Hexagon Launches Disruptive Open Innovation Start-up Platform

Stockholm, Sweden – Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, which provides engineering, production, and quality technology and services to the world’s biggest and most innovative manufacturing leaders, has announced a revolutionary approach to supporting start-ups. The company has recently launched the open innovation platform ‘Sixth Sense’, which brings together start-ups and industry-leading companies to create transformative solutions that benefit everyone. It promotes sharing of resources, data, and ideas to fast-track progress and solves real-world problems that address some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, such as the journey to net-zero. Sustainability, Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Sensors, and Robotics are among the challenge areas.

Sixth Sense’s first themed challenge, Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Sustainable Smart Manufacturing, covers all of these areas and is now accepting applications, with start-ups encouraged to register their interest for future themed challenges and events. The ten most innovative proposals will be chosen for an intensive innovate-on-the-job scaling programme, supported by Hexagon, key clients, and world-leading mentors. Three final concepts will be offered commercial joint venture opportunities to globalize and scale their businesses.

The platform has already partnered with a number of promising young companies, and it is based on the principle that diversity is essential to innovation and the development of such a thriving open ecosystem. The selection criteria for Sixth Sense include $1 million or less in revenue; 1-5 years in existence; Post seed, Series A, Series A+; Proven traction and product-market fit; and Propensity to scale. In addition to preferred qualities such as Validation of investment from third parties and Intellectual Property & licenses.

Against this backdrop, Parth Joshi, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, said, “We are searching for intelligent, efficient solutions that will not only enhance performance but benefit people and the planet. Industry 4.0 is evolving and pushing to solve complex challenges, but the catch is that you cannot solve big problems without solving lots of little ones at each step with innovation.”

To this, Milan Kocić, Head - Sixth Sense, Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, added, “Sixth Sense will build a bridge between small businesses and larger manufacturers, helping overcome start-ups’ challenges with scaling, while simultaneously meeting the industry’s need for new ideas.”

Image Source: Hexagon AB

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