Call4Ventures · 2026 cohort

Call for AI startups in industry and manufacturing

We are looking for AI that improves production, quality, maintenance and supply chain in factories.

At a glance

Investment: Up to €75,000 investedIt can be cash only or cash and services.
Who it is for: We look for startups in validation or MVP and pre-scaling startups raising up to €1M.
Where: We invest in startups based in Europe and the United States.
Deadline: This call is part of the 2026 cohort. You can apply until 31 December 2026.
Response: We reply within seven working days. On average, two to three weeks pass from application to proposal.

Why we opened this call

The call covers production planning, quality control, predictive maintenance, energy, supply chain and plant know-how. The software and agents must work inside the processes of the people who make things.

Factories produce a lot of data from machines, sensors and management systems. Often that data never turns into decisions.

AI can plan production better, predict failures and cut scrap. It only works if it fits into the processes of the people who make things. That is why we look for use cases you can measure on the shop floor.

What we look for

→A use case you can measure on the shop floor: cycle time, scrap, downtime, cost
→Integration with factory systems: MES, ERP, PLC, sensors

We also assess every application against our investment thesis.

Read the thesis criteria →

What the call covers

Production planning

AI organises orders, shifts and lines to deliver on time.

Quality control

AI finds defects during production.

Predictive maintenance

AI predicts failures and reduces machine downtime.

Energy

AI cuts the energy use of the plant.

Supply chain

AI forecasts demand and manages stock.

Plant know-how

AI captures what the technicians know and makes it available to the whole plant.

What we bring

Our commitment can be cash only or cash and services. The services are the time of our product, engineering and go-to-market team.

The capabilities it takes to get an idea to market

Every founder who joins us has access to these six capabilities from day one. They are free. They are part of our investment.

Research

Our team includes AI researchers who publish papers and benchmarks. They help technical teams build proprietary technology that can compete. This raises the value of the company and strengthens AI know-how in the region.

Enterprise-grade product

We work with banks and insurers every day. We help you get your product ready for their compliance, security and data residency requirements. We also run AI sovereignty pipelines. With them your AI runs on open models and European cloud, and the data stays in Europe.

Strategy, finance and investor readiness

You work with our strategists, product owners and investor strategists. They help you sharpen your strategy and lower the risk of failure that comes with every new idea. We also work with you on finance and management control, so that the startup's numbers make sense. Finally, we build the equity strategy with you and prepare you to talk to investors.

Tests with large companies

We advise large companies. When the chance arises, we test our startups' technology with these enterprise clients.

Anthropic Ambassador

We are Anthropic Ambassadors and take part in the Claude for Organizations programme. All our venture builders are Claude-certified. Founders who work with us can get certified too.

Full-stack AI

We partner with the main AI vendors and have good agreements with them. Sometimes we supply the Claude, OpenAI and Grok subscriptions ourselves. Other times we help the startup develop its own open models and AI stack. Through our partners, such as Nebius, AWS and Google Cloud, startups can also buy compute.

The capabilities remain ours. What we build together belongs to your company. We become shareholders in it.

Selection process

1
You apply
You fill in the form, choose the call and attach your presentation.
2
Screening
Our team assesses the proposal. We also use our own proprietary software for the analysis. We reply within seven working days.
See our software →
3
We meet
We meet the founders and talk through the business model, the numbers and the roadmap.
4
Proposal and partnership
We agree together how we will work and on what terms.

On average, two to three weeks pass from application to proposal. Even when the answer is no, we reply to everyone.

Frequently asked questions

What results do you want to see?

We want a use case you can measure on the shop floor. Cycle time, scrap, downtime and cost are what count.

Which systems must the product work with?

The product must work with MES, ERP, PLC and sensors. These are the systems a factory already has.

Can I apply if I have no revenue yet?

Yes. Customers, users or pilots we can verify are enough.

Is this a grant?

No. We put in capital and join the cap table. We only gain if the venture grows.

Is the investment cash only?

Not always. The commitment can be cash only or cash and services. We agree on it together in the proposal.

Do you invest outside Italy?

Yes. We invest in startups based in Europe and the United States.

What is the deadline?

This call is part of the 2026 cohort. You can apply until 31 December 2026. We assess applications as they arrive.

Can I apply to more than one call?

Choose the call closest to your startup. If you work across two sectors, say so in the message.

Apply to this call

You need a presentation. It can be a PDF or HTML file or a DocSend or Drive link. We recommend adding your financial model and the founders' bios.

How to prepare your application →

No company yet? Is it just an idea for now?

Then apply to Call4Ideas. You bring the problem and we build the venture together.

Go to Call4Ideas