This Female-Led AI Company Helps Fix Manufacturing Problems in Real Time—or Before They Happen

SixSense is using AI to shore up semiconductor production—and the female-founded startup just raised $8.5 million to do it. SixSense is developing “factories that think” to bring what it calls “intelligent automation” to the incredibly complex and important semiconductor industry, according to its website. What this means in practice is that the company’s AI platform leverages data to catch issues early, improve output, and increase control over production. The Singapore-based SixSense was co-founded in 2018 by CEO Akanksha Jagwani and CTO Avni Agarwal. With a background in mechanical engineering, Jagwani leads business development and efforts to partner with semiconductor fabrication plants to deploy SixSense’s AI. Major semiconductor makers including GlobalFoundries and JCET already use SixSense’s technology, according to TechCrunch. Agarwal leverages her background in computer engineering to lead the company’s tech and product vision. “We’re already working with fabs in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Israel, and are now expanding into the U.S.,” Agarwal told TechCrunch. Although SixSense is based in Singapore, in the U.S. at least there is still a significant disparity in VC funding for women-led companies. According to data from Pitchbook, women-only teams secured roughly 2 percent of VC deal value in 2024, whereas companies with both a female and male co-founder secured about 22 percent that year. There is also indication that women are growing and advancing at VC firms themselves. Women now occupy close to 19 percent of leading investor roles in firms across the U.S., The Wall Street Journal reported. At “mega venture firms,” which manage $3 billion or more, only about a dozen managing partners are women. SixSense’s latest round of funding brings its total to about $12 million, TechCrunch reported. Peak XV’s Surge seed platform led the round with participation from Alpha Intelligence Capital, FEBE, and more, according to TechCrunch. BY CHLOE AIELLO @CHLOBO_ILO