The past few months have been filled with unexpected challenges and uncertainties. Whole countries ground to a standstill; consumer behavior has changed, sometimes radically – as has the very way in which we work.
But there is one very clear message we have consistently received, from our customers and the wider manufacturing industry alike: the face of manufacturing is changing forever – and in so many different ways.
Once deemed a fait accompli, globalization is no longer such a given in a world where international travel and trade have been severely limited. For similar reasons, we are seeing the beginnings of a trend of more localized production – though it’s not yet clear how long-term this will be.
But perhaps most critically, the current challenges have triggered a much higher motivation to enlist technological solutions to increase manufacturing efficiency.
Not long ago, many manufacturers saw the call of “Industry 4.0” and “smart manufacturing” as a long-term aspiration. Today, it has become an immediate necessity. We’ve seen this firsthand from our customers, among whom we are privileged to count some of the world’s leading manufacturers.
Time for a new, data-driven approach to manufacturing
Several years ago, Seebo recognized the need for a new, data-driven approach to manufacturing process optimization. Rapid population growth, increasing consumer demand, and ever-more competitive marketplaces have made process inefficiency, sustainability and the elimination of process inefficiencies and losses a critical battleground.
To emerge victorious in this battle, manufacturers require new, innovative technological solutions that truly understand the unique complexities of their processes.
This reality suddenly became much starker due to the Coronavirus Crisis, with all the extra challenges it brought with it: from supply chain disruptions, to significant shifts in consumer behavior, to stricter health-and-safety guidelines and, crucially, increased remote working. On a fundamental level, the COVID-19 crisis highlighted the limitations of human effort in the area of process optimization. Mastering complex production processes is elusive enough in “normal” times – all the more so when crisis strikes.
But even without the crisis, innovation and digitization were already the call of the hour.
Now, just a few short years after embarking on that journey, Seebo stands firmly at the forefront of this wave of innovation.
So it is with no small measure of gratitude and excitement that Seebo recently announced our latest $9 million funding round, led by Ofek Ventures and Vertex Ventures.
This investment will be used to further expand our global reach and continue enhancing our proprietary Process-Based Artificial Intelligence™ solution – a solution that is already being used by leading manufacturers like Nestle, Mondelez and ICL to predict and prevent production losses, and truly master their processes.
That funding announcement came on the heels of another exciting recognition – this time by the World Economic Forum, who selected Seebo as one of their 2020 Technology Pioneers.
It’s both an honor and an inspiration to join the ranks of what the WEF describes as “the most promising Technology Pioneers of 2020, who are shaping industries from agriculture to healthcare while also working on sustainability issues and much more.” I have no doubt that as part of this ecosystem, Seebo will both contribute and gain a great deal to global innovation and the future of our planet.
These are two important milestones for Seebo. This latest investment in our pioneering Process-Based Artificial Intelligence™, coupled with growing recognition of its global significance, brings us closer to our vision of a more sustainable, efficient global manufacturing industry, ready to face the demands and expectations of the modern consumer.
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