From semiconductors to chocolate, you will be surprised how many Products are already manufactured with the help of AI.
And it is precisely in the factory hall that the Swiss startup EthonAI wants to gain a foothold in this emerging market.
“The manufacturing industry is at a critical point and companies that fail to adapt to AI risk being left behind,” says CEO Julian Senoner, who co-founded EthonAI after completing his doctorate in AI systems at ETH Zurich.
The up-and-coming company uses AI to detect problems in production lines. The idea is to help factories reduce the number of defective products that are ultimately thrown away.
The <3 of EU technology
The latest gossip from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise old founder Boris and questionable AI art. Free in your inbox every week. Sign up now!
EthonAI uses a so-called Manufacturing Analytics System (MAS) to do this. The program uses AI algorithms to sift through huge data sets collected by sensors placed at multiple locations along the production line.
The system then displays key data on a dashboard in a format that is easy for factory managers to read.
The university spin-off today secured $16 million to expand its technology. The funding round was led by European venture capital firm Index Ventures, which has previously backed companies such as Meta, Slack and Dropbox.
EhtonAI’s customers already include several major manufacturers, including the German energy giant Siemens and the pharmaceutical company Roche.
The startup's software even runs in three factories of one of the world's most popular chocolate brands: Lindt & Sprüngli. For example, AI helps production managers fine-tune machine temperatures or product shapes to prevent quality degradation before it occurs.
Modern factories are full of sensors that measure everything from the temperature of a boiler to the vibration of an engine. “But data is only valuable if you can process it, understand it and use it to make decisions,” says Katharina Wilhelm, partner at Index Ventures.
