Deck Raises $12M to Simplify Website Integration with AI

Deck Secures $12 Million in Series A Funding

Deck, a company positioning itself as the “Plaid for the rest of the internet,” has successfully raised $12 million during its Series A funding round. This investment arrives approximately nine months following the closure of its seed financing, as reported exclusively to TechCrunch.

Led by Infinity Ventures, this new capital injection elevates the total funding secured by Montreal-based Deck since its founding in January 2024 to $16.5 million.

Building Infrastructure for User-Permissioned Data Access

Deck is focused on developing the underlying infrastructure required for user-authorized data access across the internet. The company’s browser-based data agents facilitate the unlocking of data from any website through automated processes.

Essentially, Deck empowers users to connect any online account and transforms the resulting information into structured, readily usable data, all while maintaining complete user control and consent.

Founding and Vision

Deck was co-founded in June 2024 by Frederick Lavoie, President; Yves-Gabriel Leboeuf, CEO; and Bruno Lambert, CTO.

The startup operates on the principle that the web should be considered an open platform. They believe that a significant amount of valuable user data remains inaccessible, locked behind traditional login methods and lacking secure sharing mechanisms.

Expanding Data Access Beyond APIs

Deck aims to address this challenge by providing a solution analogous to Plaid’s role in simplifying bank account data access. Leboeuf explained to TechCrunch that Deck extends this capability to the vast majority of platforms – 95% – that do not currently offer APIs.

This includes platforms like utility portals, e-commerce systems, payroll services, and government websites.

The ultimate goal is to streamline data access for developers, allowing them to utilize information users already possess without the complexities of manual processes.

How Deck's Technology Works

Upon a user connecting an account, Deck’s infrastructure manages all subsequent operations. AI-powered agents log in, navigate websites, and extract data, mimicking human interaction but with increased speed, reliability, and scalability, according to Leboeuf.

Following initial data extraction, the system automatically generates scripts to maintain these connections, ensuring ongoing data access without continuous AI intervention.

“Companies leverage Deck to overcome the obstacles of obtaining user data from sources lacking APIs – or where existing APIs are incomplete, costly, or unreliable,” Leboeuf stated. “We effectively ‘Plaid-ify’ any website, enabling the rapid development of features like accounting, KYC processes, automated reporting, and business verification, reducing development timelines from months to minutes.”

Repeat Founders and the Data Access Problem

Leboeuf and Lavoie were the driving forces behind Flinks, a company often referred to as the “Plaid for Canada.” This venture was acquired by the National Bank of Canada in 2021 for approximately US$140 million. Lambert was among the earliest engineers to contribute to Flinks’ development.

Following the acquisition, the founders engaged in conversations with numerous entrepreneurs spanning diverse sectors.

“A recurring theme emerged from these discussions: the pervasive issue of broken data,” Leboeuf explained.

One entrepreneur faced challenges accessing millions of dollars worth of sales data, siloed within numerous, inefficient distributor portals. Another spent considerable time attempting to retrieve music royalty information, aiming to facilitate the recovery of over a billion dollars in unclaimed royalties.

Lavoie added, “We personally encountered similar difficulties. The underlying issue was consistent: data access was fragmented, unreliable, and consistently failing – and this extended beyond the financial industry.”

This realization led to the creation of Deck, a company that now positions itself as a competitor to Arcadia, a platform the founders previously evaluated but ultimately found unsatisfactory.

The Role of AI and the Urgency of Data Access

The team posits that recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have heightened the importance of open access to non-financial data. Without readily available data, AI systems risk being trained on information that is obsolete, skewed, or incomplete.

Initially, Deck’s efforts have been concentrated on collaborating with utility companies. They have successfully established connections with over 100,000 utility providers across more than 40 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Current clients include EnergyCAP, Quadient, and Greenly. Deck is also expanding its reach to non-utility clients like Notes.fm, Glowtify, and Evive Smoothies, believing its technology is applicable to any industry where data remains inaccessible within online accounts.

Deck as a Data Access Bridge

“We function as the intermediary between application-level systems and core tools like browser automation or AI operators, such as Playwright, Browser Use, and OpenAI Operator,” Leboeuf stated.

“We’ve streamlined the complex, underlying processes – including authentication, data normalization, rate limiting, consent management, and anti-bot measures – and transformed them into a cohesive, readily available platform.”

Significant Expansion

The number of developers utilizing the Deck platform has experienced substantial growth in recent months, as reported by the company’s founders.

Specifically, connections on the platform increased by over 120% in February when compared to the preceding month.

Deck employs a performance-based pricing model, billing clients solely for “successful” API calls.

“Payment is only required when the data is successfully retrieved,” explained Lavoie.

Similar to companies like Plaid and Flinks, Deck prioritizes explicit user consent for data connection and collection.

“Our technology aligns with the global trend of open data, initially driven by open banking, and supports the established consumer and business right to data access and transfer, as clarified by regulators worldwide,” stated Leboeuf.

Deck also asserts the possession of unique technologies designed to circumvent detection as bots or web crawlers.

These technologies encompass a variety of techniques, including vision computing and emulation of natural human mouse movements.

“While robust antibot measures are common in sectors like telecommunications and human resources, many other data-focused industries lack comparable protections,” Lavoie noted.

Currently, the collected data is not being utilized for model training.

The company’s focus remains on optimizing data collection methods rather than developing products directly based on the data itself.

“Data usage requires both end-user consent and approval from Deck’s clients,” clarified Leboeuf.

The company is preparing to introduce a data vertical creator, intended to enable developers to quickly establish operations across diverse data verticals and industries.

Deck currently employs a team of 30 individuals.

Jeremy Jonker, co-founder and managing partner at Infinity Ventures, posits that Deck is “fundamentally changing” the landscape of user-permissioned data.

“They are mirroring the transformative impact open banking had on financial data, offering a platform with speed, reliability, and adaptability that surpasses standard utilities,” he commented to TechCrunch.

Jonker has accepted a position on Deck’s board following the investment.

Intact Ventures, alongside existing investors Better Tomorrow Ventures, Golden, and Luge Capital, also contributed to the Series A funding round.