heyData Raises $16.5 Million Series A to Simplify Compliance and IT Security Across Europe

BERLIN | DACH REGION — European compliance automation startup heyData has secured $16.5 million in Series A funding, marking a significant milestone in its mission to make regulatory compliance intuitive, automated, and accessible for modern businesses. The funding round was led by Riverside Acceleration Capital (RAC), a global investor known for backing high-growth B2B software companies.

The fresh capital will enable heyData to accelerate product innovation, expand across Europe, and further integrate IT security with regulatory compliance—two domains that have traditionally operated in silos despite growing interdependence.

Addressing a Critical Pain Point in Modern Business

As regulatory frameworks across Europe continue to expand in scope and complexity, compliance has become a strategic necessity rather than a back-office obligation. However, for many small and mid-sized businesses, compliance still feels like a “black box”—manual, costly, and detached from daily operations.

heyData is positioning itself as a corrective force in this landscape. The company’s platform is designed to embed compliance directly into everyday workflows, replacing fragmented spreadsheets and one-off audits with a unified, automated system.

“We’re building heyData for the reality of modern business,” said Miloš Djurdjević, Co-Founder of heyData. “This round gives us the fuel to bring IT security and compliance together in one place, so teams can stop coordinating endless tasks and start feeling genuinely in control.”

Why the Series A Comes Ahead of Schedule

According to the company, the Series A round was initially planned for later in 2026. However, accelerating regulatory pressure—particularly from new European data protection and cybersecurity regulations—prompted an earlier raise.

With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated and compliance obligations expanding beyond legal teams into engineering, HR, and operations, businesses are seeking platforms that reduce friction rather than add complexity.

“Our goal is for compliance to stop feeling like an ‘extra project’ and start feeling like a clean, natural process,” explained Daniel Deutsch. “This capital allows us to invest deeply in automation and clarity—from first-time onboarding to audit readiness—so companies can focus on growth instead of paperwork.”

Product Expansion: Security and Compliance in One Platform

A core focus of the Series A investment is product development, particularly the convergence of IT security and compliance. heyData plans to significantly expand its security tooling while maintaining a modular, framework-agnostic architecture.

The company outlined three strategic priorities for the use of funds:

1. Unified Security & Compliance Platform

heyData is expanding its IT security capabilities to create what it describes as “Compliance 2.0”—a single, modular platform where security controls, risk management, and regulatory requirements coexist seamlessly.

2. More Frameworks, Less Manual Work

The platform will support additional European and international compliance frameworks, alongside deeper integrations with commonly used business tools. heyData’s stated objective is clear: if a compliance task can be automated, it should be.

3. Scaling Across Europe

Building on its strong traction in the DACH region, heyData plans to expand its footprint across Europe, helping companies scale internationally without the traditional compliance overhead that often slows expansion.

Compliance as a Trust Signal, Not a Burden

Beyond operational efficiency, heyData views compliance as a brand and trust asset—especially in B2B environments where data protection and security posture increasingly influence purchasing decisions.

“Compliance is a badge of trust,” said Martin Bastius. “We want businesses to prove that trust to their customers at any moment, using a system that scales as fast as they do.”

This trust-centric framing aligns with broader market trends, where compliance readiness is becoming a competitive differentiator rather than a regulatory checkbox.

Investor Confidence in a Growing Market

Riverside Acceleration Capital’s participation underscores growing investor confidence in compliance automation as a category. As regulatory complexity rises across jurisdictions, platforms that simplify compliance while integrating security controls are increasingly viewed as essential infrastructure for digital businesses.

The heyData Series A round reflects a broader shift in the European SaaS ecosystem, where investors are backing pragmatic, workflow-embedded solutions rather than compliance tools that operate in isolation.

A Community-Driven Growth Story

heyData also emphasized the role of its customers and partners in shaping the platform’s evolution. The company credited ongoing user feedback for helping refine its product roadmap and ensure real-world relevance.

As heyData enters its next phase of growth, the company remains focused on a singular goal: making compliance a simple, continuous, and confidence-building process for businesses navigating an increasingly regulated digital economy.