Teaching Machines to Perceive the Invisible to Humans. Brno Startup Has Already Helped Škoda, Now It Aims for America
Manufacturing relies on machines, but many have trouble correctly perceiving things like shiny objects. A Brno-based company has patented a different way of "seeing" for robots.
Luboš Lorenc, CTO Sanezoo, Luboš Brzobohatý, CEO Sanezoo, and Petr Šedivý, CEO Venture Club Invest
If the success of a startup could be judged by the number of technological trends it manages to incorporate into its product, Sanezoo would be high on the hypothetical list of interesting projects – it combines artificial intelligence, machine vision, and its 3D version. This gives robots "eyes" and also allows them to move safely. The Brno company focuses on manufacturing companies such as Bosch, Škoda Auto, and ZF, which have already tried its services and repeatedly contributed to its development. Now, they report new tens of millions, and we provide details of the investment in a detailed overview.
Funded startup: Sanezoo
Who is investing: Venture Club Invest
How much: More than 23 million CZK. This is the second tranche of the summer seed round, in which Venture Club Invest previously sent 21 million CZK to the startup. For a total of 44.4 million CZK, it gained a 10.1% share in the company. This summer Sanezoo also received 25 million CZK from other smaller investors, collecting a total of 69.4 million CZK. In all rounds combined, it has already been 140 million CZK.
What the startup does: Sanezoo focuses on automating surface quality control and robot guidance using machine vision and artificial intelligence. It describes itself as a deep tech company focused on manufacturing and automating robot work where independent operation is not yet sufficient. In some places, it provides speed or precision thanks to machine vision and artificial intelligence, and in others, it allows robots to inspect products – they can even evaluate shiny, machined, or painted surfaces, which are problematic for machines. Based on Sanezoo's artificial intelligence, machines take and prepare parts or segment and classify objects. The software also plans collision-free robot trajectories.
How big the startup is: The current investment values it at 440 million CZK. It has been developing for six years and has references from companies like Bosch, Škoda Auto, and ZF.
Founders: Luboš Lorenc and Luboš Brzobohatý. Both are engaged in robotics and advanced image recognition, and they hold a patent for Sanezoo on an autonomous device for advanced image analysis, its intelligent recognition, and evaluation.
Startup headquarters and areas of operation: Brno, planning expansion to the USA
Why it is interesting and what the potential is: So-called Industry 4.0, or the modernization of industrial production, is a concern for every manufacturing company. Sanezoo products increase the accuracy and reliability of automated surface quality control assessment.
What the startup plans to use the investment for: Primarily for international expansion, but also to help develop the business itself. "The involvement of Venture Club brings us more resources for scaling products and expanding into new markets. At the same time, we have the opportunity to consult our steps with senior qualified partners," says Luboš Brzobohatý. "We strengthen companies' competencies in management, marketing, and sales to maximize their success," adds Petr Šedivý from Venture Club Invest. He also gains a seat on the board of directors as a representative of the investors.
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