ABB invests in AI specialist to manage health of rotating machinery
4 March 2025 
ABB Motion is making a strategic investment in a US-based AI start-up, UptimeAI, with the aim of transforming how industrial customers manage the health and performance of their motors, drives and related assets. ABB is taking a minority stake in San Francisco-based UptimeAI. The full financial details of the investment have not been disclosed.
The investment is being made via ABB Motion’s venture capital arm, ABB Motion Ventures.
The partners plan to combine machine learning (ML) and expert systems to provide actionable insights into the health and performance of rotating equipment, thus improving failure prediction and health forecasting, and optimising the maintenance of this equipment.
UptimeAI’s AI Expert OEx platform helps engineers to solve operational issues faster by explaining the relationships between reliability, performance, and equipment. It diagnoses root causes automatically and suggests mitigations. Industrial customers have already adopted UptimeAI’s technologies in North America, the Middle East and India.
The collaboration will use machine learning and expert systems to provide drives and motor users with insights into the performance of their assets, allowing them to predict failures and cut maintenance costs and risks. The AI/ML predictive maintenance algorithms cover more than 1,000 failure modes, delivering high reliability and efficiency.
The initiative will focus initially on heavy industries, starting with the cement, metals and water pipes sectors in India. By introducing systems tailored to these industries, the partnership hopes to help companies in these sectors to achieve operational excellence, cut unplanned downtime, and improve productivity.
“Through this investment, we reaffirm our commitment to delivering innovative solutions that empower industrial customers to manage their assets effectively and sustainably”, says Soenke Kock, R&D manager at ABB Motion Services, and head of its development IoT and analytics business. “By joining forces with UptimeAI, we are applying advanced technology and expert knowledge to strengthen asset health and performance management. With reliable data insights, decision-makers are equipped to identify gaps, optimise energy efficiency, and exercise tighter control over operations, ultimately increasing asset availability and improving profit potential.”
“We are thrilled to partner with ABB Motion to deliver solutions that combine our expertise with their deep industry insights”, adds Jagadish Gattu, founder and CEO of UptimeAI. “By joining forces, we will optimise operations and address the unique challenges faced by industrial customers such as root cause analysis, continuous improvement, and knowledge management.”
