Checkfirst Raises $1.5m Pre-seed Funding to Transform Remote Inspections and Audits Using AI

Smart scheduling combined with remote AI inspection software addresses all major hurdles within the TICC industry.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, May 8, 2024 / TechCrunch / -- Checkfirst, a top provider of workflow solutions to the TIC Testing Inspection Certification and Compliance industry, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding. The funds will be used to build its AI-based platform which helps in the remote inspection management system process and AI based scheduling.

The lead investor in the round is Olisipo Way, an early-stage firm based in Lisbon, and a solo GP firm that goes by the name, Hiero VC. Participating in the round were Notion Capital and angel investors from SourcePoint, Busuu, Swogo, and FaceIT.

Ben Lambert, Founder and CEO of Checkfirst explained, “We discovered a key gap in the operational management of Testing Inspection and Certification companies. The global travel of inspectors leads to decreased profit margins for companies. Our platform smartly matches qualified inspectors to jobs based on their location and expertise, thus solving the problem.”

Lambert, having moved to Portugal, was frustrated that he couldn’t be there to oversee the running of his wife’s property inspection business. That’s how the idea started behind Checkfirst. He found that the final inspection reports take weeks to get ready and it was surprisingly complex to book the right inspectors.

Addressing TIC Industry Challenges

Checkfirst solves two major problems in the TIC industry:

• ‍Smart Scheduling: The AI planning and scheduling system creates ideal schedules for inspectors after considering their qualifications, availability, and location, so travel time and cost are reduced.

• Streamlined Remote Inspections: With a digital checklist as one of the features, it helps collect and process inspection data comprehensively for regulatory compliance while fast-tracking report generation.

“We’re API first and use AI for image recognition and automation. This is what makes us different,” said Lambert. “The platform facilitates complete reporting summaries and an optimization of the entire scheduling.”

Industry Impact

The TICC sector must meet growing requirements for operational efficiency improvement while meeting all regulatory standards. Checkfirst's solution helps companies:

• Reduce unnecessary travel that minimizes expenses and environmental impact.
• Provide satisfaction to inspectors through automated scheduling methods that provide reasonable work schedules.
• Accelerate report delivery timeframes.
• Always follow all regulatory requirements by using a regulatory compliance checklist.

The company has begun testing proof-of-concept implementations with multiple clients while working with an organization that has 30,000 customers.

The founders of Checkfirst bring extensive knowledge from their industry experience. Lambert previously worked at Nexmo and Agora while CPO Oyvind Henriksen (founder of Poq Studio) and CTO Rami Elsawy are also members of the team.

In the words of Lambert, “We’re utilizing technology in a way that recognizes the importance of compliance work, but at the same time, cuts out the inefficiencies in this space.” Our goal is to help Testing Inspection and Certification companies provide better services to their clients while improving their profitability.

About Checkfirst

Checkfirst provides powerful AI-enabled workflow solutions for the inspection testing and certification sectors. Our tools allow for an efficient planning of inspections remotely to save costs and ensure compliance with applicable standards.

See a demo of our AI tools on the website and follow us on LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest trends in the TIC Industry.

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‍Contact:

Aman Hemchand

• Head of Business Development | Checkfirst | aman@checkfirst.ai