Today, we're thrilled to announce our investment in Upciti, as we lead their €18 million Series A round alongside existing investors Point Nine and Chalfen Ventures. Upciti is a full-stack AI platform providing a unified system of record for all of a city’s data, ingesting heterogeneous datasets across various verticals (waste, traffic, footfall, noise pollution, etc.) collected either through their proprietary sensors or through third-party data.

The Problem Upciti Solves? Cities Are Data-Poor by Default

Although cities are the backbone of the economy and generate over 80% of world’s GDP, most cities today are data-poor by default, relying on outdated tools, incomplete datasets, and manual processes to manage everything from parking to public safety. Existing legacy systems are often too narrow or privacy-invasive which limits their adoption. 

Cities across the world are now rapidly adopting AI to create more efficient, sustainable, and responsive urban environments, with federal budgets in the US also now prioritising projects that will bring fast and proven ROI through technology against low return expensive projects.

A Unified System of Record for the Urban World

Founded in 2017 by engineer Jean-Baptiste Poljak, Upciti began as a series of product iterations that ultimately led to the development of its current proprietary sensor. Amongst other use cases, the current, privacy-forward sensor provides cities with a granular understanding of traffic flows, pedestrian density, parking availability, noise levels, health & safety risks etc. and creates a new kind of operational visibility for cities. 

Upciti has also built an impressive software stack, enabling city departments to generate insights and automate workflows straight from their platform, where Upciti becomes a city’s unified system of record and engagement. 

From our first conversation with Jean-Baptiste and his team, we were struck by the depth of their technical vision and their GTM execution, with this round further supporting the team as it continues to scale rapidly across the US and Europe.

Building the Infrastructure for Physical AI

At Notion, we are convinced we’ve entered a new cycle of innovation in the physical world - one where AI is embedded in our streets, buildings, and infrastructure. Upciti represents a new wave of "Physical AI" companies - blending hardware, software, and deep learning to make the built environment smarter and more responsive.

Our investment in Protex AI, a computer vision company focused on safety and risk management in industrial environments, shares the same thesis: that AI and computer vision will fundamentally reshape how we monitor, understand, and respond to activity in the physical world. With Upciti, that same idea is now being extended to the urban environment, and we couldn’t be more excited to be part of this journey.

Why Notion Capital? A Note From the Founders…

Upciti is on its way to capture a massive global opportunity: digitising and optimising how cities operate. Our rapid expansion in the US and Europe shows that our solution addresses universal challenges cities face and can scale without borders.

Meeting Kam and the Notion team was an instant match. We had deep, high-quality discussions on B2G go-to-market strategy, hardware-enabled SaaS, AI-assisted decision-making, all central to how we deliver real-world impact today. We share the same ambition, and Notion’s expertise in scaling category leaders will be invaluable.

This partnership will be instrumental in making Upciti the global leader in city operations software.

Interview with Upciti Founder Jean-Baptiste Poljak