Teknor Apex Company, a global materials science manufacturer, has joined as a founding partner in OSS Ventures’ new €75 million amplification fund, targeting the scaling of proven industrial software companies across North America and Europe. Teknor Apex joins fellow founding partners DECATHLON PULSE and Peugeot Family Group in the fund.
OSS Ventures is a Paris and Boston-based venture studio founded in 2019 by Renan Devillieres, focused on building AI software for industrial operations. The firm’s approach centers on developing software from the manufacturing floor up, in direct collaboration with the operators, supervisors, and engineers who use it daily. With OSS Ventures expanding to its new Boston office, Teknor Apex will serve as the regional industrial anchor partner and becomes the first U.S. manufacturer to both invest in and operate OSS portfolio software at scale.
The partnership originated on the factory floor. Teknor Apex deployed three OSS portfolio companies across its Rhode Island and Tennessee facilities: Oplit for production planning and changeover reduction, Fabriq for continuous improvement culture and problem-solving, and Mercateam for workforce skills development and career advancement. The operational results of those deployments led directly to Teknor Apex’s decision to join the fund as a founding partner.
KEY QUOTES:
“This partnership reflects a shared view that the future advancements in industry will be innovated by people and technology working in tandem to create measurable impacts.”
Donald Wiseman, CEO, Teknor Apex
“As we shape our next 100 years of manufacturing, digital transformation is the sole viable path to not only short-term efficiency, but long-term competitiveness.”
Michael Roberts, CIO, Teknor Apex
