Pulse Industrial

Pulse Industrial, founded in 2018 by Thomas Uhlenbruck and Shahriar Kabir, is a Waterloo-based company that has carved out a niche in the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) sector by focusing on steam system efficiency. The company operates within the steam trap monitoring market, which is projected to grow from USD 1.83 billion in 2024 to approximately USD 2.85 billion by 2034, driven by the increasing need for energy efficiency and predictive maintenance in industrial operations.

The business targets a wide array of sectors that rely heavily on steam processes, including manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, hospitals, and universities. Pulse Industrial's core offering is an end-to-end steam trap monitoring solution designed to reduce fuel consumption and enhance plant safety. This system addresses a significant operational pain point, as undetected steam trap failures—which occur at a rate of 8-15% annually—are a primary source of energy inefficiency in industrial plants. The business model combines hardware and software, providing clients with physical sensors and a cloud-based platform to deliver real-time analytics and failure alerts.

The company's product consists of easy-to-install, wireless smart sensors that clamp onto pipes and utilize LoRaWAN networks for communication. These sensors monitor steam traps by sensing variations in vibration, ultrasound, and temperature. The collected data is processed by a proprietary artificial intelligence platform, which provides advanced diagnostics and sends immediate failure notifications via email and a user dashboard. This allows for continuous monitoring, enabling facilities to rectify failures promptly, thereby saving on fuel costs and reducing CO2 emissions.

Since its inception, Pulse Industrial has achieved several key milestones, including securing a total of $1.93M in funding over six rounds from investors such as Momenta, HAX, and Accelerator Centre. Its first funding round occurred in November 2018, with the latest being a Seed round on March 28, 2023. The company has installed thousands of monitors across North America and expanded its team to over 30 employees, demonstrating significant growth since winning the Velocity award for innovation at the University of Waterloo. Keywords: steam trap monitoring, industrial IoT, energy efficiency, predictive maintenance, LoRaWAN sensors, plant safety, fuel consumption reduction, AI analytics, cloud-based monitoring, Thomas Uhlenbruck, industrial equipment monitoring, steam system optimization, CO2 emissions reduction, asset management, smart sensors, food and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceutical industry, hospital facilities management, university campus utilities, chemical plants