Neuron Soundware: Teaching AI to listen and giving industry real-time insight into machine behaviour

In Prague’s growing deep-tech scene, Neuron Soundware is building something unusual: technology that allows machines to ‘speak’. The Czech startup has developed an edge-AI platform that listens to sound and vibration to diagnose equipment health, optimise industrial processes and prevent failures before they occur. Their approach combines proprietary sensors, edge processing and one of the world’s largest acoustic datasets, enabling real-time insights in environments where other systems struggle.

At the heart of their solution is nEdge™, a compact edge device running adaptive AI models trained on more than one billion sound recordings. Every machine has a unique acoustic signature; Neuron Soundware’s technology learns this fingerprint and identifies even very subtle deviations. Because diagnostics happen locally, the system works reliably without cloud connectivity: a crucial advantage in factories, energy sites and transport infrastructure. Today the technology is used across more than one 130 installations in fourteen countries.

Shifting industry from reactive to intelligent, real-time operations

Industrial companies face rising pressure: labour shortages, increasing energy costs and stricter ESG requirements. Yet many still rely on reactive maintenance or fixed-interval inspections that cannot capture early-stage faults. Neuron Soundware addresses this gap by enabling continuous, non-invasive monitoring that extends asset lifetime, reduces waste and improves production quality.

In manufacturing, the company’s acoustic AI detects tool wear, misalignment and process variations in CNC machining, grinding, welding and robotic operations, with accuracy above 95%.

The impact is tangible. A manufacturer reduced cycle times and energy consumption, saving around EUR 56,000 annually per machine. In another case, transformer monitoring generated more than EUR 370,000 in yearly value by improving grid stability and preventing outages. In electric motor manufacturing, Neuron Soundware’s end-of-line diagnostics have already tested over 500,000 products, replacing subjective manual checks with fast, repeatable AI-based quality control.

Edge AI as the foundation for the next phase of industrial transformation

Looking ahead, the team sees the next leap in industry as the move from predictive to prescriptive intelligence. Future systems will not only detect faults but also recommend optimal actions or adjust parameters autonomously. Neuron Soundware has built its platform with this evolution in mind: real-time, low-latency decision-making directly on the machine, seamless integration with operational systems and scalability across sites.

Momentum is strong in sectors like renewable energy, mobility and smart infrastructure: areas where uptime, efficiency and sustainability are tightly linked. By accelerating real-time understanding of how machines behave, the company supports operators in reducing emissions, improving asset performance and preparing for a more automated industrial future.

A journey driven by curiosity, technical ambition and global collaboration

Neuron Soundware began with a simple question: if a person can sense a mechanical problem by sound, why can’t a machine? That spark grew into a mission to give industrial assets the ability to communicate through data, and artificial intelligence the ability to interpret it. The early challenge was significant: every machine behaves differently, and industrial environments are noisy and unpredictable. To overcome this, the team built one of Europe’s largest proprietary sound databases and shifted processing to the edge. This ensured accurate diagnostics without reliance on cloud infrastructure.

Their first major validation came when they detected mechanical faults that traditional sensors had missed. This opened doors to customers, international partners and a competitive EIC Accelerator grant. Since then, Neuron Soundware has expanded into Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Japan and Southeast Asia, scaling its technology across manufacturing, energy and infrastructure.

Strengthening their value proposition with EIT Manufacturing

Through EIT Manufacturing, the team received expert feedback that helped them refine their proposition for industrial customers. Discussions with manufacturing specialists across different sectors sharpened the company’s messaging beyond predictive maintenance to highlight process optimisation, ESG contributions and fast time-to-value. EIT Manufacturing also supported the startup with visibility, network access and co-developed pilots that demonstrated real impact in industrial environments.

A vision for smarter, safer and more sustainable industry

Looking ahead, Neuron Soundware aims to redefine how people interact with industrial equipment. Their technology gives operators the confidence of knowing what is happening inside machines at any moment, reducing uncertainty and enabling faster, safer decisions. By cutting waste, extending asset lifetime and lowering energy consumption, the company contributes not only to operational excellence but also to a more sustainable manufacturing ecosystem grounded in resilience, transparency and real-time intelligence.