Imagine Europe scrambling to catch up in the global manufacturing race as Asia's factories hum with unmatched efficiency—could a fresh wave of smart tech finally turn the tide? That's the electrifying promise behind today's big news from Zurich, where a plucky startup is injecting AI smarts into old-school industrial setups to boost Europe's edge.
Forgis, a innovative Zurich company crafting software that brings automation to factory machines, just revealed it has snagged €3.8 million (about $4.5 million) in a pre-Seed funding boost. This cash will fuel their ongoing work in car manufacturing and cutting-edge production fields, helping factories run smoother and smarter.
Leading the charge was the venture firm redalpine, joined by heavy hitters like Massimo Banzi—the mind behind Arduino—and backers from the worlds of deep tech and factory operations. For those new to this, think of it as investors betting big on tools that make machines think and act like a well-oiled team, rather than clunky relics from the past.
'Keeping machines running without breaks, pumping out more products, and cutting down on faulty goods—these have long been huge headaches for factory bosses,' explains Federico Martelli, Forgis's CEO. 'Yet with gear that's decades old, plants are bleeding cash every day. We're rolling out top-notch physical AI right where the action happens on the shop floor.' Physical AI, by the way, is like giving machines human-like senses and smarts to handle real-world tasks, such as spotting a jam before it halts everything—super helpful for beginners picturing dusty assembly lines coming alive.
This funding hits at a pivotal moment, as Europe's push into industrial automation and AI for the physical world is grabbing investor spotlights left and right. But here's where it gets controversial: Is Europe truly innovating fast enough, or are we just playing catch-up to Asia's dominance?
Take Switzerland's own mimic, which recently pulled in €13.8 million to perfect robots that mimic human dexterity—like picking up delicate parts without dropping them, a game-changer for precision work. Over in Germany, Energy Robotics nabbed €11.5 million to develop software letting drones and bots inspect equipment on their own, spotting issues in hard-to-reach spots without human risk. Then there's in.hub, wrapping up a seven-figure deal to grow its easy-to-install Internet of Things (IIoT) gadgets across Europe—think sensors that connect everything in a factory for real-time data flow, making operations feel almost magical for newcomers.
Italy's not sitting idle either; Adaptronics scored €3.15 million for grippers that use electricity to stick to any object, letting robots handle weird shapes that used to stump them. And in Spain, HappyRobot raised a whopping €37.7 million to expand an AI platform building virtual workers for everyday businesses—imagine software 'employees' that never tire, handling routine tasks to free up humans for creative stuff.
Adding it all up, these 2025 deals total over €65 million, painting Forgis's raise as part of a broader European drive to amp up factory brains. Switzerland, in particular, is shining as a hotspot for this kind of bold innovation this year. And this is the part most people miss: While Asia leads in sheer volume, Europe's strength lies in quality and adaptability—could that be our secret weapon?
'It's a total overhaul starting from the core,' chimes in Camilla Mazzoleni, Forgis's Chief Product Officer. 'We're not tossing out the old setups or rewriting the rulebook. Instead, we link into what's already running and supercharge every slow spot with clever AI.'
Launched in 2025, Forgis specializes in edge software— that's tech that processes data right at the machine level, not in some distant cloud, for lightning-fast decisions. Their tools link up machines, programmable logic controllers (PLCs, the brains behind automated processes), and robots from all sorts of makers into one seamless network. This setup tweaks and refines how production works on the fly, building systems that spot problems and fix them solo, almost like a self-healing organism.
The team behind Forgis—Federico Martelli, Camilla Mazzoleni, and Riccardo Maggioni—hail from top schools like ETH Zurich and St. Gallen, with past gigs at Google, Bain, and IBM. They started the company to drag factories into the future, turning them collaborative, adaptable spaces where 'digital engineers'—virtual experts in the software—tweak output live to squeeze out peak performance. For example, if a conveyor belt slows, the system could reroute tasks instantly, saving precious time.
In initial tests with European factory partners, Forgis has delivered impressive wins: setup times slashed by as much as 60%, machine stoppages down 30%, and output boosted by about 20%. These aren't just numbers—they mean real savings and happier workers.
'We sealed the deal in just 36 hours; the excitement was off the charts,' shares Gianmarco Hodel, an Investment Manager at redalpine. 'Europe craves more of this: quick moves, rock-solid faith, and daring visions.'
The company points to stark stats: Over the past 10 years, China's robot fleet exploded from 200,000 to 2 million units, hitting 567 per 10,000 workers—eclipsing Germany, the US, and UK put together. Forgis aims to bridge that divide for the West, skipping trade walls and leaning on brainpower instead.
'We're luring manufacturing home by layering smart software onto current factory setups,' says Riccardo Maggioni, Forgis's CTO. 'Reshoring turns profitable this way, not a budget buster.' But is intelligence alone enough to outpace cheap labor and scale? That's a hot debate—some say yes, it's about efficiency; others argue policy tweaks are key too.
Already teaming with IBM and diving into automotive and high-tech manufacturing projects, Forgis's platform meshes seamlessly with big names like Siemens and ABB. This compatibility makes tangled factory worlds more nimble and productive, easing the upgrade path for businesses wary of big overhauls.
David Cendon Garcia
David serves as News Editor at EU-Startups. With roots in European journalism, policy, and comms, he's all in on propelling tech and startups ahead while championing solid, impactful reporting.
What do you think—can AI software like Forgis's really help Europe reclaim manufacturing glory, or is it too little too late against Asia's machine? Drop your takes in the comments; I'd love to hear if you're Team Intelligence or calling for bolder strategies!
