Startup Profile
autonomIQ

Introduce yourselves

Tell us in three sentences who you are

autonomIQ is a startup that develops a software solution for the automation and optimization of work preparation processes in machining production. The idea was born as part of the AICoM research project at the PTW at TU Darmstadt.

What challenge does your startup address and how did the idea for it come about?

In the AICoM research project, technologies for autonomous manufacturing were developed that met with great interest in the industry – especially among companies with small series production. The demand for a market-ready solution for automated machine programming was high. The challenge now is to translate complex research results into a practical, user-friendly software product.

Are there specific challenges in the mechanical engineering industry that you want to address? What role does AI play in this?

We currently see two key challenges for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. On the one hand, there is an acute shortage of skilled workers, so companies have difficulty finding qualified employees to program individual components. On the other hand, production costs are rising due to higher wage and energy costs. With our AI-based software solution “simplymill”, we automate machine programming to close the skills gap and reduce production times and costs through optimized manufacturing processes.

What is your startup’s vision?

Modern machine tools are already largely automated, but many processes in work preparation are still manual. Our vision is to fully automate these processes and thus make a significant contribution to autonomous production. Just as autonomous vehicles plan their routes independently and reach their destinations safely and efficiently, it should also be possible to process production orders autonomously.

What milestone would you like to reach by the end of 2025?

Our primary goal by the end of 2025 is to develop a minimum viable product (MVP), which we will test with pilot customers from 2026. This MVP will be able to automatically and independently create CNC machine programs based on 3D CAD models. We are planning our first public appearance for April 2026 at the Hannover Messe.

What makes your team special?

Our team has been working together successfully for over three years and combines various skills from mechanical engineering, computer science, computational engineering and industrial engineering. Thanks to this interdisciplinary expertise, we can tackle technical challenges efficiently from different perspectives and develop innovative solutions. In addition to our work, we regularly undertake activities together and thus strengthen team cohesion.