Romanian startup Bible Chat, an AI-powered platform for Christian communities, has secured $14mn in a Series A funding round led by US-based True Ventures, with participation from Early Game Ventures and Play Ventures to support product development and international expansion.

Bible Chat has so far reached 10mn users and generates $15mn in annualised revenue. It currently ranks 13th among the most downloaded apps on the App Store, alongside WhatsApp and Instagram.

The $14mn investment will enable Bible Chat to accelerate growth through product development, marketing, and expansion into new markets. It will also strengthen its infrastructure and support community partnerships to enhance user engagement and global reach.

“What makes me happiest is that Bible Chat is already inspiring other tech entrepreneurs in Romania. The founders, Laurentiu and Marius, also mentor other entrepreneurs, offering advice and support. This is their way of contributing to the growth of the Romanian startup ecosystem and giving back, as the Americans say,” said Dan Calugareanu, partner at Early Game Ventures.

Founded in 2023 by Laurentiu Balasa and Marius Iordache, Bible Chat provides AI-driven tools, including the Bible Chat mobile app and platforms such as FaithAssistant.com and AIFortheChurch.org. These solutions offer personalised, biblically grounded support, answering questions, assisting with prayers, and engaging users around the clock.

Faith Assistant can be customised for churches and ministries, facilitating real-time interaction and content distribution while providing insights into community needs. The startup aims to enhance spiritual connections and support faith-based organisations through advanced Christian AI.

Among the top 10 questions asked via the app are "How can I know if I am truly saved?, "How can I get closer to God?" and "What constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?" according to the Bible Chat website. 

“We are grateful to the investors who have placed their trust in us. A special thanks to Marius and all our colleagues who have stood by me for so long,” said Balasa, CEO of Bible Chat.

True Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm managing $3.8bn in assets, led the round. The firm focuses on early-stage technology startups, particularly in the seed and Series A stages.

Bucharest-based Early Game Ventures, which recently launched a €60mn Fund II to invest in 25 to 30 early-stage startups across Central and Eastern Europe, also participated in the round. Play Ventures, a global investor specialising in pre-seed and seed-stage gaming startups, was another backer.