Optiak Raises €4M to Build Enterprise AI Orchestration Layer

Enterprise AI startup Optiak has secured €4 million ($4.7 million) in a pre-seed funding round to develop a modular operating system designed to govern fragmented AI tool adoption. The platform acts as an intermediary layer between corporate AI applications and underlying models, centralizing security, observability, and cost management. Led by investors including Market One Capital and Next Tier Ventures, the company aims to mitigate risks associated with “Shadow AI,” which Cisco’s 2025 research links to internal data leaks at 46% of organizations.

Why Organizations Struggle with AI Sprawl

Large enterprises often face a disorganized landscape of AI tools adopted by employees without formal IT oversight. This phenomenon, known as “Shadow AI,” creates significant security vulnerabilities. According to IBM’s 2025 data breach report, unsanctioned AI tools are now responsible for roughly one in five corporate security breaches. By allowing employees to access third-party models outside of governed channels, companies lose visibility into where sensitive data is processed and stored.

How an Intermediary Layer Functions

Optiak provides a centralized control plane that sits between company-wide AI applications and various model providers. Instead of configuring security protocols for every individual chatbot or agent, administrators set policy once at the infrastructure level. This architecture allows companies to automatically route requests to the most cost-effective model that meets specific compliance requirements. Borja Balle, Optiak’s CTO and former researcher at Google DeepMind and Amazon, suggests this approach creates compounding benefits for latency and security across an entire corporate ecosystem.

Centralized Governance vs. Vendor Lock-in

Enterprises currently face a binary choice: either manage a chaotic array of disparate AI tools or commit to a single, rigid vendor. While centralization reduces the surface area for security threats, it often forces firms into expensive long-term contracts and limited model flexibility. Optiak’s model attempts to bypass this “bind” by offering a neutral layer that supports multiple models simultaneously. This allows businesses to switch between providers based on performance or pricing shifts without rebuilding their underlying infrastructure.

The Technical Pedigree Driving Enterprise Trust

The company’s ability to attract significant early-stage capital is tied to its leadership team’s background in high-scale systems. Co-CEOs Daniel Arenas and Ignacio Gamoneda lead the firm, while CTO Borja Balle brings expertise in differential privacy—a critical component for secure enterprise AI. The startup has also secured backing from investors with ties to industry giants including Stripe, SpaceX, Amazon, and CrowdStrike. This institutional confidence is aimed at helping Optiak overcome the skepticism typically directed at new infrastructure layers in established corporate environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is “Shadow AI”? It refers to the use of AI applications by employees without the knowledge or approval of the organization’s IT department.
• How does a modular AI operating system reduce costs? By acting as a routing layer, it can direct queries to the most cost-efficient model capable of handling the specific task, avoiding reliance on a single, potentially overpriced provider.
• What is the primary risk of using multiple AI models? Without a governance layer, companies face fragmented security policies, making it difficult to prevent data leaks or ensure regulatory compliance.