Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the railway industry. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 4 promising artificial intelligence startups.
Heat Map: 4 Top Artificial Intelligence Startups
For our 4 top picks, we used a data-driven startup scouting approach to identify the most relevant solutions globally. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 4 interesting examples out of 21 relevant solutions. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
D-RAIL – Real-Time Rail Infrastructure Monitoring
The future of railroads lies in the impact of the ‘Internet of Trains’ on rail operations. Large sums of money spent on conventional maintenance and monitoring have made startups turn to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help ease the pressures on operators. Connecting and collecting the data from different points in the railway network allows for optimizations and a significant reduction in maintenance costs.
Swedish startup D-Rail develops AI solutions for the real-time monitoring of any rail network. They use a combination of sensors and a cloud platform to analyze and automate certain tasks for railways. Their sensor systems are train or locomotive independent and non-intrusive in terms of design. Their sensors can detect rail components, switches, catenary, trackbed, third rail, and balizes.
CloudMoyo – Rail Software & Analytics
Using AI to perform tasks that were previously done by humans reduces costs and errors while ensuring data is collected and analyzed in a streamlined manner. Given the vast networks and diverse applications AI can have in railways, startups and mature companies are developing solutions to help train operators perform efficiently.
The US-based startup CloudMoyo develops CloudMoyo Rail Transportation Management (CRTM), a cloud, AI, and big data-based solution designed for various types of trains and train operators. They provide comprehensive services for crew management, locomotive management, equipment control systems, intermodal transit management, and waybill management, to name a few.
JNCTION – Passenger Solutions For Train Operators
No matter how well designed transport systems are, it is always difficult to manage the many disruptions and delays that passengers face. Insufficient information at railway terminals and delayed responses to any obstructions can make a day’s travel a daunting task for operators to manage from a customer experience standpoint. Using AI to help staff across a railway network could improve the customer experience.
British startup JNCTION develops different types of rail solutions that help train operators improve performance with the aim of boosting customer experiences. They offer three products: Darwin Alerts and Reports Tool to improve operational decision making across the network, Knowledge Base Apps that are designed to equip front line staff with almost real-time data and updates, and Aubin that is designed especially for autistic people to ease their travel and make them more independent.
OXPLUS – Sensors For Railroad Assets
Digitization in railroads is done mainly to shift this functional form of transport to appeal to more people and utilize the full capacities – essential for ensuring operations continue smoothly. Analyzing efficiency on a day to day basis can benefit in terms of lower vehicle costs all the way to enable better long term planning and strategy. Installing sensors across the rail network and collating them in a centralized manner can achieve such goals.
Dutch company OXPLUS offers a suite of services for digitizing the rail industry. They offer sensors for rolling stock and infrastructure equipment and communication services for the rail network. They collect the sensor data and apply advanced analytics and AI-machine learning techniques to create a Digital Twin, from where they are able to generate unique insights.
What About The Other 17 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence for your Proof of Concept (PoC), partnership, or investment targets. The 4 startups showcased above are promising examples out of 21 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria and collaboration strategy, get in touch.