Behind the software: how auction expertise shapes better technology
October 28, 2026
Auction technology should make growth easier. Too often, legacy systems do the opposite, creating disconnected workflows, duplicated work and limitations that become more visible as an auction business expands.
Artisio was created to change that. From the outset, the ambition was to build a new generation of auction technology: one scalable, connected solution capable of supporting the entire auction journey, automating routine processes and giving businesses the flexibility to grow.
The idea came from people who understood the problem from both sides. They had spent years working inside auction businesses and building sophisticated technology solutions. They knew where traditional auction software was falling short, and they had the technical expertise and ambition to build something significantly better.
The frustration came before the software
For founder and CEO Berdia Qamarauli, the starting point was first-hand experience.
Between 2006 and 2017, Berdia delivered online technology solutions as CTO of a major UK-based auction house, leading technology operations across the UK, US, Europe and Asia. His wider career now spans around 25 years in enterprise technology, including work with S&P 500 and FTSE 250 organisations, fintech, AI and automation.
Working inside an international auction business gave him a close view of an industry that was becoming increasingly digital while much of its underlying technology remained fragmented and restrictive.
Inventory, cataloguing, finance, client information and bidding could all depend on different systems. Teams were left transferring information between them, filling gaps manually and adapting their processes around software that had never been designed to support a truly connected auction business.
In 2014, Berdia met Irakli Svanidze, an experienced technology entrepreneur with a background in tech start-ups, executive leadership and IT operations. Irakli was running a software development business with Zura Sekhniashvili and Guga Grigolia, now Artisio’s Head of Software Engineering.
The four quickly discovered that they shared the same appetite for ambitious technology projects and the same belief in how much better enterprise software could be.
Before Artisio existed, they worked together on complex software projects for blue-chip financial organisations and auction businesses around the world. The more auction technology they encountered, the clearer the opportunity became.
Existing solutions could perform individual functions, but the market lacked a genuinely modern front-to-back system capable of connecting the entire operation.
That became the idea behind Artisio.
- "We wanted to create a single platform to let auction businesses have one, centralised back-office solution which would make all staff members’ lives easier. At Artisio we understand the challenges facing auction houses today.” Berdia Qamarauli, Irakli Svanidze, Zura Sekhniashvili and Guga Grigolia, Co-Founders of Artisio
Artisio was founded in March 2020 with a clear vision to lead the auction industry on to the next level of technology. Within six months, three enterprise-size customers had already been onboarded.
Knowing how auctions work changes what you build
Technology works differently when the people shaping it understand what happens inside an auction business.
That perspective is reinforced by Mark Holdaway, Commercial Head of Sales, who has spent more than 20 years working with auctioneers and auction technology.
Before joining Artisio, Mark worked for Auction Technology Group (ATG) across several major areas of the business including thesaleroom.com and i-bidder.com. He has also worked for major UK fine art auction houses, including Roseberys, providing his experience from both an auction technology and auction process side of the industry.
Across those roles, he has experienced and managed almost every part of the auction journey: how assets are sourced and catalogued, how auctions are marketed, how buyers discover and bid on lots, and how finance, collections and post-sale processes operate behind the scenes.
That matters when speaking to an auction business considering upgrading to new technology. The conversation starts with how that organisation works today, where processes are slowing people down and how changing buyer behaviour is reshaping expectations.
Modern bidders increasingly bring the habits they have developed through retail and other digital platforms. They expect intuitive search, simple registration, straightforward bidding, easy payments and a smooth journey through collection and delivery.
Mark has spent years helping auction businesses understand what those expectations mean operationally.
- “This means adapting and streamlining current processes to deliver incredible client service and buyer journeys from the moment they land on your website and engage with you.” Mark Holdaway, Artisio Head of Sales.
For Artisio, those client-facing expectations cannot be separated from the technology behind them. A smooth buyer journey depends on accurate information, connected workflows and a back office capable of responding quickly.
The idea was always one connected operation
The central premise behind Artisio was simple: auction businesses should be able to manage their core processes within one connected environment.
That means bringing together inventory, consignments, cataloguing, client management, bidding, invoicing, settlements, reporting and other operational workflows rather than forcing teams to bridge separate systems manually.
The approach allows Artisio to support businesses across all major auction verticals, including fine art and antiques, collectables, industrial and commercial, classic cars, wine and whisky, and property.
Each of those sectors has different workflows, terminology and commercial requirements, but the underlying principle remains the same: technology should adapt to the complexity of the auction business rather than forcing the business to work around the limitations of the software.
As a 100% API-based platform, Artisio can connect with the wider technology an auction business depends on, from payment and accounting systems to marketing platforms, marketplaces and specialist services. Clients can build a technology environment around their own requirements without creating another isolated system.
Engineering technology that will still work tomorrow
That long-term thinking is central to Zura Sekhniashvili, CTO and Co-Founder of Artisio.
Zura brought years of experience developing complex web-based systems to Artisio, including technology work for one of the world’s largest auction houses. His technical background spans software architecture, web development and cybersecurity, but his approach to engineering has always started with understanding the problem in depth.
There is a personal reason for that.
As a school student, Zura spent five years applying to compete in a national intellectual television competition. Four times he was selected as a reserve. In his final year, after once again missing out on a main place, he approached the founder of the competition directly, explained how long he had been trying and asked for the chance to compete.
He was given that opportunity, and he won.
- “You can’t always control luck, but you can control how hard you work and how deeply you understand a problem.” Zura Sekhniashvili, CTO and Co-Founder of Artisio.
The same persistence has shaped his career in software engineering.
By the time Artisio was being developed, Zura understood both the technical demands of large software systems and the realities of auction operations. That combination influenced fundamental architectural decisions.
The system needed to handle increasing volumes reliably. It needed to scale as clients grew. It needed to connect easily with other technologies. And crucially, it needed to remain modern rather than becoming another piece of legacy software that businesses would eventually have to work around.
That thinking sits behind Artisio’s cloud infrastructure, API-first architecture and continued investment in automation, integrations and AI.
Zura also has a strong interest in education and knowledge sharing, creating free technical content and encouraging a culture where understanding the reasoning behind technology matters as much as delivering the code itself.
That mindset is increasingly important as auction businesses assess technologies such as AI. Berdia’s wider work in enterprise AI, automation and AI governance, combined with Zura’s engineering experience, gives Artisio a practical lens through which to evaluate where new technology can genuinely improve auction operations.
Trusted across five continents
More than six years after its first customers came on board, Artisio has grown into a fully functional proprietary software suite powering auction businesses in 11 markets across five continents.
Its clients include some of the most recognised names in the industry, including Julien’s Auctions, Stanley Gibbons, Lyon & Turnbull, Aguttes, Downies Collectables, Venduehuis, BPI Auctions, BUDDS Auctions, alongside a growing international portfolio of auction businesses of different sizes and verticals.
The range of those clients is significant. Artisio has to work equally well for businesses managing high-value fine art, collectables, industrial equipment, classic cars, wine and whisky, or property. Each brings its own processes and commercial demands.
The technology is also being used beyond the traditional auction-house model.
REA Group, for example, uses Artisio to support recurring auctions within its wider digital property business, demonstrating how auction technology can power entirely different commercial applications. You can find out more by reading the REA Group case study.
That breadth of adoption provides perhaps the clearest validation of the original idea: auction technology can be both highly specialised and flexible enough to support very different businesses, markets and growth strategies.
Better technology starts with understanding the business
Artisio began with a group of people who believed auction technology could go much further.
They understood the operational frustrations because they had encountered them first-hand. They understood the commercial pressures because they had worked alongside auctioneers. And they had the engineering experience to build technology capable of addressing those challenges at enterprise scale.
More than six years later, that combination continues to shape the product and the way Artisio works with its clients.
For auction businesses considering their next stage of technology development, the first step doesn’t have to be a software demonstration.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation with an Artisio expert to review how your current processes are working, where time may be lost and which workflows could be improved.
Our team can help you identify operational bottlenecks, explore opportunities for automation and understand where better-connected technology could support the next stage of your business.
