Munich-based AI start-up Manex AI, which develops a control layer for autonomous manufacturing, has raised €8 million in a seed financing round. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners (Lightspeed), with additional participation from BlueYard Capital, Capmont Technology and the CDTM Venture Fund. Taylor Wessing provided comprehensive legal advice to Lightspeed on the transaction, led by Berlin partner and VC expert Dr Norman Röchert.

Manex AI develops an AI-based platform for industrial process control and quality optimisation. The software is already being used by renowned companies such as Audi, Henkel, Stellantis and TDK Electronics. A Manex AI solution for customised quality checks in vehicle assembly is being used at the BMW Group plant in Regensburg.

The Manex AI platform ‘Qualitatio’, the start-up's flagship product, integrates data across the entire manufacturing process, enabling AI-driven quality checks and efficiency gains. The company's goal is to build a central control layer for autonomous factories.

About Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a multi-stage venture capital firm focusing on supporting innovation and trends in the enterprise, consumer and healthcare sectors with an emphasis on category-defining businesses that change the way we interact today and enable a visionary tomorrow. The firm has supported hundreds of founders and helped build more than 500 extraordinary companies worldwide. 

Legal advisors to Lightspeed Venture Partners
Taylor Wessing Germany: Dr Norman Röchert (partner), Jasmin Bechtold (associate), Felix Paul (professional support lawyer), all Corporate Technology/Growth VC, Berlin; Dr Gregor Schmid (partner), Caroline Bunz (associate), both IP/IT, Berlin; Nico Jänicke (partner), Kübra Inan (associate), both Employment, Pensions & Mobility, Berlin; Arno Gotting (salary partner, Frankfurt), Katrin Schultz (associate, Berlin), both Commercial