Polysense

PolySense, a Belgian technology firm founded in 2022, is focused on optimizing production processes for food manufacturers through artificial intelligence and machine vision. The company was established by co-founders Yarne De Munck (CEO), Lucas Van Dijck (CTO), and Jarne Bogaert (COO). Yarne De Munck's background as a civil engineer and his experience as a team captain at UGent Racing provided a foundation for the company's data-driven approach.

The core of PolySense's business is to reduce waste and enhance efficiency in the food industry, addressing pressures from rising resource costs and sustainability legislation. Its business model revolves around providing bespoke sensor configurations and AI-powered software that integrate with existing manufacturing systems like ERP, MES, and SCADA. Revenue is generated by delivering these solutions to large-scale food processors, helping them to minimize product loss and improve profitability. Clients include prominent names in the European food sector, such as Agristo, a producer of frozen french fries, and Roger & Roger, known for its crisps.

The company offers a platform that utilizes AI-powered machine vision for precise, real-time quality inspection. This system, which includes the Polysense Quality and Process Assistants, automates the detection of defects by analyzing characteristics like dimensions, color, and anomalies. By linking quality inspection data directly to process parameters, the technology facilitates automated adjustments to the production line, moving from reactive manual checks to a more predictive operational model. A key feature is the use of synthetic data to create digital replicas of customer products, which allows for rapid training of AI models without extensive real-world data collection. This approach shortens the feedback loop, reduces the need for manual inspections, and ultimately decreases waste and rework.

Since its inception, PolySense has grown from its three founders to a team of approximately 20 experts. The startup secured a significant milestone by raising €2 million in a seed funding round to accelerate product development and expand its commercial operations across Europe. This investment was supported by a group of tech entrepreneurs and investors, including Peter Hinssen and Alexander Dewulf. Keywords: food manufacturing optimization, AI in food processing, machine vision quality control, waste reduction technology, process control automation, operational intelligence, food production efficiency, synthetic data for AI, real-time quality inspection, smart factory solutions, sustainable manufacturing, digital twin food industry, automated defect detection, food processing analytics, potato processing AI, European food tech, AI-powered inspection, process parameter optimization, food waste solutions, computer vision food industry, agricultural technology AI, production line automation, food quality management, operational excellence food, manufacturing data analytics