Sentinus secures CHF 150,000 to automate quality control

ETH spin-off Sentinus has won CHF 150,000 in the Venture Kick finale. Targeting the manual assembly sector, the startup will use the funds to enhance its deep learning-based smart camera systems for automated quality control.

Manual assembly processes are vulnerable to errors, especially in high-mix, low-volume production environments. These production errors can result in costly rework, delays, and operational inefficiencies. As companies aim to enhance product quality while controlling costs, the demand for reliable error-prevention solutions continues to grow. Traditional methods for quality assurance often fall short in efficiency and flexibility, highlighting the need for innovative, practical, and cost-effective solutions that integrate smoothly into existing workflows.

Incorporated in 2023, Sentinus is dedicated to automating quality control using its smart camera systems and proprietary deep learning models to detect various types of assembly errors that might go unnoticed by human inspectors and provide real-time support workers with live feedback, documentation, and instructions. The unique system can be seamlessly integrated with existing manufacturing setups, making it very easy for businesses to implement without significant infrastructure changes.

With an estimated 50 million workers involved in manual assembly and over 500,000 workstations set to benefit from camera-based support, Sentinus is well-positioned to improve quality control in the manufacturing industry and enter the rapidly expanding industrial computer vision market, projected to grow at a 14% CAGR from 2022 to 2031.

The startup impressed the Venture Kick jury, winning CHF 150,000 to accelerate business and product development while launching a highly scalable solution for automated quality control in manual assembly.

The founding team consists of Executive Lead Jonas Conrad and Technical Lead Felix Schnarrenberger, both experts in deep learning and machine learning for computer vision. Jonas is currently completing his PhD at ETH Zurich, while Felix is pursuing his master’s degree in Robotics, Systems, and Control from the same institution.

"The feedback we received throughout the Venture Kick process was instrumental in helping us sharpen our focus on business development and company growth, beyond just the technical implementation of our product. The financial support also enabled us to complete the program with significant traction in the manufacturing industry," commented Jonas Conrad.

(Press release/RAN)
Image L-R: Felix Schnarrenberger and Jonas Conrad