Honeywell Launches Enhanced Industrial Software to Deliver Real-Time Visibility Into Worksite Safety

Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced the launch of enhanced capabilities for its Safety Suite 2.0 software platform, providing broader visibility into portable gas detection device fleets for safety leaders in refineries, chemical plants, utilities and first responder operations. By adding more historical data, enhanced dashboards and forecasting capabilities, the unified software ecosystem now enables operators to better protect workers in real time, track and forecast compliance metrics and effectively manage device inventory.

“Safety Suite empowers leaders to detect potential hazards early, prioritize corrective actions and continuously improve safety performance to protect workers on the job,” said Armando Pazos, president, Honeywell Industrial Measurement and Control. “When operations teams can connect insights from historical trends and real-time metrics, organizations can shift from reactive responses to a proactive, safety-first approach. This helps to reduce risk, enable faster, more informed decision-making and strengthen a culture where worker safety is embedded in every process, asset and outcome.”

Connected safety capabilities are not only essential to safeguard people but also to catch incidents early to help avoid costly damage to infrastructure. For instance, responding to gas leaks can cost fire departments more than $500 million in a single year.

With Safety Suite 2.0, safety managers can see past trends to help identify risk patterns and review historical alarm events from a centralized location, supporting post-incident investigations and informing safety training. The software platform helps support coverage for all workers and provides efficiencies and connected insights through other enhanced capabilities, including:Customizable dashboards consolidate exposure data, compliance status and fleet health into clear visual summaries, making outcome measurement and audits quicker and easier.
Real-time alerts pushed to employees notify them of critical events or upcoming needs to bump test devices, keeping operations running smoothly and helping avoid costly downtime.
Real-time readings displayed from workers’ gas detectors provide quick visibility into safety conditions at all facilities or locations.
Guided and automated workflows for onboarding, assigning, calibrating and returning devices back into inventory save time and improve tracking of portable technologies when assigned to a team, an individual or several people across different shifts.

For more information on Honeywell’s ecosystem of gas detection solutions and innovative safety technologies, visit our website.www.psehealthyenergy.org/gas-leaks-cost-u-s-fire-departments-nearly-half-a-billion-dollars-each-year/

Tata Steel Deploys 300+ AI Agents with Google Cloud to Redefine Industrial Efficiency

Tata Steel, a global leader in industrial manufacturing, and Google Cloud today announced a major expansion of their strategic partnership to architect the future of steel and advance Tata Steel’s unified, enterprise-wide agentic AI strategy. Using Google Cloud’s unified technology stack, Tata Steel is rapidly scaling autonomous capabilities across its vast global organisation, successfully deploying a fleet of over 300 specialised AI agents in just nine months to drive efficiency and precision across its global operations.

"Working with Google Cloud has allowed us to turn AI from a technical experiment into a specialised partner for every employee. This isn't just about new tools; it’s about a continuous engine of execution that enables our people to act on insights instantly. From predicting asset maintenance to reducing customer response times, we are using agentic AI to simplify the most complex parts of our business and drive execution at an entirely new scale," said Jayanta Banerjee, Chief Information Officer, Tata Steel.

Sashi Sreedharan, Managing Director, Google Cloud India, said: "While many industrial players are still navigating the complexities of digital transformation, Tata Steel has moved at unprecedented speed to deploy AI at a scale few in the industry have achieved. Their success demonstrates what is possible when an organisation anchors its strategy in a unified AI and data ecosystem. By creating a new blueprint for autonomous business processes at scale, Tata Steel has demonstrated that the synergy between a unified data cloud and generative AI is the key to turning industrial complexity into a distinct, data-driven competitive edge."

Turning data into a competitive edge

Specialised AI is only as powerful as the decades of operational data that fuels it - and Tata Steel’s early investment in a consolidated data architecture on Google Cloud enabled the Company to move beyond fragmented tools to create a single, enterprise-wide engine for execution. This transformation is driven by two key platforms that bridge the gap between complex data and real-world action:

The first is Zen AI which is empowering a new generation of developers in Tata Steel. This internal low-code platform enables employees who are not data scientists - such as software developers and frontline managers – to build, test, and deploy their own specialised AI agents. Built using Google Cloud’s Agent Development Kit (ADK) and integrated with BigQuery and Google Cloud Storage, Zen AI unifies decades of structured operational data with unstructured sources like video and documents within a secure, governed framework. This in turn has transformed Tata Steel’s global workforce into a distributed engine of innovation, where small, agile teams can now deploy enterprise-grade AI solutions with speed and precision that rivals the most nimble technology disruptors.

The second is the Tata Steel Digital Assistant (TDA) - a sophisticated internal portal that synthesises once-siloed information into a single interface, acting as a command center for decision making. With the ability to query data across three distinct domains - global public data, internal enterprise systems (such as operational APIs, SOPs, and financial records), and proprietary user data (including call recordings, complex spreadsheets, and PDFs) - TDA allows employees to navigate volatility with unprecedented precision. For example, by layering real-time global news and geopolitical sentiment over traditional commodity price data, the AI agents can provide predictive market intelligence, helping the Company stay ahead of supply chain shifts and market fluctuations. By turning data like call recordings and PDFs into actionable insights, Tata Steel is also transforming its vast organisational knowledge into a distinct, data-driven competitive advantage.

Driving organisational efficiency and transforming employee experience with AI

Tata Steel is also using agentic AI to eliminate administrative bottlenecks and reshape how the Company manages internal operations. For example, TDA assists the internal HR helpdesk in resolving more than 70% of routine employee tickets autonomously, saving hours of time for individuals across teams.

This efficiency further extends into core business functions through a dedicated fleet of business process agents. These agents work in harmony to streamline complex back-office workflows, including intelligent invoice processing, goods and services tax (GST) creditable/non-creditable classifications, and specialised contract analysis. By automating these repetitive, manual tasks, Tata Steel is easing the strain on teams across the organisation and allowing them to focus on high-value strategic initiatives.

Tata Steel’s agentic deployments are underpinned and supported by a scalable infrastructure built on Google Cloud Run. This enables the system to handle demand spikes instantly while scaling to zero when idle. With access to over 200 models on Google Cloud’s AI Agent Platform, Tata Steel ensures the optimal AI model is matched to every task, while also maintaining strict lifecycle management and governance.

AI-driven safety and operational excellence on the shop floor

Beyond administrative tasks, this agentic ecosystem is driving immediate impact across the manufacturing floor, where safety remains the highest priority. By integrating AI directly into industrial workflows, the Company has shifted from traditional monitoring to proactive, real-time intervention.

Central to this is Safety EyeQ, a specialised agent that analyses live video feeds in high-risk zones to ensure strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). By identifying hazards – such as moving large equipment in proximity to hot material or any SOP deviation – the agent provides complete situational intelligence & triggers real-time alerts for immediate corrective action. This intelligence extends across the value chain through Asset Sphere agents, which evaluate equipment health to provide proactive maintenance plans, preventing unplanned downtime.

This multimodal approach leverages Google’s Large Language and Vision–Language Models such as Gemini and Palli Gemma. The same engine is also enhancing customer service, where specialised agents now automatically analyse complaint artifacts to detect complaint intent and defects from images and route issues to resolver groups, successfully reducing average turnaround time by 50%.

IAN Alpha Fund Backs RoshAi’s Retrofit Autonomy Platform to Scale Driverless Industrial Fleets Globally

IAN Group, the country’s largest early-stage investment platform, has led a funding round in RoshAi of ₹22 Crore through IAN Alpha Fund, the second in its series of VC funds. RoshAi is a deep-tech autonomy company building retrofit-based driverless solutions for industrial vehicles. The investment will support the company in strengthening its product, expanding deployments, and scaling its presence across global industrial markets.

RoshAi is working to solve a long-standing challenge in industrial operations, enabling existing heavy vehicles in ports, mining sites, and logistics hubs to operate autonomously without requiring new fleet investments. As industries look to improve safety, reduce operational risks, and increase efficiency, the need for reliable and cost-effective autonomy solutions is becoming more pronounced. By combining AI-powered autonomy systems, sensors, and cloud-based fleet software, RoshAi allows operators to upgrade their current fleets and move towards driverless operations in a practical and scalable way.

The global industrial autonomous vehicles market is expanding rapidly, projected to grow from $47.6 billion in 2024 to $162.8 billion by 2030. RoshAi is focused on key segments within this opportunity, particularly autonomy retrofit kits and fleet management software, which are seeing strong adoption as operators look for faster and more efficient ways to implement automation.

The company has demonstrated early validation through partnerships with Tier 1 OEMs and repeat customer engagements. Its autonomy solutions have been tested over 100,000 km with zero safety incidents, supported by a growing patent portfolio and a technology stack designed for scalability across industrial environments.

Sarika Saxena, Managing Partner, IAN Alpha Fund, said, “RoshAi is solving industrial autonomy through a retrofit-first approach, enabling operators to upgrade existing fleets rather than invest in new infrastructure. With strong early validation, repeat customer engagement, and a scalable autonomy platform, the company is well-positioned to build a globally relevant deep-tech business from India.”

Headquartered in Kochi, RoshAi is led by Dr. Roshy John and Rajaram Moorthy, who bring extensive experience in autonomous mobility, AI, and engineering. The team has built and tested its autonomy platform across industrial environments, demonstrating strong reliability and safety performance.

Roshy John, Founder & CEO, RoshAi, said,“Our focus is to make industrial operations safer and more efficient by enabling existing fleets to operate autonomously. This investment allows us to accelerate product development, scale deployments across global markets, and continue building a robust autonomy platform for industrial use cases. We are glad to have IAN’s support as we move into this next phase.”

RoshAi is building an autonomy platform that includes retrofit hardware, an in-vehicle autonomy system, and a cloud-based fleet management platform. This enables industrial operators to upgrade existing fleets instead of investing in new vehicles or infrastructure, reducing costs and accelerating adoption.

The company is currently working with industrial operators across ports, mining, and logistics environments through pilot projects and early deployments. It plans to expand into markets such as the United States, Australia, and Southeast Asia, where demand for industrial automation and driverless solutions is growing steadily.

With this investment, IAN Alpha Fund continues to back deep-tech startups building practical and scalable solutions for real-world challenges. The fund remains focused on supporting companies that solve problems from India, for India and the world.

About RoshAi

RoshAi (Rosh.AI Private Limited) is a deep-tech autonomy company that enables commercial vehicles operating in confined environments such as seaports, mining sites, airports, and industrial yards to run driverless using a combination of retrofit hardware and AI-powered fleet software. The company offers an autonomy operating system, vehicle retrofit kits, and a cloud-based fleet management platform that together deliver safer operations, higher uptime, and better unit economics for industrial customers. RoshAi follows an “Android-for-autonomy” model, licensing its AI software stack to OEMs and fleet operators globally while deploying its retrofit hardware for existing fleets.

About IAN Alpha Fund

IAN Alpha Fund, a $100 Mn SEBI-registered Category II AIF VC Fund, is the 2nd fund in IAN Group’s series of funds. The Fund explores opportunities in diverse sectors such as healthtech, cleantech, deep tech, agritech, medtech, hardware and electronics, manufacturing, Web 3.0, Metaverse, Industry 4.0, SaaS, and other sectors where innovation is transformational. The Fund invests in innovative startups solving real problems for India and the world, with sustainable business models enabling scale by leveraging technology. With the IAN Alpha Fund, IAN Group continues its two-decade legacy of building a portfolio of technology-focused, innovative companies led by founders who not only understand customer needs but also have the leadership qualities to build large and valuable businesses.

About IAN Group

IAN Group is India’s largest horizontal platform for early-stage investments, comprising the IAN Angel Fund, BioAngels, and a series of SEBI-registered Venture Capital Funds, the latest being a US$100mn VC Fund, IAN Alpha Fund. IAN enables entrepreneurs to raise from Rs. 50 lakhs to Rs. 50 crores, supported by high-quality mentoring by successful entrepreneurs, enabling access to global markets. IAN Group backs founders across domains and helps them scale their companies across India and beyond. Forbes has recognised IAN as one of the most iconic business and economic developments of Independent India over the last 75 years, alongside institutions such as LIC, NASSCOM, the RBI, and Naukri.com.

Honeywell Unveils Next-Gen Optical Gas Sensor for Mining, Oil & Gas, and Petrochemical Industries

Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today introduced a new gas sensor that uses optical non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) technology to detect flammable gases, such as methane, propane and butane, in industrial settings. The NDIR Hydrocarbon Gas Sensor helps protect workers and infrastructure in industries such as mining, oil and gas, petrochemical and plastics manufacturing.

“In gas detection, the accuracy, precision and reliability of the sensing solution is crucial for worker safety,” said Carmen Becker, president of Honeywell Sensing Solutions. “Our new flammable gas sensor is an example of how Honeywell is using extensive domain expertise and introducing innovative technology to strengthen operational safety in industries critical to global infrastructure.”

The 4-Series NDIR Hydrocarbon Gas Sensor is designed to integrate into fixed and portable gas detectors carried by workers in the field, deep underground or within a processing facility. It is vital for these detectors to use advanced and accurate sensors that can alert workers to potential exposure to hazardous gases.

Because the NDIR sensor will be exposed to harsh conditions, such as dust in mines, methane leaks or extreme indoor versus outdoor temperature fluctuations, it is designed to be durable and reliable in a wide range of settings. The sensor has an integrated condensation reduction system, allowing it to clear excess moisture and maintain performance in humid environments and confined spaces like refineries.

Unlike traditional pellistor or catalytic bead sensors that can degrade or become “poisoned” in harsh environments, the NDIR sensor has high poisoning resistance, limiting the risk of sensor failure and reducing instances of false positives. With infrared technology, the NDIR sensor is also able to consume less power than traditional flammable gas sensors, extending the operational lifespan and prolonging a portable gas detector’s battery.

For more information on Honeywell’s innovations in sensing, gas detection and safety technologies, visit our website.

Honeywell Unveils Commercial Launch of AI-Powered Control Room Assistant Following Successful Pilot

Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced the commercial launch of Experion Operations Assistant, an AI-powered solution designed to transform how industrial operators monitor plant performance, make critical decisions and respond to alarm incidents before they happen.

Built on Honeywell’s flagship distributed control system, Experion PKS, Experion Operations Assistant merges historical data with real-time operational insights to allow operators to forecast and respond to potential critical scenarios associated with unsafe operations and production losses. The solution aims to bridge the gap between autonomous technologies and control room operators.

The commercial launch follows the recent pilot program during which Chevron and TotalEnergies were among the partners who leveraged Honeywell’s Experion Operations Assistant in their operations to help minimize unplanned downtime. In its pilot phase, the AI-powered assistant made predictions an average of 5-10 minutes before alarm incidents would have happened, enabling operators to quickly implement corrective actions and avoid potential events.

“Industrials are under pressure to avoid unplanned downtime and maximize the productivity of existing assets, while navigating the massive knowledge transfer of a retiring workforce,” said Jim Masso, president and CEO of Honeywell Process Automation. “By combining more than 50 years of process automation expertise with site-specific knowledge, data and advanced AI, Experion Operations Assistant helps operators anticipate issues earlier, respond with confidence and operate more safely and effectively. Throughout our pilot phase, Experion Operations Assistant delivered tangible, real-world results across multiple customer sites, highlighting the immense opportunity as the solution scales.”

As part of Honeywell’s Experion PKS distributed control system network, the Honeywell Experion Operations Assistant is designed to seamlessly integrate into existing control room environments, leveraging the systems already in place and building on the legacy site-specific data. The solution is centered upon its capability to capture site-specific knowledge and then use language models to analyze this data in real-time in order to proactively advise operators of impending issues.

For more information on Honeywell Experion Operations Assistant, visit Honeywell.com.

About Honeywell:

Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through our Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation and Energy and Sustainability Solutions business segments that help make the world smarter and safer as well as more secure and sustainable.

Honeywell Unveils Innovative AI Assistant for Industrial Operators in Honeywell Forge Production Intelligence

Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced the latest release of Honeywell Forge Production Intelligence, which seamlessly integrates performance monitoring with a new generative AI assistant to help operators and production managers automate tasks and troubleshoot problems.

By leveraging advanced generative AI models, the platform’s new Intelligent Assistant is designed to enhance user experience by allowing engineers, plant managers and business leaders to access key insights through simple, natural language prompts. The tool will also enable industrials to visualize, trend, and troubleshoot production issues from Key Performance Indicator (KPI) deviation contributors and asset relationships.

“As the industry continues to wrestle with the loss of expertise through higher rates of attrition and the challenges of onboarding new talent, it is good to see the incorporation of generative AI copilots, like Honeywell’s Intelligent Assistant, that help to make it easier and faster for users of varying experience to get critical insights about the status of their production operations," said ARC Advisory Group’s Director of Research, Mark Sen Gupta. "Such scalable and replicable solutions are invaluable for companies grappling in a fast-changing business environment.”

The cloud-native platform merges performance monitoring with advanced analytics, enabling rapid root cause analysis of production issues. With the addition of the Intelligent Assistant, users can now summarize deviations and overall insights quicker and more effectively. The capability not only enhances AI insights with greater explainability and usability but also supports closed-loop collaboration workflows with case management integration.

“Honeywell Forge Production Intelligence represents a significant step forward in making data-driven insights accessible to engineers and industrial business leaders globally,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, President of Honeywell Process Solutions. “We understand the challenges faced by our customers and believe that by leveraging generative AI, we can help assets work harder, people work smarter, and systems more efficient.”

Honeywell Forge Production Intelligence is part of Honeywell’s recently announced suite of AI-enabled solutions for industrials which also includes Experion Operations Assistant and Field Process Knowledge System.

For more information on the Honeywell Forge Production Intelligence, visit Honeywell.com.

About Honeywell:

Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through our Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation and Energy and Sustainability Solutions business segments that help make the world smarter, safer and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Cisco and Rockwell Partner to Drive Industrial IoT in APAC

Cisco and Rockwell Automation have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on boosting digital transformation in the industrial market across the Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China region.

Through this partnership, the two companies aim to provide technologies and services that enable manufacturers to optimize operations, enhance productivity, and ensure the security of their industrial networks.

 

(L-R)：Nicole Denil, vice president, Global Market Access, Rockwell Automation • Ruchika Jain, director, marketing and strategy - Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation • Shovan Sengupta, regional vice president, market Access - Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation • Scott Wooldridge, regional president - Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation • Kartika Prihadi, Vice President, Partner Sales & Routes to Market, Asia Pacific, Japan & Greater China (APJC), Cisco • Simon Young, General Manager, Strategic Industry Partners, Asia Pacific, Japan & Greater China (APJC), Cisco • Yadi Karyadi, Country Solution Architect, Indonesia, Cisco

The collaboration will facilitate the implementation of advanced automation solutions, including connected factories and industrial IoT. Additionally, Cisco and Rockwell Automation will work together to address the digital skills gap in the manufacturing sector by leveraging Cisco's Networking Academy program and Rockwell Automation's university partnerships in the region.

Addressing the digital skills gap in the manufacturing sector

Cisco and Rockwell Automation will also work towards training and building a wider talent pool to address the digital skills gap in the manufacturing sector. This will be done by leveraging Cisco’s Networking Academy program and Rockwell Automation's partnerships with universities across the region.

Cisco Networking Academy is one of the longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs programs in the world. Cisco Networking Academy provides high-quality IT and cybersecurity courses, learning simulators, and hands-on learning opportunities via a learning platform to support instructors and engage learners in 190 countries. To date, over 20 million global learners have taken Cisco Networking Academy courses to gain digital skills. Additionally, 95% of students that have taken Cisco certification aligned courses have attributed obtaining a job or education opportunity to Cisco Networking Academy.

Accenture and Japan's Mujin Setup JV 'Accenture Alpha Automation' To Bring AI, Robotics to Manufacturing and Logistics

New joint venture will use AI and machine learning to connect operational and management data and accelerate data-driven management

Accenture and Mujin, a Japan based company engaged in intelligent robotics for manufacturing, logistics and supply chain operations, have established Accenture Alpha Automation, a joint venture for the manufacturing and logistics industries. Accenture Alpha Automation will help companies automate their management infrastructure with data-driven solutions that seamlessly combine data from manufacturing and logistics operations with management data. The joint venture is owned 70% by Accenture and 30% by Mujin.

Mujin provides intelligent automation solutions for industrial sites. Its intelligent robotics platform enables companies to deploy industrial robotics systems without the typical complex advance settings and integration, including motion settings and peripheral equipment, often required for other robotics systems.

The joint venture will combine Mujin’s experience in industrial robotics and automation with expertise from Accenture’s digital engineering and manufacturing service, Industry X. Accenture Alpha Automation’s solutions will integrate previously disconnected operational data from manufacturing and logistics sites with business management data, such as the company-wide supply chain status, financial information and market information. Accenture and Mujin will bring these solutions to clients to help them make faster, better decisions and hyper-automate their manufacturing and logistics processes.

Atsushi Egawa, who leads Accenture’s business in Japan, said: “Manufacturing is the cornerstone of Japanese industry. Driving sophistication and efficiency in manufacturing and the logistics that support manufacturing is essential for Japan's further growth. By teaming with Mujin, a leader in robotics technology, Accenture will be able to help our clients take advantage of AI and robotics to connect data throughout the manufacturing and logistics value chain, further contributing to the data-driven transformation of Japan’s important manufacturing and logistics industries.”

Mujin Inc. CEO, Issei Takino adds: “Our mission is to make industrial robots intelligent and easy to use so they can improve productivity and quality and help create new value in an aging society. The new joint venture, which builds on our agreement with Accenture, will utilize our robot automation technology to drive a paradigm shift in the manufacturing and logistics industry and bring new value to customers first in Japan, then around the world.”

Accenture has also invested directly in Mujin through Accenture Ventures, marking its first Project Spotlight investment in Asia. Project Spotlight is an engagement and investment program focused on companies that create or apply disruptive enterprise technologies. The program offers extensive access to Accenture’s domain expertise and its enterprise clients, helping technology companies adapt their solutions to the enterprise market and scale faster and more effectively.

About the Joint Venture

Company name: Accenture Alpha Automation
Location: Sumitomo Fudosan Azabu Juban Building, 1-4-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Operation starts: January 15, 2024
Scope of Operation:

• Consult and develop automation concepts in the manufacturing and logistics industries
• System integration in the manufacturing and logistics industries
• All businesses incidental to the preceding items

Share: Accenture 70%, Mujin 30%


Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 743,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities.

GreyOrange Closes on $135 Mn Growth Financing

• Blume backed AI-Driven Warehouse and Retail Automation Leader GreyOrange Closes on $135M Growth Financing
• Funding will further accelerate GreyOrange’s growth and industry defining leadership in automation within the warehouse fulfillment and retail markets

Blume Ventures today announced its Fund I portfolio company GreyOrange Inc., a leader in AI-driven fulfillment automation, announced the first close of its Series D funding, securing $135 million. Led by Anthelion Capital (formerly Cowen Sustainable Investments) this investment reinforces GreyOrange’s innovative approach to transforming warehouse and retail store operations through a hardware-agnostic software platform and a dynamic range of certified robotic and sensing technologies. The company’s growth and adoption rates with market leading Fortune 500 customers validates GreyOrange’s capability to lead tech transformation in the global supply chain automation space.

GreyOrange's latest funding round also reflects a strong vote of confidence from existing investors such as Mithril, 3State Ventures, and Blume Ventures. Their continued support, coupled with significant capital from previous rounds, underscores their unwavering commitment to GreyOrange.

"GreyOrange is one of India's proudest deep tech exports and despite a massive shift in how warehouse automation is being adopted in the US, GreyOrange is nimbly shifting its business model for the best of Fortune500 retail and commerce companies and winning market share and confidence. We think it can be the first billion $ revenue company in deep tech from India and are proud to further back GreyOrange's growth aspirations, along with our existing partners and new investor Anthelion”, said Karthik Reddy, Blume Ventures. 

GreyOrange will deploy the growth capital to accelerate the company’s technology leadership, continue its global expansion, and further support the adoption of GreyOrange’s fulfillment orchestration platform in warehouses, distribution centers, and retail stores.

“As we scale our technology and enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency, we recognize that keeping the needs of our customers at the center of our product and solution roadmap has proven essential for our customers’ success, as well as our own,” said Akash Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, GreyOrange. "This Series D funding amplifies our commitment to leadership within the AI and robotics orchestration space and affirms our thought leadership within this market." 

“Not only has GreyOrange automated the movement of goods within the warehouse, but the company has also built a network that optimizes how retailers move their goods across their entire supply chain,” said Vusal Najafov, Co-Founder, Anthelion Capital. "Their capability to improve operational efficiency in various settings and their innovative approach in transforming inventory into a more productive asset in warehouses and retail spaces are key reasons for our excitement in leading this funding round”.

“GreyOrange’s technical and commercial advances reinforce our shared mission to bring game changing automation and productivity to retail,” said Ajay Royan, Founder and Managing General Partner of Mithril Capital. “GreyOrange’s thoughtful implementation of their pioneering technology has earned the trust of the world’s largest retailers and logistics partners. GreyOrange is leading a major shift in productivity, safety, and novel forms of convenience that will benefit hundreds of millions of consumers.”

The overall growth seen in the warehouse automation sector will continue to be a strong tailwind for GreyOrange. According to the 2023 Gartner Hype Cycle™ for Supply Chain Execution Technologies report, “by 2027, over 75% of companies will have adopted some form of cyber-physical automation within their warehouse operations.”

The Gartner report also details that, “As companies expand their use of robotics, most will eventually have heterogeneous fleets of robots from different vendors performing various tasks, which will require standardized software that can easily integrate to a variety of agents and robot platforms. These solutions will assign work to the right robots based on the characteristics of immediate and prioritized tasks and communicate with other types of automation (agents) like door or elevator controls.”  

1. Gartner, Hype Cycle for Supply Chain Execution Technologies, 2023, Dwight Klappich; 13 July 2023.

Gartner Disclaimer GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

GreyOrange is at the forefront of AI-driven robotics systems, transforming distribution and fulfillment centers worldwide. Its emphasis on orchestration, innovation, and customer satisfaction marks a new era in efficient, responsive supply chain solutions. The company’s solutions offer a competitive advantage by increasing productivity, empowering growth and scale, mitigating labor challenges, reducing risk and time to market, and creating better experiences for customers and employees. Founded in 2012, GreyOrange is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with offices and partners across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.greyorange.com.

Sharechat Founders' Automation Startup General Autonomy Raises $3 Mn in Seed Funding

Industrial automation and robotics company, General Autonomy, which is co-founded by the founders of ShareChat, has successfully raised $3 million in funding from investors including Elevation Capital and India Quotient, along with participation of notable angel investors such as Srinath Ramakkrushnan, Ramakant Sharma, and Ankush Sachdeva.

Founded this year, by Farhid Ahsan and Bhanu Singh, General Autonomy aims to pioneer industrial robotics infused with artificial intelligence (AI).

The launch as well as fundraise announcement was made by Ahsan on X (formerly Twitter), expressing gratitude for the support from investors like @IndiaQuotient and @ElevCap, as well as mentors @KhandujaM and @AnandLunia

Farhid and Bhanu have joined the likes of founders of several growth stage startups wherein co-founders or executives with leadership roles left the company and managed to raise capital for their new startup. The two founders left Sharechat earlier this year.

NVIDIA and Foxconn Join Hands to Build AI Factories and Systems for the AI Industrial Revolution

Partnership To Fuel Digitalization of World’s Industries through NVIDIA AI, DRIVE AV, Isaac Robotics and Omniverse Platforms

NVIDIA has just made an announcement that it is collaborating with world's largest contract manufacturer Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), to accelerate NVIDIA coined – "AI industrial revolution" .

With this collaboration, Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn will integrate NVIDIA technology to develop a new class of data centers powering a wide range of applications — including digitalization of manufacturing and inspection workflows, development of AI-powered electric vehicle and robotics platforms, and a growing number of language-based generative AI services.

Announced in a fireside chat with NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang and Foxconn Chairman and CEO Young Liu at Hon Hai Tech Day, in Taipei, the collaboration starts with the creation of AI factories — an NVIDIA® GPU computing infrastructure specially built for processing, refining and transforming vast amounts of data into valuable AI models and tokens — based on the NVIDIA accelerated computing platform, including the latest NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper™ Superchip and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software.

Foxconn is also developing its smart solution platforms based on NVIDIA technologies:

• Foxconn Smart EV will be built on NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion™ 9, a next-generation platform for autonomous automotive fleets, powered by NVIDIA DRIVE Thor™, its future automotive systems-on-a-chip.
• Foxconn Smart Manufacturing robotic systems will be built on the NVIDIA Isaac™ autonomous mobile robot platform.
• Foxconn Smart City will incorporate the NVIDIA Metropolis intelligent video analytics platform.

“Most importantly, NVIDIA and Foxconn are building these factories together. We will be helping the whole industry move much faster into the new AI era,” said Foxconn Chairman and CEO Young Liu.

“A new type of manufacturing has emerged — the production of intelligence. And the data centers that produce it are AI factories,” said Huang. “Foxconn, the world’s largest manufacturer, has the expertise and scale to build AI factories globally. We are delighted to expand our decade-long partnership with Foxconn to accelerate the AI Industrial revolution."

 

Foxconn Eyes Potential AI Factory

In addition to equipping its customers with NVIDIA technology-powered AI factories, Foxconn is eyeing its own that will tap into the NVIDIA Omniverse™ platform and Isaac and Metropolis frameworks to meet the strict production and quality standards of the electronics industry.

Advances in edge AI and simulation are enabling deployment of autonomous mobile robots that can travel several miles a day and industrial robots for assembling components, applying coatings, packaging and performing quality inspections.

An AI factory with these NVIDIA platforms can give Foxconn the ability to accomplish AI training and inference, enhance factory workflows and run simulations in the virtual world before deployment in the physical world. Simulating the entire robotics and automation pipeline from end to end provides Foxconn with a path to operational efficiency gains, saving time and costs.

Enabling Foxconn Customers to Build AI Data Factories

Working closely with NVIDIA, Foxconn is expected to build a large number of systems based on NVIDIA CPUs, GPUs and networking for its global customer base, which is looking to create and operate their own AI factories, optimized with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software.

Among the key NVIDIA technologies Foxconn is using to create these custom designs are NVIDIA HGX™ reference designs featuring eight NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs per system, NVIDIA GH200 Superchips, NVIDIA OVX™ reference designs and NVIDIA networking.

With these systems, Foxconn customers can leverage NVIDIA accelerated computing to deliver generative AI services as well as use simulation to speed up the training of autonomous machines, including industrial robots and self-driving cars.

Developing Safe, AI-Powered EVs

Foxconn will also deliver a range of NVIDIA DRIVE™ solutions to global automakers, serving as a tier-one manufacturer of NVIDIA DRIVE Orin™-based electronic control units (ECUs) today and scaling to NVIDIA DRIVE Thor-based ECUs in the future.

As a contract manufacturer, Foxconn will offer highly automated and autonomous, AI-rich EVs featuring the upcoming NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion 9 platform, which includes DRIVE Thor and a state-of-the-art sensor architecture. This will enable Foxconn and its automotive customers to realize a new era of functionally safe and secure software-defined cars.

Industrial Automation Startup Ethereal Machines Raises $7.3 Million

Bengaluru-based Ethereal Machines, which makes, which manufactures 5-Axis CNC machines, has raised $7.3 million in Pre-Series A Round of funding from Peak XV's Surge, Blume Ventures, Ganapathy Subramaniam, Mathew Cyriac, Lip-Bu Tan, Finvolve, 9Unicorns, Venture Catalysts and T2D3 Capital, reported TechinAsia. 

The company will use the freshly raised funds to establish more factories across India, adding to the one it currently has in Bangalore.

Ethereal Machines had earlier raised $1 million (~ Rs 7 crore) in its pre-Series A round of funding, which was led by Blume Ventures with contributions from PayU India managing director, Jitendra Gupta, and founders of Grey Orange Robotics - Samay Kohli and Akash Gupta.

Ethereal Machines is poised capture enormous growth opportunities in India’s manufacturing sector, which accounts for 17% of India’s GDP and over 27.3 million workers. According to the International Trade Administration, the Indian manufacturing industry generated 16-17% of India’s GDP pre-pandemic and is projected to be one of the fastest growing sectors. The machine tool industry was literally the nuts and bolts of the manufacturing industry in India.

Ethereal Machines uses proprietary Computer Numerical Control machines, such as drills and mills, to produce precision engineering components for aerospace, automobile, and healthcare use.

Founded in 2014, by Kaushik Mudda and Navin Jain, Ethereal Machines solves problems related to manufacturing faced by industries, engineers and makers through its machines and aid the growth of small-scale and mid-scale entrepreneurs by equipping them with affordable machines.