AREA Member Apprentice.io Raises $100M for Pharma AR Platform
With a longstanding history of leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality (AR) to tackle life science’s greatest challenges, AREA member Apprentice.io recently celebrated the announcement of a $100M Series C funding round that will be used to launch pharma’s first cloud-based production platform, the Tempo Manufacturing Cloud.
Tempo brings the transformative power of technology to an industry that is still largely paper-based. It accelerates the entire drug production lifecycle by orchestrating manufacturing across global teams and sites with one shared platform.
Tempo also expands Apprentice’s footprint in the AR space. It enables manufacturing operators to use AR to:
- Reduce human error as operators follow audio or text instructions enhanced with added photo, video, or AR overlay directions that are specific to their work environment or equipment, making each workflow step clear.
- Increase efficiency and overcome production delays by supporting cross-team collaboration and remote support through video conferencing that utilizes AR directional tools such as live drawing, arrows, laser and pointers.
Apprentice leverages AR headsets to empower operators and scientists in the lab and manufacturing to work with greater efficiency and speed, without having to reference cumbersome paper-based procedural manuals or record handwritten documentation. Using voice commands and intelligent data capture, operators can easily access their procedures using their headsets. They can intelligently collect, store or reference critical data as they go, without any interruption to their workflow. With 1,500+ devices deployed, Apprentice believes it has the largest wearables deployment in enterprise manufacturing.
“This recent funding is a testament to the power of Augmented Reality,” says Angelo Stracquatanio, CEO of Apprentice. “AR and wearables have long held the promise to change the way we work. With pharma manufacturing, we’ve found a meaningful application of this technology that truly helps the operator execute better – for the benefit of patients everywhere.”
Apprentice is also expanding into Europe and Asia and continues to grow the company to further fuel its 12-fold revenue growth and sixfold growth in employees. Learn more here.