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HardTech

Intelligent hardware systems improving today’s production and infrastructure, and enabling the products of tomorrow

HardTech products and solutions in our focus are combining cutting-edge hardware and component technology with software, applications and services that deliver improvements in productivity, efficiency, quality (yields), operational safety and drive new product introductions.

Truly innovative HardTech is protectable and enforceable with proprietary IP and creates new system and solution platforms on which our companies can deliver value to their industrial customers while creating a more exclusive space to operate and grow.

Technology machinery & equipment

Advanced sensor technologies & solutions

Technology machinery 
& equipment

As semiconductor-chips, PCBA‘s and fully assembled electronic devices continue to get smaller and more sophisticated – the importance of continously improving manufacturing processes, machine, automation and test capabilities with new technology system innovations is ever increasing.

One strategic product focus is on technology systems and equipment where machinery hardware, proprietary component technologies (e.g. imaging or inspection technologies), and in-house developed software work together to create an integrated innovative system solution for use and deployment in Advanced Manufacturing. Smooth software interfaces and flexible hardware modules further enable seamless integration into the customers’ production line.

Innovative technology machinery solutions also feature advanced software and automation capabilities, complemented by smart after-sales remote services around the base machinery hardware product, delivering recurring and high-value revenue streams over the equipment lifecycle.

New process and automation equipment innovations

  • New manufacturing equipment for the latest process designs in support of emerging high-volume applications (Semicon/PCB/SMT/Assembly)
  • Automation systems and robotics (in-line)
  • Other innovative process system concepts deployable in high-end mass production environments

Automated test and inspection systems for yield and quality protection

  • Test & inspection systems (Automated X-Ray/CT and vision)
  • New innovative and scalable inspection/metrology machinery system concepts with leading-edge hardware and image analysis software tools for quality and yield protection in large-scale and manufacturing

Advanced sensor technologies & solutions

Industries such as advanced manufacturing, medical, defense/space and infrastructure demand more comprehensive and capable sensing solutions – including smaller assemblies, increased durability, improved measurement accuracy and speed, scalable configuration and management functionality, and flexible communication options. Advanced sensing products in our focus respond to these trends on several dimensions (e.g. with improved sensing capabilities, resolution, robustness, flexibility, and range), feature leading-edge sensor hardware enhanced by software and have the potential to outperform and replace legacy sensing technologies.
Advanced sensor technologies and solutions are either embedded in leading OEM machinery and equipment, form an integrated part of a larger monitoring system, or work as end-to-end solutions solving critical measurement, inspection and detection tasks in four of our target industries.

The observational data generated by advanced sensing solutions provide critical operational data for IIoT platform, AI/ML models, and Digital Twin solutions – supporting both advanced cloud analytics and edge analytics where cloud-based solutions are not feasible.

Sensing technologies and advanced components

  • Industrial imaging and test components for embedment in inspection, metrology or advanced production systems
  • Fiber Optical Sensing (FOS) components, systems and solutions – distributed sensing
  • Other new innovative sensing technologies (e.g. photonics based) with clearly defined application fields and use cases

IIoT sensor connectivity hardware

Collecting and integrating data from various sensor sources is crucial for comprehensive analysis and decision-making. Advanced IIoT sensor connectivity hardware enables high-speed data collection and real-time processing of distributed sensor data (any sensor) and is a foundational piece in the overall IIoT stack to transform sensor data into real-time business intelligence and insights.

Customer-driven R&D for an accelerated go-to-market

Developing and bringing HardTech to market requires full stack teams with a deep breadth of knowledge in science and engineering that spans across several hardware and software disciplines. We endorse fast iteration cycles with key customers to improve and launch the product more rapidly.

By continuously translating customer feedback into R&D and steadily seeking innovations in a stringent “time-to-market approach”, agile hardtech companies continue to set new technology application standards and deliver best-in-class solutions ahead of their competition – helping their customers to improve production efficiency, yields, and operational safety with a solid and fast return on investment.

HardTech investments take longer to mature and require greater patience

Engineering, R&D, customer pilot, production, supply-chain, and sales risks may occur at just about all stages of a HardTech startup’s journey, from the lab, prototype to first installations (and beyond).

Through our direct engagement, X2 Equity provides the capital, support tools and network designed to help HardTech companies to mitigate these risks and to maximize their potential.