Berlin-based database startup SereneDB has raised $2.1 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Entourage and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), two venture funds backing early-stage technology companies across Europe.
SereneDB is building an open-source database that combines search and analytical processing in a single system. The investment will help the company advance its core mission: creating a dedicated platform for real-time search and analytics that works with standard PostgreSQL tools.
Most search and analytics tools were designed to find single, static items. They weren't built to handle fast-changing, complex data. These systems struggle with real-time updates and deletions. They force teams to piece together searches, caches, and dashboards. The result? Slow answers, fragile pipelines, and insights that arrive already outdated.
SereneDB takes a different approach. It brings live data and deep analysis into one system. The platform combines a powerful search engine with modern OLAP execution under the PostgreSQL umbrella. It handles real-time data ingestion with proper updates and deletes, returning complex results in milliseconds. Both humans and AI agents can query the most recent data, while companies reduce tooling, costs, and operational risk through standardized SQL tools and APIs.
Andrey Abramov, Co-Founder at SereneDB, says: "We have grown from a personal project in 2014 into the exceptional team we are today. Our shared purpose has always been to make true real-time analytics a reality. Partnering with Entourage and HTGF gives us the resources to turn this goal into reality, and we appreciate their trust as we deliver on our mission."
The funding will help SereneDB pursue its open-source development strategy. This approach gives the data community a voice in shaping the technology. By enabling trustworthy, real-time insights at any stage of the data lifecycle, SereneDB aims to set a new practical standard for modern analytics.
The team behind SereneDB brings deep expertise in search technology. They previously created what they describe as the world's fastest enterprise-grade C++ search library. Now they're applying that experience to build the engine for next-generation data applications.
SereneDB is a German company founded in 2025 by Alexander Malandin, Andrey Abramov, and Valery Mironov. The startup is building an open-source, distributed, real-time search database that brings search and analytical processing together. Their goal is to eliminate data duplication while delivering fast performance. SereneDB's mission is to provide a unified search and analytics solution that changes how applications store and retrieve data.
The founding team's story goes back over a decade. Andrey and Alexander have known each other for about 16 years. They started their IT journeys together, though they took different paths. Alexander went into sales engineering while Andrey focused on deep research. That's when Andrey began building the C++ search library, and Alexander was excited about it from day one. They lost touch for a short while when Andrey went off to integrate search with databases. But once that work was ready to be productized, it was time to join forces again.
That's also when they met Valery. The encounter felt almost destined. The three have been working together ever since, and this team gives them the confidence that they can achieve anything. Eventually, it became obvious they had outgrown the frame they were in and needed to move on. That's exactly how SereneDB was born.
Pieterjan Bouten, Founder and Managing Partner at Entourage, says: "SereneDB's team has spent years in the trenches of information retrieval, where breakthroughs are rare. They've earned their position with core search technology addressing a critical layer of tech that is often overlooked. Unlocking this data foundation paves the way for a wave of new applications. SereneDB is building that infrastructure, and they have the grit to see it through."
Entourage is an early-stage investment fund founded by Pieterjan Bouten, co-founder of Showpad. The fund focuses on building and backing the next generation of B2B SaaS companies. Its portfolio includes Aikido (cybersecurity), Lexroom (legal tech), and Conveo (market research). Entourage is backed by a network of successful SaaS founders, including Jason Lemkin (SaaStr), Stijn Christiaens (Collibra), Matthias Geeroms (Lighthouse), and Jan Hollez (Deliverect).
HTGF (High-Tech Gründerfonds) is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe. The fund finances startups across Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences, and Chemistry. Its public-private partnership includes the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital, and 45 companies and family offices.
For SereneDB, this funding means more than just a cash injection. The team at Entourage are entrepreneurs themselves. They've been there already, especially with their recent exit at Showpad. The insights they provide are real and actionable. HTGF, in turn, adds massive value right on the ground in Berlin. As one of Germany's biggest funds, their network and experience with startups are hard to match. SereneDB plans to lean on that reach as they grow.
Hendryk Hosemann, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF, says: "As AI becomes central to every software product, engineering teams need the ability to query, analyze, and understand live data in real time at scale. SereneDB is redefining AI-memory infrastructure with search and analytics accessible to everyone through PostgreSQL. It's incredibly rare to find a team that is both able and daring enough to build at this depth, and we're proud to back them as they redefine what modern databases can deliver."
