Senodis Technologies completes € 1.5m seed round

February 24, 2022

The Dresden-based (Germany) start-up Senodis Technologies GmbH successfully closed its seed financing round in February 2022. In addition to existing investor Fraunhofer Technologie Transfer Fonds (FTTF), High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS) are now also supporting the young company on its growth path. Senodis Technologies GmbH thus has excellent conditions for the roll-out of its digital component detection in the metal industry.

Dresden, 24 February 2022 – Senodis Technologies GmbH from Dresden has successfully completed a seed financing round. As an existing investor, Fraunhofer Technologie Transfer-Fonds (FTTF) is again supporting the Dresden-based company. The investment is led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) as a new partner with Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS) also as a new investor.

The investment of 1.5 million euros creates the basis for Senodis to establish Ceracode® in the market, a solution for the automated identification of hot-formed (automotive) metal components. The Ceracode® marking and identification solution is a key technology for track and trace applications in the metal and automotive industries. The process was developed by Senodis together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Saxony and Thuringia and transferred to operational use in a pilot project with a leading global automotive manufacturer.

Individual component marking can be carried out with Ceracode® even under difficult production conditions such as temperatures above 800°C, metal deformation and pressing systems subject to metal abrasion and deposits. Senodis thus closes an essential technological gap for producers in the metal industry heading towards process digitization. In addition to tracking individual components in production, process parameters can now also be linked to individual components. This is the pivotal building block for digitizing and ultimately optimizing manufacturing processes.

In addition to the existing cooperation with a leading manufacturer of press-hardened automotive components, several manufacturers from other areas of metal processing have already expressed their interest in using the solution. The conditions for the targeted growth of Senodis Technologies GmbH are therefore promising.

We are pleased about the confidence of the investors and feel confirmed that we can make a significant contribution to the digitization of a European core industry with our technology. With the investment, we will significantly strengthen the activities in the national and international marketing of our solutions. In addition, we can now open up new application areas within the metal industry for our component identification process.

Björn Erik Mai, co-founder and CEO of Senodis

Senodis offers industrial customers in metal processing a solution for individual component identification, enabling process transparency and tracking. The accompanying digitization and optimization of manufacturing processes will provide customers with a decisive competitive advantage. We are pleased to accompany Senodis on this journey.

Dr. Nils Lang, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds

About Senodis
Senodis Technologies GmbH in Dresden was spun off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in October 2019 to establish the Ceracode® marking solution developed at IKTS in the market. Ceracode® is a marking concept for hot-formed metal components where common marking solutions fail due to process temperatures above 900 °C. The printing process based on ceramic inks solves this challenge and enables seamless recording of the components along the process chain. Senodis is also developing other products for the digital component tracking and tracing in yet unreached areas of the metal industry and other industrial sectors.
www.senodis.io

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a seed investor that finances high-potential, tech-driven start-ups. With around EUR 900 million in total investment volume across three funds and an international network of partners, HTGF has already helped forge more than 650 start-ups since 2005. Driven by their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, its team of experienced investment managers and startup experts help guide the development of young companies. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial technology, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have injected more than EUR 4 billion into the HTGF portfolio via more than 1,800 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in more than 150 companies.
Investors in this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., as well as the companies ALTANA, BASF, BAYER, B.Braun, Boehringer Ingelheim, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, 1+1 AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, FOND OF, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG.

Media Contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Stefanie Grüter, Head of Marketing & Communications
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 188
s.grueter@htgf.de

Investor Contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Nils Lang, Investment Manager
T.: +49 – 228 – 82300 – 196
n.lang@htgf.de