Forgis receives CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick to enable production reshoring through industrial intelligence
14.11.2025
ETH Zurich and HSG startup Forgis has obtained CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick to make factory automated systems intelligent. By integrating its AI agentic system, the ICT startup simplifies how engineers control industrial equipment, enabling European manufacturers to relocate production locally while boosting regional innovation and competitiveness by reducing downtime and increasing throughput.
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For years, European firms relentlessly outsourced production, prioritizing cost reduction over long-term strategy. A decade later, China absorbed industrial know-how and now outcompetes on price, while the US leads in innovation. Western companies are caught between these forces – facing shrinking margins and increasing dependency. Their only viable alternative is reshoring to restart innovation, yet both labor and automation costs remain higher in Europe, hindering progress.
The ETH and HSG startup Forgis enables reshoring by making automation smarter, faster and more cost-effective. Its hardware- and application-agnostic AI platform functions as a software brain integrated at the machine level, accelerating robot programming by a factor of four, while reducing downtime detection and resolution. This innovation allows manufacturers to increase flexibility, minimize quality scraps, and compete globally.
The industrial automation and smart manufacturing market represents a trillion-dollar opportunity, expanding rapidly on the back of AI-driven innovation. The startup has already established a strategic partnership with IBM, completed pilot projects, and secured commitments with Fortune 500 manufacturers.
The CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick will accelerate sales acquisition and advance product development.
The team brings together technical and entrepreneurial expertise. CEO Federico Martelli, Master’s in Strategy and International Management (SIM) at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), leads the company alongside CPO Camilla Mazzoleni and CTO Riccardo Maggioni, both from ETH Robotics. With experience across robotics, software engineering, and business strategy, the team enables the ICT startup to develop innovative solutions for the automation sector.
“Venture Kick was instrumental in giving us that milestone-driven external push to close the deal now, develop that feature now, and get things done now,” highlights CEO Federico Martelli.
From left to right: CTO Riccardo Maggioni, CPO Camilla Mazzoleni, and CEO Federico Martelli
The ETH and HSG startup Forgis enables reshoring by making automation smarter, faster and more cost-effective. Its hardware- and application-agnostic AI platform functions as a software brain integrated at the machine level, accelerating robot programming by a factor of four, while reducing downtime detection and resolution. This innovation allows manufacturers to increase flexibility, minimize quality scraps, and compete globally.
The industrial automation and smart manufacturing market represents a trillion-dollar opportunity, expanding rapidly on the back of AI-driven innovation. The startup has already established a strategic partnership with IBM, completed pilot projects, and secured commitments with Fortune 500 manufacturers.
The CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick will accelerate sales acquisition and advance product development.
The team brings together technical and entrepreneurial expertise. CEO Federico Martelli, Master’s in Strategy and International Management (SIM) at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), leads the company alongside CPO Camilla Mazzoleni and CTO Riccardo Maggioni, both from ETH Robotics. With experience across robotics, software engineering, and business strategy, the team enables the ICT startup to develop innovative solutions for the automation sector.
“Venture Kick was instrumental in giving us that milestone-driven external push to close the deal now, develop that feature now, and get things done now,” highlights CEO Federico Martelli.
From left to right: CTO Riccardo Maggioni, CPO Camilla Mazzoleni, and CEO Federico Martelli