Overview
• Early-stage climate impact VC AENU was handling all IT operations internally, creating time constraints for the Executive Assistant.
• Onboarding processes relied on checklists and spreadsheets, leading to inconsistent experiences and high operational overhead.
• With deeploi, AENU introduced structure, eliminated manual effort and automated IT workflows to support smooth growth without losing time or focus.
IT Challenge
As an early-stage climate tech VC fund, AENU was growing but managing all IT operations internally. Catrin Schmidt, Executive Assistant, was balancing IT responsibilities alongside operations, HR, and office management duties.
"My challenge is always the time. I have so many different topics on my list that I'm always time constrained," she explains. With the team expanding from under 10 to 15 employees, the manual processes became harder to manage. They grew in volume, were time-consuming, repetitive and distracted from more strategic tasks.
Managing onboarding was especially time-intensive. Tasks like ordering laptops, creating logins and tracking access were managed through a mix of Notion pages and Google Sheets without systematic reminders.
As Catrin explains, “Sometimes I sat down for an hour and explained everything on the device to the new employee, or I spent several hours on IT onboarding myself.”
Additionally, researching IT best practices, determining which software to use, which devices to purchase, or when updates were needed, consumed valuable time that could have been directed toward higher-priority projects.
“We’re a lean team, and IT is essential. I wanted a partner who could support us behind the scenes, so I could focus on other areas without worrying about device logistics or access rights,” Catrin shares.
Solution with deeploi
The partnership focused on simplifying IT through:
Automated onboarding via HRIS integration. Employee profiles created in Personio automatically trigger IT setup. deeploi handles the rest, provisioning access and setting up necessary tools without manual intervention. “deeploi helped me build a structure I can follow for every employee. That’s an immense help," says Catrin.
Role-based software bundles. Each team member receives exactly the tools and access they need based on their role. “It's structured, transparent, and helped us think more clearly about who needs what.”
Pre-configured device delivery. Fully set-up laptops are shipped directly to team members with no manual configuration required.
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Cloud2cloud backup. AENU replaced a separate backup vendor with deeploi's integrated solution, simplifying management and improving visibility.
Reliable support. The deeploi team responds within 12 minutes, solving issues quickly and consistently without internal escalation. “The IT processes are managed on your side. I am not even involved, and everything is handled.”
Outcome
After six months of collaboration with deeploi, AENU has achieved transformative, relieving improvements:
• Onboarding time reduced by up to 97%, going from 2-3 hours to just 5 minutes per new hire. "Now just a few tasks of the work I had to do is on my side. The rest is all on yours."
• Standardized, automated and professionalized onboarding for all team members, thanks to organized workflows and clear role-based software bundles.
• Consolidated IT services, migrating Cloud2Cloud Backup onto deeploi’s centralized platform, reducing the need for multiple vendors.
• Achieved peace of mind and daily relief through reliable support, structured processes and fast resolution times.
• Unlocked time for new strategic responsibilities, allowing Catrin to focus on high-priority initiatives rather than manual IT tasks.
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About AENU
AENU is a Berlin-based early-stage VC fund investing in European climate tech startups focused on decarbonization, energy transformation, and systemic impact.
AENU
• Onboarding time reduced by up to 97%, going from 2-3 hours to 5 minutes per new hire.
• Standardized, automated and professionalized onboarding for all team members, thanks to structured workflows and clear role-based software bundles.
• Consolidated IT services, migrating Cloud2Cloud Backup onto deeploi’s centralized platform, reducing the need for multiple vendors.
• Unlocked time for new strategic responsibilities, allowing Catrin to focus on high-priority initiatives rather than manual IT tasks.