IntuigenceAI secures $10 million to automate engineering tasks

In a significant development for the engineering sector, Berkeley-based IntuigenceAI has emerged from stealth mode with $10 million in seed funding to revolutionize how industrial engineering tasks are managed. Founded by Moe Tanabian, a seasoned former Microsoft VP, the company aims to mitigate the brain drain in the industry by introducing AI solutions termed 'synthetic engineers.' These AI agents are designed to digitize technical blueprints and other crucial data that govern factory operations. This innovation is considered pivotal especially in the context of process manufacturing, which is a massive yet under-digitized $4 trillion market, crucial to modern economies. Process manufacturing faces a daunting challenge as it prepares for a significant wave of retirements among skilled engineers, with estimates suggesting that up to 50% of this workforce could retire by the end of the decade. The introduction of synthetic engineers comes in response to this pressing need, as they can enhance productivity and streamline operations, which have traditionally required extensive human input and expertise. The synthetic engineers work within defined confidence bounds, ensuring that each recommendation made is backed by reliable sources, thus maintaining a level of accountability and reliability. IntuigenceAI harnesses the power of AI to effectively handle daily operations ranging from routine tasks to complex maintenance projects that can involve hundreds of millions in investments. The system has been validated in real-world applications; for example, it successfully designed critical operational workflows for a downstream refinery. Ibrahim A-Syed, head of Digital Transformation at Celanese, a Fortune 500 company, praised the technology for its ability to automate workflows quickly and reliably, stating that the notion of such rapid automation was previously unimaginable. This reflects a fundamental shift in how engineering tasks are undertaken, relying more on AI assistance rather than solely on human ingenuity. The venture's potential benefits extend beyond merely enhancing engineering tasks; it also represents a strategic response to the broader industrial challenges posed by an aging workforce. Innovation Endeavors, a venture capital fund linked to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is investing in IntuigenceAI, underscoring the perceived strategic importance of this technology for the future of industrial engineering. Scott Brady, Managing Partner at this fund, articulated the urgency of their investment by highlighting the performance of synthetic engineers, which reportedly exceeds that of traditional chemical engineers on established professional benchmarks. As industrial sectors continue to evolve and digitize, solutions like IntuigenceAI's synthetic engineers are projected to become essential, ensuring that operations remain viable in the face of workforce reductions and other challenges.