Deeptech Startup Jidoka Technologies offers Quality control solutions in manufacturing sector

Deeptech Startup Jidoka Technologies was a result of Dr Krishna Iyengar and Vinodh Venkatesan’s search for a product which could meet the automation requirements of the manufacturing Industry. 

Dr Krishna Iyengar, an engineer from IIT Madras, returned to India after completing his PhD from the United States in computer science and worked in the manufacturing sector for 7-8 years. His experience in the sector prompted him to find a product for the quality control automation process. Both Venkateshan and Iyengar met Sekar Udayamurthy, a BS degree holder in Information Systems from BITS, Pilani. From their initial market research they found that no such product existed which could meet the requirement of the manufacturing sector.   

The trio formed Jidoka Technologies in 2018 and they invested the first two years in product development. Now Jidoka has 10 clients from automotive segments and a total of 15 clients from different sectors including food, pharma and general industry. 

Initially, the company was self-funded by Dr Iyengar and then along with the co-founders he followed bootstrapped mode and made Rs 2-3 crore investment. After getting some attraction, Jidoka raised 3,40,000 dollars through angel investors.   

“We help manufacturing companies solve visual quality checking problems using computer vision, machine learning and deep learning. At the time of mass production, operators need to find out defects of their product after the production and reject the disputed products accordingly. We offer automated visual quality checks,” says Dr Krishna Iyengar, CTO, Jidoka Technologies. 

“We use the latest generation technology to make this process automated. Our services include surface defect inspection, parts mixup, parts counting in some critical areas and x-ray inspection. We specialise in different materials like metal, plastic and rubber,” adds Dr Iyengar.

Jidoka Technologies plans to expand its presence in the electronics, food and pharma segments as well as international operations. The company already has got many inquiries from the US and following up on some inquiries from Western Europe like France, Germany and the UK. 

“It takes time to convince the production manager, quality manager and MD of a company.  We are seeking a mentorship program to make this process faster to convert more orders not only in the Indian market but also in the global market. We want to learn the technique of quick sales, navigating the cultural differences in global markets like the US and UK markets,” says Dr Iyengar. 

Jidoka Technologies is one of the 20 startups selected for mentorship under the Mentors of Global Bharat program, an initiative by TV9 Bharatvarsh and SAP to offer guidance and support to budding entrepreneurs.

“The rich experience of mentors can help Jidoka to grow and they can identify and prevent mistakes. They can also suggest the right steps to achieve the target easily,” expects Dr Iyengar.