Heavy industry might be the unsung hero of our modern world, producing everything from the steel in our skyscrapers to the cement in our roads. But there’s a dark side: it’s also one of the planet’s biggest energy consumers, responsible for 25% of global consumption. As pressure mounts to reduce emissions, the need to decarbonise these sectors has never been more urgent—or more challenging. This is where juna.ai steps in.
The Problem
The manufacturing sector is grappling with crises on multiple fronts: rising energy costs, disrupted supply chains, talent shortages, and relentless pressure to slash emissions. Industrial operations are plagued by inefficiencies—balancing objectives like output, cost, and sustainability often feels like an impossible puzzle.
The Solution
juna.ai has developed a revolutionary AI-driven platform that transforms these inefficiencies into opportunities. Their AI agents act as real-time operators, learning from sensor data to autonomously optimise processes. No more rigid, outdated control systems—juna.ai’s tech continuously fine-tunes settings to reduce energy use by up to 30%, cut emissions, and improve overall performance. As co-founder Matthias Auf der Mauer puts it, “Manufacturing is at a pivotal moment. With rising energy prices and increasing sustainability pressures, there’s an urgent need for intelligent solutions that can adapt and optimise industrial operations in real time.”
Christian Hardenberg, the other half of the founding duo, adds, “Traditional industrial production relies heavily on hard-coded logic that demands constant manual intervention. Our AI agents adapt autonomously, addressing inefficiencies and reducing energy consumption.”
Why We’re Backing juna.ai
We believe in investing in founders with a vision and a track record. Matthias previously led AiSight, a predictive maintenance startup acquired by a Swiss sensor giant. Christian has scaled engineering teams of over 2,500 people, launching more than 50 internet companies. Their combined expertise in AI, industrial tech, and software engineering is precisely what’s needed to tackle this sector’s toughest challenges.
Even in its early days, juna.ai’s tech is already proving its worth, delivering substantial energy and cost savings for initial customers. It’s not just about potential—it’s about real, measurable impact.
Looking Ahead
With a fresh $7.5 million in seed funding, led by Kleiner Perkins and followed by Norrsken VC, juna.ai is strategically positioning itself for rapid growth. The capital will be used to expand operations in Berlin, establish a strong presence in key industrial markets, and attract top-tier talent across machine learning, reinforcement learning, and engineering. This investment will accelerate the deployment of juna.ai’s technology, enabling the company to drive transformative impact across heavy industry and make a substantial contribution to global decarbonisation efforts.
We’re thrilled to back juna.ai on this ambitious journey. Because they prove that sustainability and profitability go hand in hand.
