Manex AI, formerly known as Datagon AI, has secured €8 million in seed funding to accelerate its mission of building the control layer for autonomous manufacturing. The round was co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and BlueYard Capital, with additional backing from Capmont Technology and the CDTM Venture Fund.
Positioning itself as the first provider of AI-powered manufacturing optimization agents, Manex AI aims to transform industrial quality management and process steering. The company’s flagship platform, Qualitatio, integrates seamlessly across the entire manufacturing process—from order intake to final delivery—helping manufacturers maximize efficiency, quality, and operational excellence.
“In just 18 months, we’ve gone from concept to adoption by global industry leaders,”
said Nathan Gruber, co-founder and CEO of Manex AI.
“When we worked at BMW, we looked for a solution like Qualitatio. When we couldn’t find it, we built it ourselves. Now we’re excited to bring it to scale with the help of Lightspeed, BlueYard, and our early customers.”
Manex AI’s technology is already in use by manufacturers such as BMW, Stellantis, Audi, TDK Electronics, Resrg Automotive, Still, BSH, and Henkel. These early adopters have seen significant returns on investment.
“With their help and the use of Qualitatio, we were able to more than halve our inspection volume—while simultaneously improving delivery quality,”
said Johann Förster, Director of Quality at Resrg Automotive.
The platform’s ability to draw insights from existing manufacturing software ecosystems—including ERP, MES, and quality management systems—gives it a unique edge.
“Manex AI is capturing full-factory data to drive real-time decision-making,”
said Alexander Schmitt, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.
“It’s the perfect storm for manufacturing: economic pressure, labor shortages, and a demand for quality. This platform offers an answer.”
BMW, one of Manex AI’s key partners, praised the platform’s role in the group’s digital transformation.
“We are using AI for quality control in vehicle assembly,”
said Armin Ebner, Plant Manager at BMW Group Plant Regensburg.
“It’s optimizing our processes and creating value for both our products and our customers.”
Frederik Zohm, Chief Technology Officer at MAN, added,
“Manex AI addresses one of the biggest challenges manufacturers face: end-to-end quality and process optimization from development through production.”
BlueYard Capital’s General Partner Ciarán O’Leary sees Manex AI as a foundational layer for the industry’s future.
“The path to autonomous factories won’t happen overnight. It starts with step-by-step, high-ROI applications of AI. Manex AI is positioned to be the fabric layer that underpins that transformation.”
The company is now actively recruiting top talent and engaging manufacturers across verticals to join its journey.
About Manex AI
Manex AI is a Munich-based software platform that leverages artificial intelligence for industrial quality management and process steering. Its core product, Qualitatio, enables factories to future-proof operations by integrating AI across all manufacturing stages. Learn more at https://manex.ai.
About Lightspeed
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a global multi-stage VC firm with $30B+ in AUM, known for backing industry-shaping companies like Affirm, Anthropic, Epic Games, and Snap. www.lsvp.com
About BlueYard Capital
BlueYard Capital invests in foundational technologies for the future, from AI and computation to cryptographic networks. The firm operates across the US and Europe. www.blueyard.com
