Helsinki-based AI manufacturing startup CloEE has raised $600,000 in pre-seed funding to support product development and market expansion in the United States, Nordics, and Italy. The round was led by angel investor Miro Vertanen and the Innovestor Angel Co-fund, with participation from Cariplo Iniziative and members of the Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN). Based in Helsinki, CloEE develops an AI platform that integrates with manufacturing systems to track and improve equipment efficiency, energy use, and output quality. The funding will be used to scale the technology across existing customer sites, pilot new deployments—particularly in the U.S.—and further develop AI-driven features aimed at replacing traditional industrial software.
CloEE develops AI-powered software for discrete manufacturing. Its platform connects directly to industrial equipment, MES, and ERP systems to provide real-time analysis of operational performance. Designed for manufacturers seeking to improve equipment efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and minimize downtime, CloEE offers a plug-and-play solution that integrates with existing infrastructure. The company works with clients across multiple countries and focuses on data-driven approaches to process optimization and digital transformation in mid-sized and large-scale manufacturing environments.
“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 analyze 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.”
Tracking and optimizing 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.
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.”
CloEE’s AI Platform goes further, integrating manufacturing equipment, MES, and ERP systems, providing actionable insights, benchmarking, and multilingual accessibility (e.g., works in Italian, Japanese, Finnish, etc.). Customers have seen up to $1 million in annual revenue growth, a 30% reduction in energy consumption, and a 95% reduction in emergency outages. In addition, the CloEE solution can be deployed on-premise, offline, or in the cloud in as little as two weeks, requiring no lengthy or costly implementation projects.
Andrea Beretta – Senior Director Sartup Operations & Investments at Cariplo Factory: “CloEE perfectly embodies the spirit of SkyDeck Berkeley Europe, Milano: robust technology, a visionary team, and strong international potential. Throughout the program, 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 reached approximately $5.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to soar to over $230 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of more than 44%. Rapid adoption of AI-powered automation, predictive maintenance, and quality control is driving this growth, with North America and Asia-Pacific leading in technology integration.
“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 center 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.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/cloee-raises-600k-pre-seed/
