Manufacturing is undergoing profound change. New technologies, aging workforces, and increasingly complex production environments have left companies struggling with a widening skills gap. While automation has advanced rapidly, many processes on the factory floor still rely on highly trained technicians whose knowledge and problem-solving skills remain irreplaceable. At the same time, traditional training methods, from classroom instruction to e-learning, are often too slow, too costly, and too generic to meet the dynamic and factory-specific needs of modern industry.

This gap creates inefficiencies, longer downtimes, and higher operational risk. Factories face the challenge of keeping workers continuously trained on fast-changing processes and systems, while ensuring compliance and safety. The World Economic Forum and leading manufacturers alike highlight that the skills gap has become one of the sector’s most pressing challenges.

Augmented Industries directly tackles this problem. The Munich-based company has developed Flow Tool, an AI-powered platform that helps manufacturers capture and share expertise directly on the shop floor. By making knowledge accessible in real time, Flow Tool reduces downtime, improves productivity, and maintains quality standards in highly regulated environments.

That is why we are proud to have led Augmented Industries’ EUR 4.5m pre-seed round, alongside 1stKind, DnA Ventures and industry experts like Jürgen Maidl and Robert Neuhauser. Part of the round also a grant from the prestigious EIC Accelerator.

Bridging industrial engineering and learning science: Augmented Industries was founded by Dr. Elisa Roth and Dr. Mirco Roth, who combine deep industrial engineering expertise with academic research in learning science and AI from the University of Cambridge. They bring together production knowledge, didactic design, and technological excellence. Supported by an ambitious founding team, Elisa and Mirco have already transformed their research into a certified enterprise platform, earning the trust of leading industrial partners. From the outset, we were (and continue to be) very impressed by their clarity of purpose and the discipline with which they execute in a complex and demanding market.

Flow Tool: A vertical solution purpose-built for industry: Augmented Industries’ Flow Tool integrates seamlessly with existing systems and transforms factory documents and expert input into customized microlearning modules targeted at shopfloor workers. Unlike generic HR and training tools, Augmented Industries is purpose-built for industrial manufacturing and directly integrates with existing L&D systems as well as core factory systems. This interoperability is critical for large-scale manufacturing operations that rely on diverse and interconnected systems to function smoothly. 

Empowering connected workers with AI-driven operational excellence: Flow Tool goes beyond the capabilities of a traditional learning platform by turning training into an operational lever. It is a powerful solution that embeds problem-solving and quality assurance directly into daily workflows, driving operational excellence from the ground up: microlearning is not an additional activity outside of work but becomes part of the workflow. This seamless integration means that every task is both executed and learned at the same time, ensuring that operational excellence and continuous training are no longer separate efforts but mutually reinforcing. 

Strengthening the workforce, securing competitiveness: By focusing on technicians rather than replacing them, Augmented Industries puts people at the center of industrial digitalization. This human-centric approach enables workers to adapt to rapidly changing processes, ensures compliance in regulated environments, and safeguards valuable knowledge as workforces evolve. The urgency is underscored by the “paradox of automation”: even as automation expands, human expertise remains indispensable for maintaining complex machinery and resolving malfunctions that grow in number and complexity due to interconnected systems. With new processes and tools introduced three to four times more frequently than a decade ago, and with job content shifting drastically over a career, continuous and adaptable training becomes critical. Augmented Industries directly addresses this challenge by enabling real-time knowledge transfer and skill development, closing expertise gaps, strengthening competitiveness, and ensuring long-term operational resilience. 

At b2venture, we aim to back teams that combine technological excellence with a clear understanding of their industry. Augmented Industries is tackling one of manufacturing’s most urgent challenges with a solution that empowers people, improves efficiency, and supports the future of industrial work. We are incredibly excited to welcome Elisa, Mirco, and their team on board as they build the leading platform for AI-powered industrial training and operational excellence.

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