Buddywise

What it does

Buddywise uses computer vision on video from existing industrial cameras to detect safety risks in real time, such as vehicle and pedestrian near misses and unsafe behavior around equipment. The company positions the product for deskless workers and says it does not depend on personal devices. It claims detection accuracy of up to 99%; this is a vendor figure.

Who it is for

Buddywise targets heavy manufacturing and industrial sites. At its seed round in 2024 it said the software was in use at infrastructure and manufacturing sites in Sweden, Finland, Latvia and Poland. Customer logos on its website include Stora Enso and Milliken. It is based in Stockholm.

How it is deployed

The company offers cloud processing, an on-site box called Buddybox for secure connectivity, and Buddybox Hybrid, which processes video on site. Buddywise says that with Buddybox Hybrid, local analytics continue during network outages and data syncs to the cloud once the connection returns. This matters in plants where internet connectivity is unreliable or where IT policy limits outbound video.

Notable public customers and coverage

Buddywise raised a €1.2 million pre-seed round in 2022 and a €3.5 million seed round in March 2024, co-led by Kvanted and J12 with Aligned and Antler participating. In 2026 the company published an account of its work with Milliken & Company: a single-site pilot in mid-2025 grew to 11 manufacturing sites in five countries on two continents within 11 months. Buddywise reports a 73% reduction in observed safety risks in the first four weeks and an 85% reduction in forklift near-hit risks within eight weeks; these are vendor-published figures.

Things to ask in an evaluation

• How is an "observed safety risk" defined, and how does it relate to recordable incidents?
• Which deployment option suits your network, and what hardware does each need?
• Where is data stored and processed for EU sites, and what GDPR documentation is available?
• What support capacity does the company have in your region as an early-stage vendor?
• Which detections were used at Milliken, and can you speak to a site lead there?
• How are new detections developed, and how long does that take?