Vention Company Profile: History, Funding, Products and Leadership
Updated: 7 days ago
Vention is a Canadian company whose platform lets manufacturers design, order, program and run automated equipment online, using modular parts. Founded in 2016, it reports more than 4,000 factories using its products and over 28,000 of its machines in the field. This profile sets out its history, funding, products and leadership.
Vention at a Glance
Fact | Detail |
Company | Vention |
Founded | 2016 |
Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
European headquarters | Berlin, Germany, since 2021 |
Users | More than 4,000 factories |
Installed base | More than 28,000 Vention machines |
Industries | More than 25 manufacturing industries |
Latest funding | Series D, 2026 |
Stock listing | None; privately held |
Founder and CEO | Etienne Lacroix |
Company History
Etienne Lacroix founded Vention in 2016, with Max Windisch as co-founder. Its first product, the MachineBuilder online design tool, appeared in 2017, when Vention also became the first platform certified by Universal Robots. Its own motion controller followed in 2018 and its programming environment, MachineLogic, in 2019. The company opened a European headquarters in Berlin in 2021, the year FANUC became a partner, and a North American distribution center in Montreal in 2023.
Key milestones
2016: Founded.
2017: MachineBuilder launched.
2018: First MachineMotion controller.
2019: MachineLogic launched; Series A.
2020: Series B.
2021: Berlin headquarters; FANUC partnership.
2022: Industrial robot palletizer; Series C.
2024: MachineMotion AI and Rapid Series cobot palletizer.
2025: Cobot sanding cell launched with 3M; partnership with Bell.
2026: Series D closed; Rapid OperatorAI launched.
Funding and Partners
Vention has raised four rounds, from Series A in 2019 to Series D in 2026.
Investors | Strategic partners |
Bain Capital, Desjardins, Fidelity, Georgian, Investissement Quebec, NVIDIA and White Star | 3M, Bell, FANUC and Universal Robots |
Products
Layer | Products |
Software | MachineBuilder, MachineLogic, MachineAnalytics and Remote Support |
Artificial intelligence | MachineMotion AI, AI-Defined Automation and Rapid OperatorAI |
Hardware | MachineMotion controllers, extrusions, actuators, conveyors and robot arms |
Turnkey applications | Cobot and industrial palletizers, robotic sanding and end-of-line packaging |
Services | Design services, training and a developer toolkit |
Leadership
Name | Role |
Etienne Lacroix | Founder and Chief Executive Officer |
Max Windisch | Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer |
Can You Invest in Vention?
Not on a public market. Vention is privately held.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
One platform covering design, hardware, programming and operation.
A large installed base across many industries.
Investors and partners that include NVIDIA, FANUC and Universal Robots.
Challenges
Competition from system integrators and from robot makers' own application kits.
No published revenue figures.
Current Catalogue Coverage
Catalogue checked on 15 October 2026: 2 associated product records. The links below are representative entries, rather than a claim that every historical model is currently available.
Vention FAQ
What does Vention do?
It offers an online platform and modular hardware for designing, building and running automated manufacturing equipment.
Where is Vention based?
In Montreal, Canada, with a European headquarters in Berlin.
Who founded Vention?
Etienne Lacroix, in 2016, with co-founder Max Windisch.
Who has invested in Vention?
Bain Capital, Desjardins, Fidelity, Georgian, Investissement Quebec, NVIDIA and White Star.
Is Vention publicly traded?
No.
Sources
Vention: about
