Global Tech Company Hexagon Supports Industry’s Most Promising Manufacturing Start-Ups 

• Seven-strong cohort chosen out of more than 100 applicants for Hexagon’s revolutionary new open innovation platform, Sixth Sense
• Start-ups focused on lowering barriers of entry to AI and data optimisation, developing everything from virtual “Sims-style” AI factories to “fingerprints” for 3D printed parts
• The founders are now close to completing an intensive 10-week programme to prove their product and business model, and secure the chance to launch to Hexagon’s customer base of global market leaders

Seven disruptive manufacturing AI and data optimisation start-ups have been identified by tech leader Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division as contenders for the sector’s “next big thing”.

The start-ups were chosen by a panel of market experts based on the merit of their innovation, business model, commercial viability, and potential to tap into common manufacturing challenges. Each one addresses several critical pain points for high value technology companies, such as improving sustainability, harnessing AI, ML and the cloud more efficiently, easing the sharing of data and mitigating the effects of manufacturing’s growing skills gap with greater autonomy and low- and no-code solutions.

Hexagon’s technologies help produce 95% of all cars, 90% of all aircraft and 85% of all smartphones made every year, and this cohort has secured a place on the company’s Sixth Sense open innovation scaling platform, which will help them fast-track their idea to global commercialisation by gaining access to Hexagon’s precious market and customer insights.

The seven chosen start-ups are:

1. Eyeflow AI, Brazil

A cloud-based no-code AI platform with which anyone can build an app for visual inspection or monitoring of mission-critical applications, including monitoring correct use of Personal Protective Equipment, quality inspection in automotive lines, reducing operational costs, improving quality and boosting productivity.

2. IconPro, Germany

No-code software platform which enables companies around the world to turn production data into sustainable value and grow – merging state-of-the-art Machine Learning Operations for unstructured data with deep domain expertise.

3. Praemo, Canada

Developed RazorTM, a sophisticated manufacturing insights application that ingests data as-is from automation, quality, historian and maintenance to drive next level continuous improvement in areas like throughput, cost and productivity using advanced Machine Learning without the need for skilled data science teams.

4. RIIICO, Germany

An interactive digital, “The Sims-style” 3D model of the factory floor using AI and a single accurate 3D scan, to help managers visualise and plan their physical spaces and equipment by virtually modelling the impact of changes with the entire team.

5. SmartParts, USA

End-to-end authentication and traceability solution leveraging scanning hardware and advanced programmable markers to create covert “fingerprints” within 3D printed parts and materials stored in a cloud database, to improve supply chain visibility.

6. SMARTPM, Spain

A software platform, MIC (Manufacturing Intelligence Core), that orchestrates self-improving and autonomous manufacturing lines, offering real-time insights and increased productivity, improved profitability and greater flexibility.

7. SmartUQ, USA

Out-of-the-box AI Machine Learning software for predictive modelling, sampling and quantification of science and engineering processes, allowing users to assess the risk of different design and production approaches.

Parth Joshi, Chief Product and Technology Officer of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, said: “We were blown away by these ambitious, scaling start-ups. I was interested to see what themes we might spot, given manufacturing lies at the heart of many complex issues we face today, and a big motif was around making AI and ML more accessible. It is fascinating to see what technologies these newcomers think has the greatest innovation potential, and we look forward to helping to accelerate their introduction to the market.”

Milan Kocić, Head of Sixth Sense, Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, said: “Over the last seven weeks, the cohort has undergone an intensive training programme to prove their product and business model fit with Hexagon. We have been working with them to hone their ideas and approach, sharing our market know-how and resources to help them connect their innovation to customer demand and scale them into the next big thing to help solve some of tech’s biggest challenges.”

More detail on the companies can be found here.