Pascal Weber, co-founder and CEO of Manukai, shares insights from his journey in AI after earning his PhD from ETH. He discusses the accidental invention of neural networks and the significance behind Manukai's name, merging manufacturing and continuous improvement. Weber highlights AI's potential to enhance CNC machining efficiency and free workers from repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on creativity. He also addresses the competitive landscape of AI startups and the intricacies of fundraising for innovative tech.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Accidental Neural Network Invention
Pascal Weber and his professor invented a neural network architecture accidentally 20 years ago.
This breakthrough was originally aimed at solving engineering and scientific problems using AI.
insights INSIGHT
Choosing Metal Machining Focus
Analyzing 100+ interviews revealed metal machining as a core, big, and willing market in Switzerland.
Industry familiarity and market size made metal machining the natural focus for Manukai.
insights INSIGHT
Skilled Labor Shortage in Metal Industry
Metal machining faces a severe skilled labor shortage, ranking among the top three most sought skills in Switzerland.
About 5,000 polymechanics are currently needed nationwide, creating a huge opportunity for automation.
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This episode was produced in collaboration with startup days, taking place next year on May 14th 2025. Click here to purchase your ticket.
About Pascal Weber:
Pascal Weber is the co-founder and CEO of Manukai, an ETH spin-off automating repetitive programming tasks by leveraging available production data. He holds a PhD in Computational Science and Engineering from ETH and worked at Harvard and the ETH AI Center before starting Manukai in 2023.
The Manukai name comes from the agglutination of “manu”, short for “manufacturing”, and “kaizen”, a Japanese term often used to refer to the principle of continuous improvement in manufacturing. Manukai’s goal is to take each and every task that a polymechanic may be responsible for and automate them, while still requiring confirmation from the technician — think of it like AI playing autocomplete, and you telling it “yes” or “no”. This technology will help improve quality in these processes and increase their speed. It will also free the polymechanic to spend more of his or her time doing creative work, instead of repetitive, manual drudgery.
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