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Press release #Venture Capital
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Robert Bosch Venture Capital invests in Poka Inc. based in Quebec, Canada

Backing innovative training and knowledge management software provider in the Industry 4.0 space

  • RBVC participates in 10.3 million CAD Series A funding round
  • As production lines become more complex and automated, the need for flexible, highly-skilled employees becomes more critical
  • Dr. Ramesohl:” Poka fits perfectly with the growing RBVC portfolio of technologies addressing the industrial and manufacturing verticals”

Aron Bahnmüller >

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Stuttgart, Germany – Robert Bosch Venture Capital (RBVC), the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch group, has completed an investment in Poka Inc, a Canadian start-up based in Quebec. Poka is a web and mobile app that makes it easy for factory workers to create, standardize, share and access content critical for day-to-day manufacturing operations. This includes items such as training guides, procedures, equipment parameters and troubleshooting solutions. “The greatest potential in the long term is not only in hardware or device connectivity, but also in smart software – the essential enabler of internet of things applications and smart factories” says RBVC Managing Director Dr. Ingo Ramesohl. “Poka adds to the growing RBVC portfolio of technologies addressing the industrial and manufacturing verticals next to start-ups like FogHorn and Security Matters.“

Potential Impact on the Manufacturing Industry

Poka was born on the factory floor as an innovative answer to real-world problems related to training effectiveness and knowledge sharing between plants, shifts and when workers retire. “Bosch is a leader in creating world-class manufacturing operations around the globe,” says Luis Llovera, Managing Director of Bosch Ventures. “Together with Poka we can help companies realize measurable improvements in productivity, equipment downtime, communication, quality and safety.”

The Future Smart Factory

Unlike traditional training and content software designed for knowledge workers, Poka addresses the realities of the factory floor including a mobile workforce and the need for just-in-time, micro-learning.

“As production lines become more automated, the need for highly skilled workers increases as well,” said CEO and co-founder Alex Leclerc, “Poka accelerates employee onboarding and mitigates knowledge loss when workers change roles.”

Application Verticals

Poka solves challenges that are universal across all manufacturers but are particularly acute in the food & beverage, automotive, electronics and any manufacturing segment that has a high degree of automation and consequently a strong reliance on skilled workers.

Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a long-term institutional investor, is also investing alongside RBVC in addition to return backers iNovia Capital and SoftTech.

Contact person for press inquiries:
Aron Bahnmueller
phone: +49-711-811-47950

Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC) is the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. RBVC invests worldwide in innovative start-up companies at all stages of their development. Its investment activities focus on technology companies working in areas of business of current and future relevance for Bosch, above all, automation and electrification, energy efficiency, enabling technologies, and healthcare systems. RBVC also invests in services and business models that are relevant to the above-mentioned areas of business. Furthermore, RBVC enables co-innovation between Bosch and startup through the Open Bosch Program.

Additional information is available at www.rbvc.com

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 428,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 91.6 billion euros in 2023. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 90,000 associates in research and development, of which roughly 48,000 are software engineers.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com.

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