Smart Craft Secures Funding from Omron Ventures and Accelerates Manufacturing DX through Partnership with Omron

Smart Craft Inc. (HQ: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Fumiya Ukibe), provider of the cloud Manufacturing Execution System (MES) 'Smart Craft' which digitizes process, quality, and inventory management in manufacturing, has concluded a capital alliance agreement in a Pre-Series A extension round with Omron Ventures Co., Ltd. (HQ: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Naosuke Kamiya).

Through this business partnership with Omron Corporation, the company will aim to realize an information platform that connects the IT domain (information management/analysis) and the OT domain (equipment/control), which have often been siloed, to ensure data flows seamlessly from the production floor to management. This initiative will strengthen support for smart factory transformation and productivity improvements through manufacturing digitalization.

In the manufacturing industry, as addressing labor shortages, skills transfer, and productivity enhancement becomes a critical management challenge, the need for utilizing shop-floor data and digitizing business processes is increasing. Through this funding and partnership, the company will accelerate product development and organizational strengthening. By combining its cloud MES, which integrates shop-floor data, with Omron’s expertise and technology in equipment and control, the company will contribute to advancing DX for more manufacturers by building a foundation where data connects from the floor to management.

■ Background and Purpose of Funding

Market Environment and Challenges in Manufacturing

Japan's manufacturing industry is facing structural challenges such as severe labor shortages, difficulty in skills transfer, rising costs, and intensifying global competition. Meanwhile, many shop floors still depend on paper, Excel, or siloed data per process or piece of equipment. The 'connected data foundation' essential for DX and smart factory transformation is currently insufficient. Data acquisition from equipment and the digitalization of business processes are no longer just for advanced enterprises, but are becoming essential prerequisites for productivity and maintaining competitiveness.

Business and Growth Status of Smart Craft

Against this backdrop of rising demand, the company's cloud MES 'Smart Craft' has been adopted by a wide range of manufacturers, from SMEs to large enterprises, with high growth of approximately 230% in the last year and 470% over the last two years. Recently, adoption by enterprise firms with multiple sites and lines is also expanding, and it is highly regarded as a foundation supporting manufacturing digitalization regardless of scale or industry.

Background of Funding

To meet rising demand and provide broader and deeper support for manufacturing DX, the company determined that further strengthening of product development and organizational structure was necessary, leading to this Pre-Series A extension round. The company welcomed Omron Ventures, a CVC of the Omron Group with deep expertise in manufacturing, as the underwriter.

Main Use of Funds

Funds will primarily be used for (1) product feature expansion, (2) organizational strengthening, and (3) expanding value provided through partner collaboration.

The company has continued to evolve into a SaaS-based MES solution that can centrally manage all data on the manufacturing floor, expanding from 'process management' to 'quality management' and 'inventory management.' With this funding, the company will further promote its evolution into a 'one-platform' solution that covers a wider range of manufacturing tasks by enhancing equipment data integration and AI utilization, serving as a foundation to support decision-making in the manufacturing industry. On the organizational front, it will accelerate recruitment across all business, development, and corporate functions to achieve these goals.

Future Business Development

Welcoming the Omron Group as an underwriter and business partner symbolizes the next step the company is focusing on: 'providing a data foundation that connects equipment/control equipment (OT) with information management/analysis (IT).' By leveraging both companies' strengths, the company will contribute to the realization of DX and smart factories for more manufacturers.