Manex AI

“The future of manufacturing is autonomous, powered by AI-based factory operating systems” is hardly a controversial statement. In fact, a glimpse into today’s most advanced factories already reveals a world where robots, not humans, perform many core manufacturing processes. So, one might think this is easy terrain for AI. Think again.

The reality is that the complexity and uniqueness of industrial use cases, coupled with diverse systems and machinery, legacy software, and entrenched data silos — all within high-stakes production environments — make impactful AI adoption a formidable challenge. Yet the imperative for AI in manufacturing continues to grow. Labour shortages, intense global competition, geopolitical pressures, and the relentless pace of technological advancement have left many industrials struggling to keep up.

What if there were a way to integrate AI into high-value manufacturing processes in a step-by-step manner, with immediate ROI? And what if these AI agents could be composed together to enable fully autonomous manufacturing?

Enter Manex AI (formerly Datagon AI)

Manex AI is currently deploying AI agents into the end-of-line quality assurance processes of Tier 1 manufacturers — including BMW, Stellantis, Rehau Automotive, TDK Electronics, Still, BSH, and Henkel — via its flagship product, Qualitatio. This solution helps reduce warranty costs and boost customer satisfaction by integrating directly with plant systems, including robots, human workflow tools, data sources, and sensor stacks.

Once embedded, Manex AI begins mapping and learning production processes, gradually expanding the range of use cases and value it delivers. This ease of adoption, combined with high impact, is what truly sets Manex AI apart.

Our Thesis

Industrial manufacturers are under growing margin pressure and are eager, yet slow, to adopt AI to optimize their operations. Rather than tackling deeply entrenched Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) head-on, Manex AI begins with nimble, high-ROI use cases that encourage quick adoption and build trust. From this entry point, the company can scale horizontally and vertically within each plant — expanding its footprint and progressively taking on more control over the production environment. In doing so, Manex AI becomes a critical enabler of AI adoption in industry.

Although only 18 months old, the company is already demonstrating strong growth and traction — a testament to the execution capabilities of Nathan Gruber, Andreas Schoch, Fabian Gruber, Philipp Becker, and the entire Manex AI team.

We are thrilled to support Manex AI in building the fabric layer technology for autonomous manufacturing, alongside Lightspeed, Capmont Technology, and the CDTM Venture Fund. Learn more about their €8M financing here.