Squint lands $40M to transform factory floors for PepsiCo and Michelin
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Industrial augmented reality startup Squint has raised $40 million in Series B funding, bringing its valuation to $265 million as it looks to digitize frontline operations in the manufacturing sector. The San Francisco-based company is aiming to replace paper instructions and manual onboarding with a mobile-first AR solution that is already in use by companies such as PepsiCo and Michelin.
The latest round was led by Sequoia Capital with participation from Menlo Ventures and other existing backers. Squint’s platform overlays digital instructions and training onto the physical environment using a smartphone, making it easier for factory operators to understand and follow procedures without needing a supervisor or printed materials.
The gap between Silicon Valley and the factory floor
Despite the rise of automation and robotics, much of global manufacturing still relies on analog workflows. Many frontline workers train by shadowing colleagues or consulting printed manuals, and standard operating procedures are often locked in binders or local systems. This gap between high-tech innovation and industrial environments has left frontline teams underserved by the digital tools common in other industries.
Squint was founded in 2021 to address this imbalance. Rather than require expensive AR headsets or deep systems integration, its app runs on standard smartphones and leverages QR codes and visual anchors to provide step-by-step instructions. This practical approach has resonated with manufacturers seeking to modernize operations without overhauling infrastructure.
How the Squint app integrates AR into manufacturing operations
Unlike consumer-facing AR platforms, Squint’s focus is firmly on usability in demanding industrial settings. The app enables teams to build spatial workflows that can be attached to real-world equipment using visual markers. A new hire can scan a code on a machine and instantly receive video, audio, and visual cues tailored to that station’s processes.
PepsiCo uses Squint to onboard new employees in snack production facilities, while Michelin has deployed it in tire manufacturing to streamline complex tasks. The emphasis on practical deployment and measurable productivity gains has helped Squint differentiate itself in a crowded tech landscape.
Backers bet big on Industry 4.0 infrastructure
Investors see Squint as part of a broader wave of startups building digital infrastructure for Industry 4.0. Sequoia’s continued backing signals confidence in the company’s ability to scale across sectors where legacy systems still dominate. With manufacturing leaders under pressure to increase efficiency and resilience, lightweight tools like Squint offer an appealing middle ground between analog inertia and high-cost digitization.
The company plans to use the funding to expand engineering and customer support teams, with a focus on deployment in food production, automotive, and pharmaceutical environments.
A quiet shift in how factories operate
Squint’s rise highlights a growing demand for tools that modernize industrial work without requiring a full digital overhaul. As more factories seek practical ways to empower their frontline teams, the adoption of mobile-first AR may become less an experiment and more an expectation.
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