Benhamou Global Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm. The firm works with passion and commitment to building valuable companies. It places particular emphasis on cloud technologies; virtual and software-defined networking; productivity-based applications; cybersecurity, mobility, and the Internet of Things. In 2004, Eric Benhamou founded the firm in Palo Alto, California.

Benhamou Global Ventures

Andreessen Horowitz is a venture capital firm specializing in investing in seed, start-ups, early, mid-stage, growth, and late-stage. It prefers to invest in the social media business and technology sector with a focus on software, back-end infrastructure, the infrastructure of the Internet, cloud computing, enterprise software and services, consumer, business Internet, mobile-Internet, consumer Internet, cloud computing, data storage, social network browsers data-storage, consumer electronics, networking functions, software related biology, biotech, and medicine companies at the intersection of computer science and life sciences with a focus on digital therapeutics, cloud technology in biology, and computational medicine.

Andreessen Horowitz

Emergence is a venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage enterprise companies. Its mission is to be the most valuable partner to the companies changing the way the world works. In 2017, the firm was named Venture Firm of the Year by the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). Business Insider named Emergence one of the Top 10 Best Performing Venture Funds that launched at the turn of the decade, and posted returns as high as 50%. The firm’s investments include companies such as Salesforce (CRM), Veeva Systems (VEEV), Box (BOX), Zoom (ZM), SuccessFactors (SFSF, acquired by SAP), Yammer (acquired by Microsoft), Zoom, ServiceMax (acquired by GE) and Intact (acquired by Sage). For more information on Emergence, visit http://www.emcap.com and follow @emergencecap.

Emergence

Silicon Valley-based SRI International is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. Its mission: World-changing solutions to make people safer, healthier, and more productive.   Founded by Stanford University as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI became independent in 1970. Perhaps best known for its invention of the computer mouse, interactive computing, and Siri, SRI is responsible for major advances in computing, chemistry and materials, education, energy, health and pharmaceuticals, national defense, robotics, sensing, and more.   The nonprofit institute performs sponsored research and development for government agencies, businesses, and foundations. SRI brings its innovations to the marketplace through technology licensing, new products, and spin-off ventures. In 2014, SRI's consolidated revenues were approximately $540 million.

SRI International

Sozo Ventures was formed in 2011 to invest in and support IT ventures with their global expansion. We invest in category leaders in advanced data technologies, ecommerce, enterprise cloud, fintech, IOT and healthcare IT, among other emerging sectors. We are structured to connect the most ambitious entrepreneurial teams with the world's most advanced and respected customers and distributors. We are at our best when we can share our expertise well before expansion strategies are set.

Sozo Ventures

Micron Ventures offers investment solutions to early-stage companies in the technology sector.

Micron Ventures

Hella Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Hella that began operation in 2015, with its headquarters in San Francisco in California. It seeks to invest in the early-stage companies operating in the automated driving, lighting technologies, digitization, electrification, and software sectors.

Hella Ventures

Presidio Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Corporation, one of the world’s leading integrated trading companies. Presidio helps the technologies of tomorrow secure their place in the global market, offering solid financial support, and expertise in business development. With offices in Silicon Valley and Boston, Presidio Ventures has invested in more than 160 companies over the past twenty years. Presidio's expansive network of Sumitomo affiliates and subsidiaries helps it in tailoring support for start-ups, ensuring that new companies can succeed from early-stage investment all the way to IPO. Presidio looks for opportunities to partner with entrepreneurs in key industries that shape the way people live.

Presidio Ventures

Toyota Ventures is a San Francisco Bay Area-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups from around the world. Founded in July 2017, its mission is to discover what’s next for Toyota by helping startups bring disruptive technologies and business models to market quickly. With more than $500 million in assets under management, the firm’s funds include the Toyota Ventures Frontier Fund focused on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, autonomy, mobility, robotics, smart cities, digital health, financial technologies, materials, and energy; and the Toyota Ventures Climate Fund focused on innovative solutions for carbon neutrality.

Toyota Ventures

Alpha Intelligence Capital (AIC) is an entrepreneurs-led, entrepreneurs-invested, global closed-end private venture capital fund. It invests in deep Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) technology-based companies. (AI is the science of self-learning software algorithms that execute tasks otherwise typically performed by humans.) We believe that AI is the Future. Our core focus lies in companies in the early stages (Seed to Series B), with deep expertise in the algorithmic sciences and their application to developing breakthrough products and to solving real business problems. Our investment committee and advisory team come from executive level positions at Fortune 500 companies and successful startups, universities, private equity firms, ventures and funds. With a long history and strong background in a variety of industries, we use our expert experience to promote both long and short-term wealth generation.

Alpha Intelligence Capital

Drishti

Drishti provides AI-powered video analytics technology that gives visibility and insights for manual assembly line improvement, Its training function uses AI, video and best practices reinforcement to train new employees, cross-train existing employees and identify what it considers “brilliant outliers”: creative line associates who excel in certain roles or develop new ways to improve standardized work.

<div>Drishti utilizes computer vision and AI to offer video analytics and video traceability for manual assembly lines. From each workstation on the factory floor, video is streamed into the cloud, where the collected data is processed. This provides operators data (historical and live data, backed by video), accessed via apps, to support decision-making. Using neural networks and AI, worker actions are analyzed to generate warnings if certain actions were missed. This also helps to gain insights on work durations to identify bottlenecks and efficiency improvement points. Drishti was named a Manufacturing Leader by NAM (2021), one of America&rsquo;s &ldquo;most promising AI companies&rdquo; by Forbes (2020) and recognized as a &ldquo;Technology Pioneer&rdquo; by the World Economic Forum (2019). Drishti&rsquo;s technology is utilized by manufacturers such as Ford, Flex, Nissan, and DENSO.</div>

Using data and automation to achieve 24/7 production.

Smart Factory

Drishti Recognized As Frost & Sullivan 2022 Technology Innovation Leader For AI-Powered Video Analytics

<div>
 
 Drishti utilizes computer vision and AI to offer video analytics and video traceability for manual assembly lines. From each workstation on the factory floor, video is streamed into the cloud, where the collected data is processed. This provides operators data (historical and live data, backed by video), accessed via apps, to support decision-making. Using neural networks and AI, worker actions are analyzed to generate warnings if certain actions were missed. This also helps to gain insights on work durations to identify bottlenecks and efficiency improvement points. Drishti was named a Manufacturing Leader by NAM (2021), one of America&rsquo;s &ldquo;most promising AI companies&rdquo; by Forbes (2020) and recognized as a &ldquo;Technology Pioneer&rdquo; by the World Economic Forum (2019). Drishti&rsquo;s technology is utilized by manufacturers such as Ford, Flex, Nissan, and DENSO. 
 
 
 Drishti&rsquo;s most recent funding round was Series B funding worth USD 25 million in June 2020, led by Sozo Ventures. The funds will be used to expand into factories in North America and gradually globally, including Japan.
 
 
 In July 2021, the company appointed Gary Jackson (former CEO of early-stage enterprise technology companies including Tempo Software, Codiscope, and Ounce Labs) as its Chief Executive Officer, replacing Dr. Prasad Akella, who founded the company. The new CEO will oversee all operational strategy and execution, leveraging his go-to-market background to accelerate Drishti&rsquo;s market growth. Meanwhile, founder Dr. Prasad Akella will transition to Chairman of the Board and Chief Strategy Officer.
 
</div>

<div>
 
 Righthand Robotics provides autonomous robotic picking solutions called RightPick. It utilizes a smart gripper, machine learning, and computer vision to imitate human hand-eye coordination. It develops software and hardware for predictable order fulfillment at scale with flexibility. The company&rsquo;s solutions can be utilized in industries such as apparel, grocery, pharmaceuticals, and electronics. It is based in Massachusetts and has an office in Tokyo, Japan. The company is focused on expanding its European operations, having opened an office in Frankfurt, Germany, in March 2020.
 
 
 In 2019, the company launched the second generation of its piece-picking robotic solution, &ldquo;RightPick2,&rdquo; which includes enhancements to hardware and software. The upgrades included a fifth-generation industrial gripper with the capacity to lift up to 4.4 lbs, new depth-sensing cameras from Intel, and an improved arm from Universal Robots. In 2021, the company launched &ldquo;RightPick 3,&rdquo; with improved picking speeds, capacity to handle a broader item range, and with capabilities for dense packing and damage-free item handling. 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25875">
 In January 2024,
 </a>
 it launched &ldquo;RightPick 4&rdquo; with enhanced AI, sensor suite, and new hardware that allow the system to extend its item-picking range, handle items more efficiently, and enhance system autonomy.
 
 
 In February 2022, the company raised USD 66 million in a Series C round bringing its total funding to USD 100.3 million. The funds were expected to be used to accelerate product and business development, scale global presence by expanding the partner network, expand offices, and acquiring new talent to support overall growth plans. Subsequently, in March 2022, the company announced the launch of its 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9203?industryIds=6">
 partner integrator program,
 </a>
 to complement its robotic piece-picking solutions with warehouse technologies and solution providers to cater to the broad ecommerce order fulfillment market. In May 2022, AutoStore integrator in South Korea Asetec also joined the program.
 
</div>

RightHand Robotics

<div>
 
 SparkCognition is an AI analytics startup offering four deep learning product solutions: Darwin (automated model-building software), DeepArmor (AI-powered cybersecurity), DeepNLP (NLP solution), and SparkPredict (analytics solution utilizing sensor data). These products deliver actionable insights, predict machine issues via historical maintenance data, and provide security from cyber threats. These products can be deployed across multiple industries, such as manufacturing, defense, utilities, oil and gas, and aviation. 
 
 
 SparkCognition&rsquo;s clientele comprises large companies such as Boeing, Hitachi, and British Petroleum. It has also built partnerships with Google for cloud platform services, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise to offer AI predictive maintenance on HPE Edgeline Converged Edge Systems, and OSIsoft to integrate SparkCognition&rsquo;s machine learning technology with OSIsoft&rsquo;s PI system to improve data and process data analytics.
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s most recent funding round was Series D funding worth USD 123 million in January 2022 from March Capital, Doha Venture Capital, B. Riley Venture Capital, AEI Horizon X, Temasek, and several others. The funds were intended to be used to invest in R&amp;D, accelerate sales and marketing, facilitate organic and inorganic growth, and also for the working capital requirements of the company. In March 2022, the company acquired Indian visual AI startup 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9370?industryIds=6">
 Integration Wizards
 </a>
 to expand its intellectual property (IP) portfolio to improve vision capabilities. The company has reported a 2x increase in revenue YoY in 2021.
 
</div>

SparkCognition

Kinta AI provides an automated production planning platform for manufacturing that uses advanced AI algorithms and simulation techniques. Using existing operational data, a SaaS solution is deployed that can be integrated with existing management execution systems (MES), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and Industry 4.0 tools in the factory. The software looks to have cross-functional communication across the factory to eliminate any bottlenecks that delay resolving breakdowns. Kinta AI has partnered with Flex (an electronics manufacturer) and BASF (a chemical company).Kinta AI’s most recent financing was a Series A funding round worth USD 5.5 million in April 2021 led by Lachy Groom’s LGF and Shine Capital. The funds will be utilized to scale operations in existing general industrial client factories and implement the Kinta AI platform in new client factories.

Kinta AI

<div>
 
 Sight Machine provides a digital manufacturing platform enabled by AI. It creates a digital twin of both assets and processes to help manufacturers improve processes, quality, and productivity. It can also gather data from machines of various manufacturers supplying actionable insights for predictive maintenance, quality improvement, capacity utilization, among other benefits. In October 2022, the company released 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13696?industryIds=6">
 Sight Machine Blueprint
 </a>
 to offer manufacturers with advanced data analytics solutions.
 
 
 Sight Machine has established partnerships with large global companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) for their cloud platforms and Fujitsu (system integrator) to help with wide deployments. Sight Machine, which caters to at least 15 verticals, such as food and beverage, electronics, and automotive, is on the move to expand into more verticals. It has global clients of Fortune 500-caliber, including Nissan, Heineken, Westrock Co., and Asian Paints. Sight Machine&rsquo;s most recent funding round was Series C funding worth USD 29.4 million in April 2019, led by LS Group. The funds were to be used to expedite the company&rsquo;s growth.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In December 2023, 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25200">
 Sight Machine received a low double-digit million euro investmen
 </a>
 t from TeamViewer to improve industrial digitalization and enhance manufacturing efficiency.
 
 
 
</div>

Sight Machine

Overview uses smart cameras and AI to monitor manufacturing equipment and robots and identify defects in real time before significant damage or downtime is incurred. The technology has a repository of machine data so that there is a traceable visual record of all units. With AI, the cause of production issues and quality concerns can be identified either on-site or remotely. The company claims over time, the deep learning computer vision algorithms allow for any sudden substantial increases in production and improved yields. Funding and financialsIn February 2022, the company raised USD 10 million in series A funding to be used to expand operations and business reach.

Overview

Companies that provide robotic fleet management software, robotic automation software, and inspection software.

Companies that provide an industrial IoT platform across factories as the primary offering.

Companies that provide cobots, sorting/ picking robotics, modular production robotics, and microfactories.

Companies that focus on data analytics for operations streamlining and process optimization, and may offer predictive maintenance.

Companies that provide autonomous mobile robots (AMR) or self-driving vehicles (SDV) used in manufacturing/ factory operations.

Companies that monitor the manufacturing equipment and assembly lines.

Companies that provide predictive maintenance as a primary offering. 

Creates digital twins of assets and processes to help manufacturers improve processes, quality, and productivity

Connected devices, sensors, IoT, and analytics are used to optimize factory operations

Uses advanced robotics, AMRs, and related software to improve the efficiency of factory operations

Uses connected devices and sensors to gather data—IIoT, predictive analysis, and equipment inspection

Uses AI/ML to analyze data for predictive maintenance and AI-based vision systems for line inspections

5G standard allows for faster reaction times and supports high connection densities

Uses edge computing for data processing at the edge

Some companies in the predictive maintenance space uses generative AI to generate possible alternative scenarios

Drishti

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