€5m · Pre-Seed · Fintech · Oslo, Norway
Benford, an Oslo-based technology-enabled audit firm, has raised €5m in pre-seed funding to build what it describes as a new generation of statutory auditor. The round was led by firstminute capital, Global Founders Capital and Sondo, alongside Peter ter Maaten, Arthur Waller, Quentin de Metz, Alexandre Prot and the Spandow family.
The company holds an audit licence in Norway and combines qualified auditors with AuditOS, its proprietary platform for connecting to client systems, gathering evidence and carrying work forward between annual engagements. Benford says it is already running client audits and will use the funding to grow its Oslo and London teams, enter Sweden and expand into further European markets.
Software economics meet regulated accountability
Benford is not selling another workflow tool into an incumbent audit practice. It is building the practice and the software together: AuditOS handles repeatable evidence collection and testing, while licensed professionals scope engagements, resolve exceptions and sign the opinion. That structure gives the company control over both the product and the service delivery model, but it also makes regulatory execution part of the scaling challenge.
The commercial test is whether automation can reduce the hidden cost of audit for clients as well as the hours billed by the firm. Connecting directly to ERP systems, subledgers, invoices and bank data could shorten evidence requests and preserve institutional context from one audit cycle to the next. If that works across jurisdictions, Benford can use software to improve delivery without pretending that professional judgment has been automated away.
Sources checked: Benford company announcement; Finansavisen reporting; Tech.eu Funding Explorer deal record.
