Wobot raises $2.5 million in pre-Series A from Sequoia India

Wobot Intelligence, an AI-powered video analytics platform, has raised $2.5 million in pre-series A from Sequoia India.

Wobot’s tool connects to any existing CCTV or other forms of cameras and helps monitor process compliance while detecting and tracking anomalies in an organisation’s Standard Operating Procedures. It offers video analytics for SOPs which include hygiene, safety, productivity, and customer experience to customers across industries.

Founded by Adit Chhabra, Tapan Dixit, and Tanay Dixit, Wobot will use the funds for global expansion and strengthening its proprietary technology platform. It will also help the company make some key executive appointments, expand its sales and marketing efforts as well as broaden and accelerate product development to cater to more use cases and customers.

CCTVs are common in factories, restaurants, workplaces, and several other sectors but are monitored ineffectively by humans in a big control room with multiple monitors. The vast amount of this data is unused and does not give any meaningful or actionable insight. Wobot is resolving this big gap with ‘smarter video analytics solutions that leverage deep learning to achieve more productive and automated monitoring. These solutions can be personalised and implemented across industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, pharma and retail.

“Wobot’s vision has always been to create a transparent and seamless workplace with 100 per cent process compliance where the camera acts as a third eye and provides continuous feedback for employees on the job. This does not necessarily mean only pointing out violations but also giving a pat on the back for following the right SOPs and adhering to compliances," said Adit Chhabra, co-founder and CEO of Wobot.

The market for CCTV installations was estimated to grow at a CAGR of around 11 per cent YoY globally pre-Covid-19. It is estimated to grow even faster in the post-Covid-19 era as businesses realise the value proposition of remote monitoring. “Pre-Covid-19, hygiene and safety of the workforce was a good-to-have now, it is a must have and companies are appreciating the importance of automation. For any future business continuity plans, video analytics will play a huge role and Wobot is well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity,” added Chhabra.

Ashish Agrawal, Principal, Sequoia Capital India LLP, said, “Computer vision has seen tremendous advances in recent years, resulting in widespread adoption for varied enterprise needs. This includes process compliance in areas such as security, manufacturing, and retail. Increased concern for hygiene and safety post-Covid-19 has heightened the importance of process compliance. Sequoia India is excited to partner with the Wobot team as they build a global SaaS business serving this enterprise need.”