Meet Rein Torm, one of our keynote speakers for this year - Rein is the CTO and co-founder of Fractory, a cloud manufacturing company founded in Tartu in 2017.
Fractory is all about improving efficiency and driving more sustainable manufacturing. So how exactly does technology fit into the equation here?
Rein will shed some light into all of this - and some other topics in his keynote speech titled “How I fell in love with an ugly beast” at the blue stage on the 22nd of April at 11:20.
Rein says the topic of his keynote speech is connected to the fact that so little is still known about the manufacturing sector and the role technology can play in it.
“Before Fractory, manufacturing was something very distant and foreign to me. If you look around - there are not many startups who are doing something for the manufacturing sector. So we really want to shout out loud to highlight all the potential behind it.”
Fractory is tackling the outsourcing problem in manufacturing. A process that usually takes a lot of manual work and steals engineers’ valuable time, has been taken to an online platform by Fractory.
The company has revolutionized the global metal works industry by creating an all-in-one-hub for metal fabrication. Its proprietary technology simplifies and digitizes the manufacturing process, allowing customers to swiftly upload CAD files for instant pricing; before assessing the availability, location, capabilities and materials required to engage with the right manufacturing partner. By better connecting all parts of the supply chain, Fractory drives competitive pricing, reduces lead times and improves quality.
Fractory partners with hundreds of metal companies and supports more than 10,000 customers across industries including, Aerospace and Defence, Automotive, Robotics, Life Sciences, Agriculture and Construction. The size of Fractory’s customers range from sole traders and SMEs, to large multinational manufacturers.
“It’s a huge misconception that manufacturing is something dirty and old-fashioned. Manufacturing companies - including startups in manufacturing - are in need of technological innovation. But there are not always so many developers who are aware of this, or up for this challenge.”
He added that Estonia is so well known for all their FinTech companies such as Wise and many others - or in general B2B tech companies.
“In business, it’s also important to create added value - so manufacturing would be more sustainable, that we’re going along with Industry 4.0 and so forth. And in order to do so, it’s so crucial we develop it here.”
Fractory was founded in Tartu in 2017. The company has offices in Estonia, Finland, the UK and the US. Company raised 7,5 M € in Series A in 2021 which is used for hiring, expansion and product development.