History

ABOUT

Our History

For more than 100 years, the evolution of manual assembly has been at an impasse. In 2017, Drishti changed all that.

The fourth era of manufacturing: AI-powered production

To date, there have been three eras of manufacturing:

Card craft

Craft

Defined by an artisan creating a unique and fully built product, one at a time (pre-1908)

Card mass production

Mass

Defined by the standardization of parts enabling products to be produced at scale (Ford, 1908)

Card lean

Lean

Defined by the minimization of waste in manufacturing systems while ensuring that only what is required is built (Toyota, 1948)

Now, Drishti is driving the fourth era of manufacturing: AI-powered production. We're taking the best elements of all three past eras and superpowering them with AI and computer vision. And the results are just as transformational as the eras that preceded it.

How we got started

Thirty years ago, General Motors’ general assembly line had a problem: Workers struggled to safely install heavy parts like cockpits. But robots were not agile enough to perform the complex, variable processes.

GM turned to Drishti’s now-CEO and Founder Dr. Prasad Akella, who led the team that developed the world’s first collaborative robots, or cobots, to solve the problem.

The idea was simple but transformational: Combine mechanical strength and precision with human agility and adaptability.

Besides creating what is now a multi-billion-dollar market, Prasad came away with a profound understanding: That people and technology, working together, can amplify each others’ value and create something far more valuable than the sum of their parts.

Founded in 2016, Drishti facilitates the path of people and machine working together. It is the path that Drishti is driving in the manufacturing world — and, in so doing, introducing the world to the fourth era of manufacturing: AI-powered production that follows in the rich footsteps of craft, mass, and lean production.

Prasad Akella
Drishti stacked rgb logo

People are manufacturing’s superpower. But 100+ years after Henry Ford, there’s a massive lack of understanding about manual assembly activities in manufacturing.

— Prasad Akella

Achievements

2021

Drishti inks its first deal in Europe as part of its EMEA expansion plan.

Forbes - nvidia

2020

Drishti earns Series B funding, signs new global manufacturing customers, and is recognized by Forbes and NVIDIA as a top AI company.

World Economic Forum

2019

Drishti is recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum for its action recognition technology and proves ROI with three significant manufacturers.

Awards

2018

Drishti earns Series A funding and receives two awards for its innovative technology designed to empower better decision making in the factory.

Funding

2017

Drishti receives seed round of funding from top investors.

Drishti Founders

2016

Three founders come together to launch Drishti. Offices open in Silicon Valley and Bengaluru, and hiring begins.