OMRON VENTURES CO., LTD. (OVC: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Naosuke Kamiya) hereby announces that it has entered into an investment agreement with Smart Craft Inc. (Smart Craft: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Fumiya Ukibe).

Smart Craft is a startup company that promotes smart factories by leveraging technology to advance digital transformation (DX) in manufacturing operations, under its mission of “creating a new standard for the manufacturing industry.”

Manufacturing lines in Japan still include many manual processes, and analog information management methods, such as paper-based records, remain widely used. As a result, manufacturers face numerous challenges in improving productivity, reducing labor requirements, and passing on technical expertise to future generations.

“Smart Craft,” the manufacturing DX platform provided by Smart Craft, offers a one-stop data management solution that encompasses all facets of manufacturing operations, from work instructions and progress monitoring to the aggregation of performance data. By promoting the real-time management and utilization of data through IT, Smart Craft contributes to the DX at manufacturing sites and supports the resolution of operational challenges amid increasing demand for higher productivity.