First computer vision lab in MEA to be set up by Camcom

 The Bengaluru-headquartered startup harnesses deep learning to automate quality checks and offer predictive and prescriptive solutions across a product’s life cycle.
 Will work very closely with DTEC and DSOA to tap into the local talent pool to hire Emiratis to generate solutions for the region.
 Has secured a pre-series A round of $1 million and is currently in the process of raising Series A round.
 The AI in the computer vision market in the MEA is expected to touch US$ 5,210.41 million by 2027.

Computer vision is playing an important role in checking fabricated products for flaws and nonconformities. This may help to remove the need for human inspection on the production line, thereby significantly increasing the adoption of AI in computer vision technology across the market. The AI in the computer vision market in MEA is expected to rise from US$ 310.71 million in 2019 to US$ 5,210. 41 million by 2027. Based on end-user, the other segment, which includes photography gears, mobiles, wearable, and radar sensors, is anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment for the MEA region.

First computer vision lab to open in MEA

CamCom, winner of the DSH market Access Program Q3 2020 held by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, is in the process of setting up the first computer vision lab in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. CamCom employs computer vision and deep learning to automate quality checks across a product’s life cycle using readily available mobile phones and cameras. It aims to be the first choice for quality assurance partner for enterprises around the world.

Why was CamCom started?

Around 65% of the products in the world are made from the base materials of plastic, metal, and glass. Damage or defect inspections on these products are human-intensive and hence, subjective, slow, and error-prone. CamCom was introduced to deal with eliminating subjectivity and future-proofing the process. Their solution enables the creation of a visual track and trace audit trail across a product’s life cycle.

Why did it pivot from B2C to B2B?

The startup was formed in 2017 by Ajith Nayar, Umesh, and Mahesh Subramanian with its headquarters in Bangalore. They had initially begun with an image search technology that allowed people to discover new products. However, they realized that it was not working due to a lack of accurate data and a broad market. Their background was in enterprise technology and it was B2B that they knew best.

How a random conversation with a customer made them realize the need to change

The customer who led bootstrapped CamCom on a divergent path was an online fashion apparel platform facing the huge challenge of returns and unable to solve it. The company thought that the clothes were being returned due to wrong delivery from their warehouse. It was after CamCom came into the picture and utilized its computer vision technology, that the fashion company realized that the problem was not with wrong deliveries from the warehouse but because wrong items were coming into their system.

This paved the way for the startup to focus on the enterprise customer market, or what is commonly known as the B2B market. It has proved beneficial, leading to a firmer market position and higher stability in revenues.

Operations

At present CamCom caters to the automotive and warehousing industry. They operate across the automotive sector from components manufacturing, government inspection centers, OEMs, insurance, used cars, and car rentals. In warehousing, returns due to wrong product shipment have fallen to ‘zero’ and offer huge non-linear scalability.

It follows a SaaS model to generate revenues; that is, its technology platform can either reside at the customer’s location or can be operated remotely. Popular brands like HDFC ERGO, Bajaj Allianz, SVI General, Myntra, and Quick Insure are extremely satisfied with their services. CamCom has secured a pre-series round A round of $1 million and is currently in the process of raising Series A round.

Focus in MEA and beyond

CamCom will work in association with DTEC and DSOA to tap into the local talent pool to hire Emiratis to generate solutions for the region. It plans to set up offices in Germany and the US towards the end of 2021 and early 2022. It has entered into a strategic partnership with industry rulers in the region like Vistas Global, Focus Engineering, WayPoint Systems, QuantaRisk, etc. to increase its footprint in the MEA region.

Its USP-‘how it deals with data’- marks it different from others Umesh believes that despite the presence of several computer vision startups, CamCom is quite different in the way it deals with data. Most of the other firms just provide basic interpretations of data, while CamCom goes beyond that. It provides predictive and prescriptive solutions. Another strength of their startup is that their solution can be applied on existing platforms and there is no need to revamp systems.

The startup does not want to look at a growth trajectory at all costs. According to Umesh, they are fairly organized with the highest agreement to all compliances, including legal. Through innovations such as the Internet of Things are revolutionizing the manufacturing industry and making processes more independent, artificial intelligence (AI) in computer vision would help in improving them further. With new technologies and features, vendors can attract customers and expand their footprints in emerging markets.