Helsinki-based CloEE, an AI-powered platform for discrete manufacturing, has shared with EU-Startups the successful completion of their €520k pre-Seed funding round to scale its solution for existing customers and expand sales in the Nordics, Italy, and the US.
The funding round was led by angel investor Miro Vertanen and the Innovestor Angel Co-fund, with additional participation from Cariplo Iniziative and three Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN) members.
“We are developing CloEE in direct response to manufacturers’ need for an affordable, truly plug-and-play solution,” said Oleksandr Zadorozhnyi, CEO and Co-founder of CloEE. “While everyone is eager to adopt AI, the reality is that AI is only as good as the data it receives. CloEE solves this challenge by delivering seamless connectivity and applying advanced AI to analyse data directly from industrial machines. In our experience, 70% of manufacturers struggle to reach even 50% equipment efficiency, largely due to inadequate data collection and analysis.
“With CloEE, our customers quickly become our strongest advocates – our platform expanded across one of our clients’ facilities organically, without any extra sales effort. Currently, we’re piloting CloEE with a US customer operating 100 facilities, and we’re already in discussions for a three-year contract covering 10 of them.”
Founded in 2022 by Oleksandr Zadorozhnyi and Julia Sabitova, CloEE is an AI digital advisor for discrete manufacturing that leverages generative AI to analyse real-time data from equipment, MES, and ERP systems, delivering actionable insights and driving continuous improvement.
Drawing on lessons from connecting 25,000 machines in 25 countries, CloEE empowers manufacturers to achieve breakthrough sustainability and address their toughest challenges – production downtime, delivery delays, low OEE, high defect rates, and rising energy costs.
Lead investor Miro Vertanen commented, “CloEE is leading the shift from outdated manufacturing processes to a new era of smart, data-driven operations, delivering real impact to the bottom line, especially as mid-sized enterprises in the US and beyond embrace digital transformation. We selected the CloEE team for their in-depth industry expertise and proven track record of driving large-scale digital transformation projects in the manufacturing industry. Their hands-on experience with over 100 IoT deployments, combined with their ability to execute at a fast pace, makes them exceptionally well-suited for international expansion.”
According to data provided by the company, the use of of their AI has resulted in up to €867k in annual revenue growth, a 30% reduction in energy consumption and a 95% drop in emergency stops, presenting a cost-free implementation to maximise savings and minimise disruption.
CloEE says that tracking and optimising overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is essential to improving shop floor efficiency. Effective operations automation can increase productivity by 20-30% and reduce quality defects by 15-25%, directly linking productivity to profitability. Even small improvements – such as eliminating as little as 10% of equipment downtime – can yield significant gains without major investments.
In addition, the CloEE solution can be deployed on-premise, offline, or in the cloud in two weeks, requiring no lengthy or costly implementation projects.
Andrea Beretta, Senior Director Sartup Operations & Investments at Cariplo Factory, added: “CloEE perfectly embodies the spirit of SkyDeck Berkeley Europe, Milano: robust technology, a visionary team, and strong international potential. Throughout the programme, we witnessed their distinctive approach to industrial manufacturing evolve with both speed and precision. The organic adoption of their solution by major players like Hyundai clearly demonstrates their ability to deliver real, scalable impact.”
The global AI in manufacturing market is expected to grow from approximately €5.1 billion in 2024 to over €199.5 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of more than 44%.
This rapid growth is being driven by the widespread adoption of AI-powered automation, predictive maintenance, and quality control technologies, with North America and Asia-Pacific leading the way in implementation.
“At CloEE, we actively collaborate with universities and associations to understand the evolving challenges of manufacturing. Our goal is to build a truly user-friendly platform for the next generation of engineers. With more than 8 million manufacturing jobs worldwide projected to go unfilled by 2030 – especially those requiring advanced digital skills—making technology accessible is critical.
Even experienced engineers often struggle with existing systems, so we designed CloEE to speak a human language. I believe it will become an essential tool for Gen Z in the factories of the future,” said Julia Sabitova, COO and Co-founder of CloEE.
CloEE has a team of eight with an R&D centre in Helsinki. The company aims to secure its first 20 recurring customers in 2025, after which it plans to raise its next investment round.
The new funding will focus on research and development to explore how AI Agents can significantly transform and potentially replace traditional heavy manufacturing platforms.