Entrepreneur First

Entrepreneur First is a London-headquartered platform and early-stage technology investor that helps ambitious individuals form technology startups by connecting them with potential co-founders, helping develop ideas, and accelerating funding from leading investors. The organization operates across six cities on three continents, supporting high-potential founders to build globally important tech companies. Since inception it has supported hundreds of ventures and built a network of thousands of alumni, with a portfolio valued in the billions. It is backed by prominent tech founders and investors who provide mentorship and capital to accelerate growth.

Clémence Bellanger

Principal

Alice Bentinck

General Partner

Matt Clifford

Investor

Jonny Clifford

Partner and General Partner, London

Elspeth Lawson

Partner and Deputy CPO

Past deals in Industrial Automation

Sensmore

Funding Round in 2024
Sensmore specializes in AI-driven automation software for heavy machinery. Their platform integrates proprietary perception software with off-the-shelf sensor technology, enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and improving safety in mining operations.

Rightbot

Seed Round in 2023
Rightbot develops AI-driven robotics technology for warehouse automation. Their autonomous mobile robots specialize in bin-picking, automating tasks such as order fulfillment, inventory replenishment, cycle audit, and consolidation.

Fractalytic

Non Equity Assistance in 2023
Fractalytic develops AI-enabled submetering technology to decarbonize the built environment by automating energy management for commercial and industrial facilities. The company uses wireless, battery-powered sensor clamps that attach to existing utility meters to collect granular natural gas consumption data, aided by signal processing algorithms. This granular insight helps businesses identify operational savings and plan their decarbonization strategies by targeting emissions from gas use in industrial plants and other facilities.

ZapMetals

Pre Seed Round in 2023
ZapMetals specializes in manufacturing automation technology for affordable metal prototyping services. Its proprietary robotic machinist enables autonomous production of prototyped and low-volume CNC milling orders, ensuring accurate results with fast turnaround times at competitive prices.

Sensmore

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Sensmore specializes in AI-driven automation software for heavy machinery. Their platform integrates proprietary perception software with off-the-shelf sensor technology, enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and improving safety in mining operations.

EyePick

Seed Round in 2021
EyePick is a technology company that specializes in automating manual tasks primarily within the food industry, utilizing vision-guided robots and advanced machine-learning technologies. The company develops solutions that enable robots to see, understand, and interact with their environment, allowing for efficient execution of tasks such as pick and drop, pick and place, bin picking, and sorting. In addition to the food sector, EyePick extends its automation solutions to logistics, retail, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries, aiming to enhance productivity and streamline operations by replacing traditional manual processes with advanced robotic systems.

Zolnoi

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Zolnoi optimizes manufacturing performance via data analytics. It offers IoT-based sensors, AI-driven predictive maintenance, and a SaaS platform, Integrate+, for insights generation.

Powerhouse AI

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Powerhouse AI offers automated processes that turn warehouses into powerhouses, such as counting pallets and boxes, supporting cycle counting, reading bar- and qr-codes, checking correct placement, supporting stocktakes and audits, supporting goods received, and providing audit reports.

Zolnoi

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Zolnoi optimizes manufacturing performance via data analytics. It offers IoT-based sensors, AI-driven predictive maintenance, and a SaaS platform, Integrate+, for insights generation.

Unbox Robotics

Seed Round in 2021
Unbox Robotics is a company based in Pune, India, specializing in automated parcel sorting solutions for the logistics industry. Founded in 2019, it has developed a patent-pending, AI-powered robotic system that significantly enhances sorting efficiency. This innovative platform allows for rapid installation, taking ten times less time than traditional systems, and requires 50% fewer robots, leading to space savings of over 50%. By utilizing swarm intelligence and advanced algorithms, Unbox Robotics' technology improves productivity by more than fivefold, enabling logistics operators to optimize their sorting and order consolidation processes while minimizing the need for extensive warehousing. The company's subscription-based model further supports its mission to streamline operations within a limited footprint and capital investment.

Rightbot

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Rightbot develops AI-driven robotics technology for warehouse automation. Their autonomous mobile robots specialize in bin-picking, automating tasks such as order fulfillment, inventory replenishment, cycle audit, and consolidation.

Ackcio

Seed Round in 2020
Ackcio is a developer of real-time, wireless monitoring solutions tailored for industrial applications. The company focuses on enhancing decision-making processes by providing critical project insights through its advanced monitoring systems. These systems integrate with various industrial sensors to wirelessly transmit readings to centralized services, where the data is stored and analyzed. By leveraging this technology, Ackcio enables clients to optimize their operations, reduce costs, and enhance safety, ultimately helping to prevent potential disasters.

Unbox Robotics

Seed Round in 2020
Unbox Robotics is a company based in Pune, India, specializing in automated parcel sorting solutions for the logistics industry. Founded in 2019, it has developed a patent-pending, AI-powered robotic system that significantly enhances sorting efficiency. This innovative platform allows for rapid installation, taking ten times less time than traditional systems, and requires 50% fewer robots, leading to space savings of over 50%. By utilizing swarm intelligence and advanced algorithms, Unbox Robotics' technology improves productivity by more than fivefold, enabling logistics operators to optimize their sorting and order consolidation processes while minimizing the need for extensive warehousing. The company's subscription-based model further supports its mission to streamline operations within a limited footprint and capital investment.

cheMastery Group

Pre Seed Round in 2020
cheMastery Group Ltd. is a Glasgow‑based company founded in 2019 that develops laboratory automation technology for the chemical sector. Its systems streamline experimental workflows, enabling scientists to conduct research, development, and manufacturing more efficiently and reliably. By integrating robotics, software, and data management, the company builds the infrastructure that supports modern chemistry laboratories. The technology is designed to reduce manual handling, improve reproducibility, and accelerate the pace of discovery in natural science and engineering.

Carnot Innovations

Seed Round in 2019
Carnot Innovations Limited, established in 2018 and headquartered in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, specializes in automation and data-driven predictive maintenance solutions for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. The company serves various sectors including commercial buildings, hotels/resorts, railway facilities, and schools. Its core offering is an AI-powered software platform that provides building-specific predictive analytics and algorithms to optimize HVAC operations, reduce energy consumption, and facilitate carbon emission monitoring. By integrating data science with energy engineering expertise, Carnot Innovations aims to enhance sustainability and support stakeholders in achieving their environmental goals.

EyePick

Pre Seed Round in 2019
EyePick is a technology company that specializes in automating manual tasks primarily within the food industry, utilizing vision-guided robots and advanced machine-learning technologies. The company develops solutions that enable robots to see, understand, and interact with their environment, allowing for efficient execution of tasks such as pick and drop, pick and place, bin picking, and sorting. In addition to the food sector, EyePick extends its automation solutions to logistics, retail, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries, aiming to enhance productivity and streamline operations by replacing traditional manual processes with advanced robotic systems.

SixSense

Seed Round in 2019
SixSense is an AI-driven industrial visual inspection platform designed for smarter manufacturing. It employs advanced technologies like deep learning and computer vision to automatically detect defects on the production floor, aiming to create self-intelligent factories through automation.

Flowlity

Seed Round in 2019
Flowlity is a supply chain management software company that addresses the challenges of inventory management, which often leads to significant financial losses for businesses. Established in 2018, Flowlity leverages artificial intelligence and optimization techniques to enhance supply chain resilience. By helping companies transition from traditional deterministic models to more adaptable planning systems, Flowlity enables clients to effectively manage their inventories and forecast needs. The platform provides real-time insights into order status and inventory levels, allowing businesses to optimize stock levels and replenishment strategies. Notably, Flowlity has assisted prominent organizations, including Danone, La Redoute, Saint Gobain, and Camif, achieving an average reduction of 30% in inventory levels and 20% in shortages for its customers.

Unbox Robotics

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Unbox Robotics is a company based in Pune, India, specializing in automated parcel sorting solutions for the logistics industry. Founded in 2019, it has developed a patent-pending, AI-powered robotic system that significantly enhances sorting efficiency. This innovative platform allows for rapid installation, taking ten times less time than traditional systems, and requires 50% fewer robots, leading to space savings of over 50%. By utilizing swarm intelligence and advanced algorithms, Unbox Robotics' technology improves productivity by more than fivefold, enabling logistics operators to optimize their sorting and order consolidation processes while minimizing the need for extensive warehousing. The company's subscription-based model further supports its mission to streamline operations within a limited footprint and capital investment.

Automata

Series A in 2019
Automata is an automation company that provides robotic lab automation for the life sciences to accelerate innovation, diagnosis, and discovery at scale. It develops simple, affordable robots and accompanying software designed to work beside humans, enabling researchers and professionals to scale lab workflows, reconfigure tasks, and access automation across laboratories, classrooms, or production lines from anywhere and on any device.

FireVisor

Seed Round in 2019
FireVisor Systems Pte. Ltd., founded in 2018 and based in Singapore, offers an AI-powered software platform that transforms the manufacturing sector by leveraging previously untapped data. The company focuses on automating manufacturing processes to enhance efficiency and quality control. By utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning, FireVisor's platform detects, analyzes, and monitors defects in production, thereby minimizing the reliance on human inspectors and process control engineers. This innovative approach aims to create self-aware factories that can autonomously optimize operations, reducing costs associated with poor quality and increasing overall profitability for clients. In a global manufacturing industry valued at $17.2 trillion, FireVisor seeks to harness the vast amounts of data generated by machines to drive significant enhancements in productivity and operational effectiveness.

Flexciton

Seed Round in 2019
Flexciton develops AI-based software for manufacturing optimization. Founded in 2016, it specializes in industrial planning and scheduling, aiming to enhance productivity and energy efficiency. Its platform optimizes machine operation schedules and maintenance, enabling manufacturers to improve operational efficiency.

Metis Labs

Seed Round in 2018
Metis Labs Limited, established in 2017 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom, specializes in developing advanced artificial intelligence software tailored for complex industrial systems within the manufacturing sector. The company focuses on enhancing production efficiency through AI-driven Process Control and Quality Assurance systems. Metis Labs has distinguished itself as a pioneer in deploying Generative AI technologies, achieving significant milestones such as reducing waste by over 80% for major global brands. Their innovative approach includes creating safe methodologies for implementing AI control on substantial production lines and miniaturizing AI solutions to operate efficiently on legacy Programmable Logic Controllers. Through its technology, Metis Labs aims to minimize the environmental impact of large-scale manufacturing while boosting profitability for its clients.

CloudNC

Series A in 2018
CloudNC is a London-based software company that develops autonomous manufacturing software to automate the programming of computer numerical control milling machines. It provides software and cloud-based services to design tooling paths and streamline CNC programming, enabling factories to produce precision metal components with minimal human intervention. The company also offers an end-to-end manufacturing service intended to replace skilled human roles in metal part production, aiming to improve lead times, machine utilization, and scalability. Incorporated in 2015, CloudNC seeks to modernize manufacturing by making milling processes more efficient and predictable, supporting industries that rely on precision parts.

FireVisor

Pre Seed Round in 2018
FireVisor Systems Pte. Ltd., founded in 2018 and based in Singapore, offers an AI-powered software platform that transforms the manufacturing sector by leveraging previously untapped data. The company focuses on automating manufacturing processes to enhance efficiency and quality control. By utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning, FireVisor's platform detects, analyzes, and monitors defects in production, thereby minimizing the reliance on human inspectors and process control engineers. This innovative approach aims to create self-aware factories that can autonomously optimize operations, reducing costs associated with poor quality and increasing overall profitability for clients. In a global manufacturing industry valued at $17.2 trillion, FireVisor seeks to harness the vast amounts of data generated by machines to drive significant enhancements in productivity and operational effectiveness.

TransferFi

Seed Round in 2018
TransferFi, established in 2017 and headquartered in Singapore, specializes in developing and manufacturing wireless power network equipment. The company's core product is a system-level solution that employs signal optimization and beam-forming algorithms to extend the safe range of wireless power transfer to over 25 meters. This technology powers Industrial IoT sensors, reducing wiring complexity, and enables high-power applications to access remote and offshore renewable energy sources more easily. TransferFi aims to revolutionize power access through its innovative, long-range, and efficient wireless power network.

Flexciton

Seed Round in 2017
Flexciton develops AI-based software for manufacturing optimization. Founded in 2016, it specializes in industrial planning and scheduling, aiming to enhance productivity and energy efficiency. Its platform optimizes machine operation schedules and maintenance, enabling manufacturers to improve operational efficiency.

CloudNC

Seed Round in 2017
CloudNC is a London-based software company that develops autonomous manufacturing software to automate the programming of computer numerical control milling machines. It provides software and cloud-based services to design tooling paths and streamline CNC programming, enabling factories to produce precision metal components with minimal human intervention. The company also offers an end-to-end manufacturing service intended to replace skilled human roles in metal part production, aiming to improve lead times, machine utilization, and scalability. Incorporated in 2015, CloudNC seeks to modernize manufacturing by making milling processes more efficient and predictable, supporting industries that rely on precision parts.

Ackcio

Pre Seed Round in 2016
Ackcio is a developer of real-time, wireless monitoring solutions tailored for industrial applications. The company focuses on enhancing decision-making processes by providing critical project insights through its advanced monitoring systems. These systems integrate with various industrial sensors to wirelessly transmit readings to centralized services, where the data is stored and analyzed. By leveraging this technology, Ackcio enables clients to optimize their operations, reduce costs, and enhance safety, ultimately helping to prevent potential disasters.

Xihelm

Seed Round in 2016
Xihelm Limited, founded in 2016 and based in London, United Kingdom, specializes in developing advanced technology solutions for city infrastructure management and agriculture. The company creates software for producing detailed city maps using artificial intelligence. Additionally, Xihelm is pioneering the development of an automated handwork robot designed to address labor shortages, particularly in farming. This robot utilizes a proprietary 3D AI computer vision platform to harvest crops in industrial greenhouses, providing a reliable solution for unpredictable organic environments.

Alpha-i

Seed Round in 2016
Alpha-i is a predictive maintenance platform focused on the aerospace and wind energy sectors. Established in 2016, the company leverages machine learning algorithms to deliver actionable insights that help clients identify potential failures before they occur. By analyzing a wide array of data, including sensor data, SCADA information, asset management systems, and external factors like weather, Alpha-i enables organizations to minimize downtime and reduce maintenance costs. With a strong research and development team, Alpha-i is positioned to enhance operational efficiency in its target industries.

CloudNC

Convertible Note in 2016
CloudNC is a London-based software company that develops autonomous manufacturing software to automate the programming of computer numerical control milling machines. It provides software and cloud-based services to design tooling paths and streamline CNC programming, enabling factories to produce precision metal components with minimal human intervention. The company also offers an end-to-end manufacturing service intended to replace skilled human roles in metal part production, aiming to improve lead times, machine utilization, and scalability. Incorporated in 2015, CloudNC seeks to modernize manufacturing by making milling processes more efficient and predictable, supporting industries that rely on precision parts.

Automata

Pre Seed Round in 2015
Automata is an automation company that provides robotic lab automation for the life sciences to accelerate innovation, diagnosis, and discovery at scale. It develops simple, affordable robots and accompanying software designed to work beside humans, enabling researchers and professionals to scale lab workflows, reconfigure tasks, and access automation across laboratories, classrooms, or production lines from anywhere and on any device.

Converge

Seed Round in 2014
Converge is a technology company based in London, United Kingdom, specializing in hardware and software solutions for the collection, storage, and analysis of sensor data. The company develops transmitters that connect to various digital and analog sensors, converting them into wireless networked devices. Its software platform enables the storage, analysis, and visualization of data generated by these sensors. Converge's solutions are designed to facilitate data connectivity in sectors such as healthcare, where they allow doctors to manipulate and visualize patient information to tailor treatments effectively. Additionally, the company addresses the needs of the construction industry by providing automated data collection and analytics to replace manual monitoring processes. Through its innovative approaches, Converge is contributing to the advancement of wireless sensor networks within the industrial internet of things.

FireVisor

Convertible Note in 2013
FireVisor Systems Pte. Ltd., founded in 2018 and based in Singapore, offers an AI-powered software platform that transforms the manufacturing sector by leveraging previously untapped data. The company focuses on automating manufacturing processes to enhance efficiency and quality control. By utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning, FireVisor's platform detects, analyzes, and monitors defects in production, thereby minimizing the reliance on human inspectors and process control engineers. This innovative approach aims to create self-aware factories that can autonomously optimize operations, reducing costs associated with poor quality and increasing overall profitability for clients. In a global manufacturing industry valued at $17.2 trillion, FireVisor seeks to harness the vast amounts of data generated by machines to drive significant enhancements in productivity and operational effectiveness.

Intelligent Robots

Seed Round in 2011
Intelligent Robots is a supplier and integrator of Fanuc industrial robots.
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