Italian AI startup Rulen, formerly LexSA, has raised €1.8 million in its first funding round to strengthen its AI-powered platform for the tax and accounting sector. The round was led by VC Partners, with participation from Growth Engine, AME Ventures, Zest through its Magic Mind vehicle, Alpha Venture, and a group of industry business angels. The company announced the funding alongside its rebranding from LexSA to Rulen, signaling a shift from an AI research assistant to an agentic platform.
Addressing a Structural Talent Shortage
Rulen is responding to a structural problem in the Italian tax and accounting profession. New professional registrations have fallen by 27.3%, and professionals under 40 represent only 15% of the sector. Many firms still rely on manual processes and fragmented software systems, which increases the need for automation tools that support growth without proportional hiring.
From Research Assistant to Agentic Platform
Launched at the end of 2025, Rulen develops an AI operating platform that automates tax and accounting workflows, from data collection to review and document production. The platform integrates with existing software and third-party systems, including the Italian Revenue Agency's online taxpayer records known as Cassetto Fiscale. This allows firms to automate processes while maintaining professional oversight and verifiability.
Early Traction and Market Adoption
Rulen's platform is already used by law and tax firms, specialist practices, groups consolidating professional firms, and multinational companies. Over the last three and a half months, the company has quintupled its number of clients and manages thousands of tasks per day. This growth contributed to its recent admission to A-Road, a program by Growth Capital dedicated to high-potential Italian scaleups.
Funding to Accelerate Product and Team Growth
With the new capital, Rulen plans to accelerate product development and commercial expansion. The company expects to hire around 10 new profiles by the end of the year, strengthening sales and marketing with dedicated SDR roles and adding tax experts to its product team. These specialists will work alongside technology profiles to design agentic flows that remain aligned with regulatory and operational requirements.
Leadership Vision
Simone Hong, co-founder and CEO of Rulen, said the company was created after its founders experienced difficulty recruiting junior professionals and saw time lost to repetitive administrative work. He stated that Rulen aims to make AI adoption simple, concrete, and scalable while accelerating its shift to an agentic platform. Claudio Cama, co-founder and CTO, added that new AI agents will handle execution steps autonomously, leaving professionals to focus on higher-value decisions.
Investor Confidence
Stefano Siglienti, Managing Partner at VC Partners, said the firm is pleased to support Simone and Claudio as lead investor, bringing not only capital but also operational expertise for commercial growth and team building. He described tax and accounting as a complex sector where professionals still lack vertical AI tools designed to fit their existing workflows. Siglienti added that Rulen's founding team combines direct field experience with strong technology skills and is already receiving enthusiastic market feedback.
Rulen's first funding round marks a significant step in its effort to become a reference platform for end-to-end tax automation in Italy. By combining vertical AI, integration with existing systems, and professional oversight, the company aims to help firms scale services without proportional increases in headcount. The planned team expansion and product development will support its ambition to turn tax rules into concrete actions while keeping professionals in control.