AXO secures investment from better ventures

Digital switch maintenance for more punctual trains. Berlin-based startup AXO secures a six-figure investment from better ventures.

Berlin, 4 March 2025 - Berlin-based startup AXO, which specializes in predictive maintenance for rail transport, has received a six-figure investment from business angel club better ventures. The investors include entrepreneurs and industry experts such as Christian Böhm, Georg Bader, Thomas Gottheil, Michal Bartmanski, Henning Emmrich and Tobias Schütt. AXO intends to use the fresh capital to expand its product portfolio and further contribute to the digitalization of rail infrastructure.

Challenge in the rail sector: maintenance as a bottleneck

Rail is one of the most sustainable means of transportation, but the infrastructure is reaching its limits. Switches in particular are considered a critical component: they are responsible for 20% of all train delays worldwide. At the same time, overcrowded timetables and a shortage of skilled workers make maintenance more difficult.

The digitalization of rail transport is a decisive lever for more efficient and climate-friendly mobility

Tina Dreimann, founder and Managing Director of better ventures

This is where AXO comes in: Founded in 2022, the start-up is developing an AI-supported, IoT-based solution that monitors the condition of switches in real time. Early fault detection can prevent disruptions, improve punctuality and increase the capacity of the rail network. An important milestone in 2024 was winning a research contract from the German Federal Railway Authority for data-based switch maintenance.

Strategic investment for sustainable mobility

better ventures sees great potential in AXO's solution. In addition to capital, the investors also bring valuable industry knowledge, including Larissa Zeichhardt (LAT Group), Martin Klässner (has.to.be) and Markus Nottelmann (Ondas Networks).

With better ventures, we have a strong partner at our side who shares our mission for a sustainable and digitally optimized rail infrastructure.

Oliver von Sperber, CEO AXO

The global market for railroad switches is worth over 30 billion US dollars a year, but maintenance is still mostly carried out manually and at fixed intervals. This makes it cost-intensive and inefficient. Smart, predictive solutions such as those from AXO can not only reduce the life cycle costs of turnouts, but also increase the reliability of the railroad as a whole.

Future plans: expansion beyond Germany

Following initial successes in Germany, AXO is now turning its attention to international expansion. Deutsche Bahn is already an important reference customer, and the company will launch pilot projects in Europe and the USA in 2025. The aim is to enable more efficient switch maintenance for rail operators worldwide. The founding team around Oliver von Sperber (CEO), Dr Wolfgang Merz (CCO) and Uwe Hübler (CTO) brings expertise from the rail and sensor technology industry and is driving the digitalization of the rail industry with AXO.