertise to scale the solution they have developed together.”
“This is a great founding team building a solution that engineers around the world urgently need. We’re very excited to see the role LangWatch plays in building a safer and more reliable AI future.”
Brief about Antler
Antler is a global investor that aims to empower and support “visionary” founders. With a presence in 27 cities across six continents, including London, New York, and Singapore, Antler partners with early-stage entrepreneurs, providing support from team formation to global scaling.
The firm has already brought over 1,400 startups into existence, each offering “paradigm-shifting” solutions across diverse industries. Antler aims to support the birth of over 6,000 startups by 2030, continuing to drive innovation and positive change on a global scale.
