Voxel Raises $3M to Enhance Warehouse Safety with AI Cameras

Revolutionizing Warehouse Safety with AI-Powered Surveillance

Many warehouses and distribution centers are equipped with extensive security camera systems. However, the potential of this footage often remains untapped without active, real-time monitoring. Voxel is addressing this issue by deploying on-site, machine-vision robots to meticulously analyze video feeds. These robots alert management to potential hazards and deviations from safety protocols.

Securing Seed Funding for Expansion

The company has recently secured $3 million in seed funding to further develop its technology and broaden its customer base beyond initial beta testing. This funding round was spearheaded by MTech Capital, a venture capital firm specializing in insurance technology.

Focus on Reducing Insurance Claims

MTech Capital’s investment highlights Voxel’s strategic direction: minimizing workers’ compensation and general liability insurance claims. The technology aims to proactively identify and mitigate risks before they result in incidents.

How Voxel's Technology Works

“We integrate with pre-existing security camera infrastructure, utilizing a dedicated computer located on-site,” explains Alex Senemar, CEO of Voxel. “This computer runs our algorithms, identifying factors that could lead to workplace injuries or high-risk scenarios.”

Detecting Safety Violations

The system is capable of detecting the absence of essential personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, safety vests, and safety harnesses when working at heights. Furthermore, it monitors for unsafe practices involving powered vehicles.

Monitoring Powered Vehicle Safety

Voxel’s technology assesses the operation of trucks, forklifts, and carts, flagging instances of speeding, failure to yield at intersections, and other dangerous behaviors. It also evaluates ergonomic risks, a significant contributor to workplace injuries.

Proactive Hazard Identification

The system identifies potential hazards like improper lifting techniques, overreaching, spills leading to slip-and-fall accidents, blocked aisles, and vehicles parked in unauthorized locations.

Company Growth and Vision

Founded just a year ago, Voxel has rapidly grown to a team of 11 professionals. The company envisions itself becoming a comprehensive “Risk OS” for site management.

Emphasis on Behavioral Change

The team emphasizes a focus on fostering positive behavioral changes and a strong safety culture, rather than employing a purely punitive approach to safety enforcement.

Early Customer Success

To date, Voxel has successfully onboarded four beta customers, with two converting to long-term, paying clients. Senemar states, “We’re focused on scaling our business now that we’ve seen incredible results during initial trial periods.”

Demonstrated Impact on Injury Rates

“At one of our initial sites, they experienced an average of one injury per month. During our six-month trial, they reported zero injuries. While it’s premature to draw definitive conclusions, these early results are extremely encouraging.”

Hybrid Architecture for Efficient Analysis

Voxel employs a hybrid architecture. Initial data analysis and computer vision processing occur on the on-premises computer. Detected safety events are then uploaded to a secure SaaS dashboard for online access and review.

Industry Recognition and Validation

Brian McLoughlin, co-founder and partner at MTech Capital, commented, “We believe Voxel’s technology represents a paradigm shift in workplace safety, both in terms of monitoring and preventative risk management.”

Advantages Over Traditional Solutions

McLoughlin further noted that Voxel distinguishes itself from other workplace safety solutions relying on wearables or IoT sensors by leveraging existing security camera infrastructure to reduce insurance costs and enhance safety.

International Expansion Potential

Concerns were raised regarding potential limitations to international expansion due to the litigious nature of the U.S. market. However, Senemar disagreed, suggesting that the value proposition is strong in countries with stringent safety regulations or high injury costs.

Global Demand for Safety Solutions

“Safety monitoring is often a reactive, manual process, making it difficult to pinpoint the root causes of injuries. In 2019 alone, U.S. employers spent $171 billion on over 5 million injuries. Our technology provides a scalable solution to prevent these incidents.”

Experienced Founding Team

The Voxel co-founding team includes CTO Anurag Kanungo, a co-founder of Sherbit and former member of Uber’s Self Driving Unit; Harishma Dayanidhi, who contributed to self-driving car technology at Uber and Aurora; and Troy Carlson, a former software engineer at Google.

UPDATE: At Voxel’s request, TechCrunch has removed a reference to the company’s pricing model that appeared in a previous version of this article. The names of the founding team, initially omitted, have also been added.