Four Jaw

Four Jaw is a manufacturing analytics company that provides a machine-agnostic, plug-and-play data analytics platform to enhance factory floor productivity and efficiency. Founded in 2020 by CEO Chris Iveson and CTO Robin Hartley-Willows, the company originated as a spinout from the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The founders, drawing on their backgrounds as a mechanical design engineer (Iveson) and a software developer (Hartley-Willows) at the AMRC, identified a need for an affordable and easily deployable technology solution to boost manufacturing productivity without the high costs and complex integrations of traditional systems.

The company's core product is a cloud-based software platform combined with IoT hardware, likened to a 'fitness tracker' for machines, that can be installed on any manufacturing machine, regardless of age or brand, in minutes. This hardware captures real-time data on machine utilisation, downtime, energy consumption, and operational performance. The platform then translates this raw data into actionable insights, accessible via a web app and tablets on the shop floor, enabling manufacturers to identify bottlenecks, optimize scheduling, reduce energy waste, and make informed commercial decisions. Four Jaw operates on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model, with revenue generated through subscriptions that include the hardware, making it accessible for both small to medium-sized enterprises and large global corporations.

Serving a diverse global client base of over 130 manufacturers, Four Jaw's technology is applied across various sectors, including aerospace, automotive, energy, food production, and medical industries. The Sheffield-based company has secured significant funding to support its growth, including a £1 million round from investors like North Invest and SFC Capital, and a subsequent £1.8 million seed round in October 2023 from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance and private investors. This investment aims to accelerate the company's product development and global expansion.

Keywords: manufacturing analytics, production monitoring, machine monitoring, Industry 4.0, IoT, factory productivity, OEE monitoring, smart factory, downtime tracking, energy monitoring, lean manufacturing, SaaS, industrial IoT, machine data, operational efficiency, advanced manufacturing, shop floor data, production analytics, CNC machining, process optimization