RIIICO, a German deeptech startup specializing in AI-based factory design software, has raised $5 million in seed funding to scale its technology that helps manufacturers modernize existing factories. The round was led by Pi Labs, with participation from seed + speed Ventures, WaVe-X, Earlybird Venture Capital, and the Volvo Cars Tech Fund.
The company’s software uses AI to generate digital twins of existing industrial environments, enabling teams to redesign layouts and processes up to four times faster. Unlike traditional approaches, which are often slow and costly, RIIICO focuses on optimizing brownfield factories—existing production facilities that require upgrades for modern manufacturing demands.
Western manufacturers face mounting pressure as global competition intensifies. While newer companies build factories from the ground up, established players must retrofit complex operational sites without halting production. RIIICO addresses this challenge with a browser-based collaborative platform that turns LiDAR scans into accurate 3D factory models.
"With our lead users in the automotive sector, we’ve already proven the value of our solution under extreme cost pressures and high-quality demands," said Felix Fink, CEO of RIIICO.
One of the company’s recent milestones involved helping an automaker reconfigure a combustion engine plant to accommodate electric vehicle production. RIIICO’s digital models minimized errors and on-site changes, speeding up timelines and improving design quality.
With this new round of funding, RIIICO plans to extend its platform capabilities, making digital twin applications even more dynamic for future-proofing factories.
RIIICO was founded in 2021 by Patrick Mertens, Jan Büchsenschütz, and Felix Fink at RWTH Aachen University. Their mission is to make production planning agile and collaborative, allowing engineering, operations, and supply chain teams to make informed decisions based on shared, real-time data.
What sets the company apart is its ability to recognize machinery and infrastructure directly from LiDAR scans and convert them into interactive 3D environments. These digital twins allow simulations of factory changes before implementing them in real life.
Alongside Pi Labs, a leading proptech VC investing in the future of built environments, other backers include seed + speed Ventures, WaVe-X, Earlybird Venture Capital, and Volvo Cars Tech Fund. Their combined support reflects confidence in RIIICO’s potential to improve how industries adapt to changing production requirements.
"RIIICO is uniquely positioned to become a critical enabler for industrial facilities under increasing cost pressure," said Faisal Butt, founder and managing partner at Pi Labs.
