How Uptool is digitizing workshops with the help of AI
A new software platform promises to free small manufacturing companies from repetitive work, allowing them to focus on growth.
Uptool, a startup founded in 2024 based in San Mateo, has raised $6 million from leading investors such as Eclipse, Kleiner Perkins, Bessemer and Khosla Ventures to automate administrative processes that slow down small manufacturing shops. The platform uses artificial intelligence to transform manual activities such as quotes, revisions and management of customer communications into automated workflows, with the aim of making small businesses more competitive and responsive.
The problem: Paperwork and inefficiencies in small shops
Independent manufacturing companies waste hours on administrative activities that slow down production and customer response.
Small and medium-sized manufacturing companies are often choked by repetitive processes that take precious time away from production and business development. Responding to requests for quotes (RFQ), managing revisions, preparing invoices and organizing technical documentation are activities that frequently fall on a few key figures – the financial manager, the CEO or the owner themselves – preventing them from focusing on sales, process improvement and customer relationships.
This situation creates a vicious cycle: the flexible and versatile company loses precisely the flexibility that should be its competitive advantage. Many business opportunities remain unanswered simply because there is no time to process all the requested quotes. The result is a loss of potential revenue and a constant overload of the key people in the organization.
The solution: Intelligent automation with Uptool
Uptool uses advanced language models to interpret customer requests and automatically generate technical documents and quotes.
The Uptool platform presents itself as a complete solution to digitize the entire administrative cycle of manufacturing shops. The system can be configured in about an hour and offers integrated dashboards to manage quotes, revisions and communications. Artificial intelligence-based tools automatically organize CAD files, bills of materials (BOM) and other technical documents, while calculation algorithms simplify the preparation of quotes.
Uptool's approach goes beyond simple digitalization: the platform interprets customer requests, extracts relevant information from technical documentation, and generates consistent quotes in a fraction of the normally required time. This allows companies to respond to more business opportunities and dedicate the saved time to higher value-added activities such as process innovation or strengthening relationships with existing customers.
Who's behind it: Industrial experience and technological vision
Founded by Benny Buller, former manager in manufacturing companies, the startup combines operational know-how and software development capabilities.
Uptool was founded by Benny Buller, a veteran of the manufacturing sector and founder of Velo3D, alongside Alex Huckstepp, who boasts experience at Machina Labs, Arris, Digital Alloys, and Carbon. This combination of skills – direct experience in production processes and deep knowledge of digital technologies – is the basis of the platform's practical approach.
“We are building an AI platform to empower their business and bring the entire operation into the modern era,” Buller stated. “It has been incredibly gratifying to see our first customers rapidly grow sales and free themselves from their desks, so they can spend more time with customers or in the workshop producing components.”
The team designed Uptool starting from real problems they had experienced firsthand, avoiding the common error of creating technological solutions far from the concrete needs of small manufacturers.
How it works in practice: A case study
In less than two weeks, a metalworking company reduced the average time for creating a quote by 60%.
Nathan Dillon, CEO of Velocity CNC, testifies to the concrete impact of the platform: “I used to spend hours a day doing quotes – time for which we don't charge anything. Uptool allowed me to reduce the time dedicated to quotes by 10 times, contributing to my most important sales year ever – more than double the previous year.”
The Velocity CNC case illustrates how the automation of administrative processes directly translates into revenue growth. By freeing up precious time, the company was able to respond to a greater number of requests and dedicate more energy to commercial development. The reduction in quoting time means not only internal efficiency, but also faster response times towards customers, a decisive competitive factor in a market where speed can make the difference in winning a contract.
Funding and prospects: Investor backing
With a $6 million round, Uptool aims to scale to hundreds of companies by 2027.
The $6 million funding round led by Eclipse, with participation from Kleiner Perkins, Bessemer and Khosla Ventures, represents a significant vote of confidence in Uptool's business model. Charly Mwangi, partner at Eclipse, explained the logic behind the investment: “Almost 98% of US manufacturing companies are SMEs – representing over 40% of the industrial workforce – but their capacity is fragmented and largely invisible. Uptool digitizes this long tail of manufacturers, injecting speed and transparency into the supply chain. This is the only way reindustrialization can actually scale.”
Uptool's strategy is to position itself as a low-cost entry point and then expand the offering with more sophisticated tools once the platform becomes an integral part of business processes. This “evolved freemium” approach aims to create an ecosystem where Uptool becomes the digital connective tissue of workshops, difficult to replace once integrated into daily workflows.
Uptool demonstrates how a targeted approach can bring real automation even in the most traditional contexts. The combination of industrial experience, AI technology and a scalable business model positions the startup as a potential catalyst for the digital transformation of thousands of small manufacturers. Success will depend on the ability to maintain ease of use while expanding the range of functionality, avoiding the complexity that often drives small businesses away from software solutions.
Interested companies can request a free demo on the official website to evaluate platform integration in their own processes and concretely verify the benefits in terms of time saved and captured business opportunities.
article written with the help of artificial intelligence systems
Q&A
- What is the main problem that Uptool aims to solve in small manufacturing workshops?
- The main problem is excessive time lost in repetitive administrative activities such as quotes, revisions and document management. These tasks slow down production and limit available time for strategic activities such as business development and innovation.
- How does Uptool AI use artificial intelligence to support manufacturing companies?
- Uptool uses advanced language models to interpret customer requests and automatically generate technical documents and quotes. The platform organizes CAD files and bills of materials, automating workflows that would otherwise require hours of manual work.
- Who founded Uptool and what expertise do they bring to the project?
- Uptool was founded by Benny Buller, a former manager in manufacturing companies and founder of Velo3D, alongside Alex Huckstepp with experience in technology companies in the sector. The combination of industrial know-how and software skills allows for the development of truly useful solutions for small workshops.
- What impact has Uptool had on a client company like Velocity CNC?
- Velocity CNC reduced the average time to create a quote by 60%, even decreasing the time spent by 10 times. This allowed the CEO to dedicate more time to sales, contributing to a record year with revenue more than double compared to the previous year.
- Which investors have supported Uptool and what is their role in the project?
- Uptool has raised 6 million dollars from investors such as Eclipse, Kleiner Perkins, Bessemer, and Khosla Ventures. These investors see in the startup a means to digitize manufacturing SMEs, improving efficiency and visibility in the American industrial supply chain.
