IPercept Raises $16.5M for CNC Machine Intelligence

Stockholm-based IPercept has successfully closed a $16.5 million Series A funding round, signaling a significant advancement in industrial automation intelligence. The investment was co-led by prominent venture capital firms Isogon Ventures and 2150, with continued support from existing backers including Luminar Ventures, RunwayFBU, J12 Ventures, and AI.Fund. This capital infusion is earmarked for aggressive expansion into the United States market, establishing a local operational presence, and enhancing its proprietary data platform with advanced AI capabilities.

Emerging from the research labs of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, IPercept has developed a groundbreaking, patented plug-and-play technology. This system captures micrometre-scale motion data directly from CNC machines using a single, non-invasive device. Crucially, it achieves this without requiring any connection to the machine's controller or the factory's IT network, thereby overcoming significant data access hurdles that have persisted for decades. The captured data is then translated into granular component-level condition insights, offering unprecedented visibility into machine health.

The implications for discrete-part manufacturing are substantial. IPercept's technology aims to revolutionize predictive maintenance and deliver real-time machine intelligence, directly addressing the long-standing challenge of unplanned downtime. This is particularly critical given that CNC machines, with a global installed base valued at approximately $1 trillion, are fundamental to producing components for nearly every major industry, from aerospace and automotive to medical devices and energy infrastructure. Historically, average machine efficiency has stagnated between 50-60% due to these visibility gaps.

IPercept's solution effectively acts as an AI assistant for production and maintenance operations. By providing a level of detail previously unattainable, it clears an industrial blindspot that has existed since the mid-20th century. The company's technology is already proving its value, with deployments across more than 30 leading manufacturers, including industry giants like Airbus, Bosch, Hitachi Energy, Scania, and Volvo. Furthermore, industrial service providers such as Konecranes, Quant, DynaMate, and MTT are integrating IPercept's platform to underpin their own monitoring services.

Karoly Szipka, founder and CEO of IPercept, emphasized the foundational role of CNC machines: "CNC machine tools make every other machine on Earth, and until now almost nobody could see inside them while they run." He highlighted the five years of research and four years of real-world data validation required to develop a new measurement principle that makes these critical machines "legible to software and AI." The company's focus is on bringing this essential intelligence to every factory that requires it.

Paco Riberas, General Partner at Isogon Ventures, commented on the market need: "Industry is meant to run like a well-oiled machine, and unplanned CNC downtime is where that ideal breaks. IPercept is the most seamless, accurate answer the space has produced – and exactly what critical industries need." Similarly, Rahul Parekh, Partner at 2150, noted, "The next wave of AI will change how the physical world operates. IPercept is bringing intelligence directly to industrial equipment, helping manufacturers understand their equipment in real time, improve productivity and extend the life of critical assets." This funding round positions IPercept to significantly impact the global manufacturing sector by enhancing operational efficiency and asset longevity.