Smartex.ai is a technology company.
Smartex.ai has raised $28.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Smartex.ai has raised $28.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Smartex.ai is a hardware-software company pioneering AI-driven solutions for the textile industry, focusing on real-time defect detection, quality control, and factory management to achieve zero waste and full traceability.[1][2][5] It builds products like Smartex CORE (high-resolution cameras and sensors retrofitted into circular knitting machines for automated inspection) and Smartex FACT (a digital platform for roll grading, production visibility, and data-driven decisions), serving textile manufacturers worldwide to solve chronic issues like 5% defect rates, manual inspections, and supply chain inefficiencies.[2][3][4][5] By minimizing waste at the knitting stage—where over 80% of defects occur—Smartex reduces CO2 emissions, water usage, energy costs, and capital expenditure, while boosting productivity in the $3 trillion textile sector.[1][3][6] The company has seen rapid adoption, with 100% pilot-to-sale conversion and a $25 million Series A round to scale deployment.[6]
Smartex.ai emerged from the hands-on experience of co-founder and CEO Gilberto Loureiro, who worked as a knitting machine operator and textile inspector in his family's clothing business, witnessing firsthand the inefficiencies of manual defect detection.[6] Founded around 2020-2021 (with just three years of operation by 2023-2024), the idea crystallized from Loureiro's frustration with human-error-prone inspections in a high-waste industry, leading to AI-powered computer vision that halts machines upon detecting defects.[1][6] Early traction was swift: pilots converted to sales at 100%, earning EU funding (project 946915) and awards for slashing defects from 5% to near zero.[5][6] Pivotal moments include launching CORE for machine enablement and FACT for factory-wide digitization, positioning Smartex as a leader in Industry 4.0 for textiles.[1][4]
Smartex rides the Industry 4.0 wave in textiles, applying AI/computer vision to digitize a labor-intensive, analog $3 trillion sector plagued by thin margins and 5-10% defect rates from manual processes.[1][6] Timing is ideal amid rising sustainability mandates, supply chain transparency demands (e.g., post-fast fashion scrutiny), and labor shortages, where AI eliminates human error and enables data-driven operations.[3][5][7] Market forces like environmental regulations and cost pressures favor Smartex, as it turns waste reduction into competitive edges like traceable "Grade A" rolls via LOOP passports.[2][4] By influencing ecosystems—partnering with factories, brands, and distributors—Smartex accelerates textile modernization, fostering innovation in a traditionally slow-to-adopt industry.[1][7]
Smartex is primed for explosive growth, leveraging Series A capital to deploy systems faster amid unmet demand, potentially capturing significant share in knitting-heavy markets like apparel and beyond.[6] Trends like AI traceability regulations, circular economy pushes, and edge computing will amplify its edge, evolving from defect detection to full supply chain orchestration with digital twins and predictive analytics.[1][2][4] As textiles digitize, Smartex could redefine efficiency standards, influencing global standards for sustainable manufacturing and expanding to adjacent processes. This positions it as the go-to enabler for zero-waste factories, transforming a founder's family insight into industry-wide impact.[6]
Smartex.ai has raised $28.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Smartex.ai's investors include Encomenda Smart Capital, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Felicis Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Future Shape, Innovation Endeavors, Left Lane Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Northzone, Point Nine Capital, Sweet Capital.
Smartex.ai has raised $28.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $25.0M Series A in November 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2022 | $25.0M Series A | Encomenda Smart Capital, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Felicis Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Future Shape, Innovation Endeavors, Left Lane Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Northzone, Point Nine Capital, Sweet Capital, YLEM, Anne Wojcicki, Ian Hogarth, Timothy A. Springer | |
| Oct 1, 2019 | $3.0M Seed | SOSV, Jason Katzer |