From manual to mobile: Senseven transforms industrial inspection

Industrial inspection is an indispensable process in the production industry, but it is often still manual and error-prone. This is exactly where the startup Senseven comes in by revolutionising inspection with the help of digitalisation and artificial intelligence. The company has developed a mobile app for detecting leaks in valves that enables fast and reliable inspection with the help of acoustic emission sensors and a smartphone. In the following interview, CEO Michael Hettegger, CTO Christoph Altmann and CGO Anna Maria Grausgruber explain how industrial companies can use the solution and what the startup's visions for the future are.

How would you explain your solution in three sentences to a professional colleague from the industrial sector? 

Senseven is dedicated to make industrial inspection more efficient and easier with the help of digitalization and AI. For this purpose, we transform Smartphones into smart and mobile inspection systems and, in a first step, have developed a mobile app for leakage detection in valves. The app supports the user during the process, automatically interprets sensor signals, and provides instant results on site. This helps companies to make their inspection processes easier, faster, and more reliable.

What problem motivated you to start the company? 

Before Senseven, Michael had already successfully founded a start-up that offered software services in the field of predictive maintenance and industrial AI. There, he recognized that industrial inspections are still a manual, expert driven process and due to no simple solution damages remain undetected for a long time. The idea for Senseven was born. A simple, digital product should be created to support industrial customers in the maintenance area. Christoph, a talented software developer and former fellow student, came on board to develop the app. Anna, with her years of experience in large industrial companies, joined the team a year later and took over the business focuses.

How do you convince an industrial company to set up a pilot project with you?

Our USP is the simplicity of use. We are the first in the market to apply today's digital capabilities to an inspection system. Existing solutions use proprietary, complex devices, while our open solution connects acoustic emission sensors to a smartphone. The user is guided through the inspection process by our software and algorithms and artificial intelligence help to interpret the data. The user receives results immediately on site and all data is stored in an automated and structured way in a cloud based Backoffice. The cloud platform allows the user to further analyze the data or generate automated and standardized reports. This easy solution thus empowers everyone to inspect industrial assets without training and expertise. It enables companies to regularly inspect their equipment without interfering with the process, detect damages themselves at an early stage and respond promptly.  That way, they no longer rely on expert know-how, can increase efficiency within their processes, avoid additional costs and reduce safety risk for employees. 

Who are your current customer (groups) and who do you want your potential customers to be? 

Our solution is basically industry-independent, as valves are applied in almost every production process. At the beginning, we focused primarily on the manufacturing industry and valve manufacturers and sold the product worldwide right from the start. Global players such as Henkel, Mondi, Gemü, Primetals Technologies, Münzer Bioindustrie and Arca Valves – just to name a few - have already successfully deployed our solution on the shop floor.  
In a next step, an EX-version of the product is now to be developed to expand the customer target group to include companies in the chemical, pharmaceutical, oil and gas processing sectors and other demanding industries in the EX-area.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years and how can 5-HT support you?

Our goal is to enable companies to detect damage in industrial plants themselves at an early stage and thus avoid serious consequences. Over the next three years, we want to offer our product for the Ex- area, expand our use cases besides valves and offer further inspection methods next to acoustic emission.              
The 5-HT Cluster offers us a great opportunity for more visibility, to get deeper into the sector and create new contact opportunities.