Deep Detection has secured EUR1 million funding to launch its PhotoAI technology, which is a next-generation X-ray camera with deep learning capability for continuous inspection across high-speed manufacturing and detailed security scans.
A member of The Collider, the tech accelerator of Mobile World Capital Barcelona, Deep Detection has secured investment from specialist photonics VC Vigo Ventures, Clave Capital (through Tech Transfer Agrifood), ESOM and public financing.
Founded in July 2020, Barcelona-based Deep Detection´s mission is to protect consumer safety by significantly enhancing the capabilities of inspection machine systems, where its technology can be used to simultaneously detect issues and measure composition or structure.
Deep Detection is preparing to launch its first product, PhotonAi, an X-ray camera that fits into X-ray machines to inspect a product and ensure it is safe, contains no foreign materials and meets production standards. The business will develop value added solutions for food and beverage using this new technology platform. First commercial sales are anticipated in 2022 after completing a series of industrial PoCs with international corporations to validate the technology in each market sector.
Initially, the company will focus on the inspection of food and beverage, where low-density materials that commonly occur in packaging, transport or harvesting can enter manufacturing and disrupt production because they are simply not detectable today.
“In a globalised supply chain, we depend on each other for the quality and safety of the end product. Errors upset consumers, harm the trust in brands and disrupt business operations. In the European food sector, there are around 100 product recalls per year due to a serious risk caused by foreign bodies. The direct costs alone can run into tens of millions and be catastrophic for SMEs. Incident prevention is the key and our technology is designed to avoid these incidents,” says Colin Burnham, COO of Deep Detection and ex-Senior Director at PepsiCo.
Beyond highly sensitive detection, the technology segments the X-ray spectra into discrete energy bands, which are used to non-destructively characterise product attributes and identify their composition. Patents granted in the United States, Europe, Japan and China enable the company’s hardware to operate at high inspection speeds and maintain excellent spectral resolution.
Marek Kotelnicki, Managing Partner at Vigo Ventures, explains: “Deep Detection fits perfectly into our portfolio. Earlier this year, we announced an investment in KSM Vision, which is a system integrator and deals with optical quality control solutions. Both companies have complementary offers for many industrial applications. They could also be coupled with infrared detectors, in which VIGO System is a market leader. Deep market knowledge of industrial clients’ needs enables us to create a comprehensive offer and expand the group of recipients internationally. We are counting on synergies in the commercial and research potential of these entities.”
“For Clave, investing in Deep Detection gives us the opportunity to incorporate a disruptive and adapted technology to make decisions in food production processes, providing additional information for safety in the food chain,” according to Pedro de Álava, director of the Tech transfer Agrifood fund.
