1.5 million euros for Operaize

The Cologne-based start-up receives money from High-Tech Gründerfonds, Fraunhofer Technologie-Transfer Fonds and NRW Bank.

The Cologne-based start-up has raised 1.5 million euros in its seed financing round. The money for Operaize comes from High-Tech Gründerfonds, Fraunhofer Technologie-Transfer Fonds and NRW Bank. The company, which was only founded in 2020, is dedicated to the AI-supported optimization of production planning and control; so far, the technology has mainly been used in the chemical and food industries.

"With Operaize, we are addressing the core challenges of manufacturing companies and enabling them to significantly improve the effectiveness and sustainability of their production, thereby strengthening their overall business success while at the same time better coping with climate change," explains Franz Felsmann, CEO of Operaize. He runs the start-up together with Christoph Lieth and Alexander Kouril; it currently has 13 employees.

"Production processes are becoming increasingly complex. The right software solution can help companies to maintain an overview and thus increase productivity and sustainability," says Michael Stölting from NRW Bank. "Operaize addresses precisely this market need, which is why we are happy to support the start-up with seed capital," he explains.