Blackbird raises DKK 35 million to drive digitization and increase competitiveness of Danish and global manufacturing

Danish tech scale-up provides manufacturers with data collection and analysis tools required to stay competitive and help staunch the flow of manufacturing jobs to low-wage countries.

Copenhagen, Denmark – January 21, 2022

Blackbird ApS, provider of smart factory devices and cloud software, has received a commitment from the Danish Capital Fund, Vækstfonden, to invest up to DKK 30 million and an additional DKK 5 million from initial investor Anchor Point ApS.

The investment will allow Blackbird to ramp up commercial operations, secure its product roadmap and accelerate its goal of helping companies digitize time-intensive manufacturing processes.

“The infusion of funds and guidance from Vækstfonden will fuel our growth and speed the delivery of technology that is already helping hundreds of companies join the industry 4.0 revolution. Blackbird is ready to fly,” says Finn Hunneche, founder of Blackbird.

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Use of production data boosts efficiency and secures domestic manufacturing jobs

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The Blackbird smart factory system is a combination of easily installed plug-and-play sensors and proprietary web-based software. Using data from Factbird allows companies to optimize their production in real time and solve issues before they become problems.

Regardless of the size of the company or age of the machines in use, Blackbird is quick to install and more cost effective than most other manufacturing automation systems because it uses standard interfaces and an open, easily scalable cloud-based software platform.

“Data from manufacturing processes provides a goldmine of valuable information on how to operate more efficiently. Companies that utilize this data will lead the digital transformation of industry. The rest will be outcompeted,” says Finn Hunneche.

Rolf Kjærgaard, CEO of Vækstfonden: “Denmark is one of the most digitalized countries in the world, filled with talented entrepreneurs who have built our strong position, which has enormous global potential. Blackbird is a great example. They have identified a vital market in need of digital transformation – manufacturing companies. Through this, Blackbird not only has great business potential globally, but can also make a significant difference for production companies throughout Denmark.”

Ambitious expansion plans, growth in headcount, new offices in Germany and the US

The infusion of capital provides Blackbird with resources to take its already proven product and scale it globally. Funds will primarily be used to strengthen Blackbird’s commercial business processes, with a focus on scaling sales and marketing functions. Two newly appointed partners, Peter Savnik and Søren Schønnemann will manage operations and commercial aspects of the business.

The company plans to hire up to 25 people in the next two years and is opening offices in Germany and the USA. Today Blackbird is already used on more than 1500 machines in 27 countries around the globe. Among its customers are leading global pharmaceutical, manufacturing and food and beverage companies, as well as hundreds of smaller companies. Blackbird is part of Emendo Consulting Group.

About Vækstfonden

Vækstfonden is the Danish state’s investment fund, which works to strengthen Danish companies’ access to capital, so that they can create new innovations, growth and jobs. In close partnership with banks and private investors domestically and abroad, Vækstfonden finances companies in all industries across the country. The fund can be part of a company’s entire growth journey – from start-up through high growth, to expansion into global markets and IPOs. Vækstfonden, together with the Danish Green Investment Fund, has DKK 10 billion to finance and develop green and sustainable companies throughout Denmark. Since 1992, Vækstfonden has co-financed growth in more than 11,000 companies for a total commitment of more than DKK 42 billion.

About Blackbird ApS

‍Blackbird started in 2016 as a quest to improve production processes at one of Emendo Consulting Group’s customers, Royal Unibrew. The Emendo team, led by co-founders of Emendo, Finn Hunneche and Anders Arnum Jensen, found that they needed to collect more data from production lines, which at the time was a very labor-intensive, time-consuming process. The solution was to develop a small sensor device that could monitor the lines and relay data in an easily accessible online format. Finn and Anders created the first device in a basement workshop. And from there, Blackbird was born. Today Blackbird is already used on more than 1500 machines in 27 countries. Leading global pharmaceutical, manufacturing and food and beverage companies use Blackbird, as well as hundreds of smaller companies.

‍About Emendo Consulting Group

‍At Emendo Consulting Group, we are driven to achieve extraordinary results and create a positive impact for our clients and society by being at the forefront of everything we do. We are a consultancy that provides expertise and hands-on services at every stage of a product lifecycle, from early research and development, project management, and production facility design and construction to IT implementations, management consulting, operational excellence, and data collection and analysis. Emendo was established in 2006 and employs more than 100 consultants working with clients throughout Denmark, Europe and the US. Read more at www.emendo.com.