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Mid East Info
16-04-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Safety AI startup viAct raises USD 7.3 Million Series A for expansion in MENA & Europe - Middle East Business News and Information
ViAct , a Hong Kong-based artificial intelligence (AI) company, announced Tuesday the close of $7.3 million Series A round led by Dublin-based private equity firm Venturewave Capital. ViAct said in a statement that the funding round also saw participation from Singtel Innov8, the corporate venture capital fund of Singtel, the Singapore-based communications technology group, Korea Investment Partners and PolyU Entrepreneurship Investment Fund. With this funding, viAct aims to advance AI capabilities by developing more sophisticated models for hazard prediction, environmental compliance, and workforce safety across heavy industries. The firm also plans to expand globally by strengthening its presence in Middle East (e.g. Saudi Arabia), where demand for AI-driven safety solutions is growing rapidly. It also aims to grow its team by attracting top talent in AI, engineering, and sustainability to push the boundaries of innovation. 'We envision a future where construction is synonymous with innovation, safety, and sustainability,' said Gary Ng, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of viAct. According to him, this funding is not just a financial milestone, it is also a catalyst for change. 'Our goal is to redefine industry standards, positioning viAct at the forefront of this transformation, 'With our cutting-edge AI solutions, we aim to empower every stakeholder to achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency and responsibility,' he added. Meanwhile, Hugo Cheuk, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of viAct, said that as the firm expands into new markets, its commitment to leveraging AI for smarter safety practices has never been stronger. 'This investment allows us to enhance our technology and further our mission of creating a safer, more sustainable work environment,' he added. ViAct is an impact AI company focused on improving safety and efficiency in high-risk industries like construction, oil & gas, manufacturing and mining. The firm has built an AI-powered ecosystem that continuously detects risks, ensures compliance, and enhances efficiency across construction projects and other critical industries. It has also been pioneering an AI monitoring platform since 2016, integrating proprietary computer vision models to elevate both safety and operational efficiency across job sites. 'ViAct is a prime example of how high-impact, scalable companies are emerging from the global startup ecosystem,' Venturewave Capital's Chairman and Managing Partner Alan Foy said. 'At Venturewave Capital, we back visionary founders who are leveraging technology to transform industries, and viAct is doing exactly that in AI-powered sustainability and workplace safety, 'We look forward to supporting viAct as they expand their impact across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond,' he added. According to the statement, this investment fuels viAct's broader mission: to create a world where critical workplaces are not just monitored but meaningfully connected, fostering better governance and accountability. As governments and industries push for stronger safety regulations, viAct's AI-powered solutions bridge the gap between policy and execution—ensuring safety, sustainability, and worker well-being become a reality, not just long-term goals. 'ViAct's AI-powered platform can leverage 5G networks to enable real-time monitoring, instant alerts, and data-driven insights, 'By integrating AI with 5G connectivity, viAct enhances operational efficiency, ensures timely and proactive hazard detection, and helps create safer, more responsive work environments,' said Kum Tho Wan, Managing Director of Singtel Innov8. Meanwhile, Synclare Kim, Head of KIPSEA, said that at Korea Investment Partners, the firm is committed to supporting visionary companies that leverage cutting-edge technology to drive meaningful impact. 'ViAct's AI-driven solutions are transforming workplace safety and operational efficiency across high-risk industries, and with increasing government mandates for video analytics in construction safety, the company is well- positioned for significant growth, 'We…look forward to seeing it scale its innovation globally to create safer, smarter, and more sustainable work environments,' he added. Kelvin Wong, Director of Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said that viAct's AI-driven solutions are revolutionizing workplace safety and sustainability – a mission deeply aligned with its vision of nurturing ventures that address global challenges. 'This funding milestone underscores the potential of homegrown talent, and we look forward to continuing our support as viAct scales globally,' he added. Oscar Ramos, Managing General Partner of Orbit Startups, said that the firm backed viAct early on because the founding team saw the opportunity to modernize one of the world's most traditional industries. 'ViAct's AI-powered platform is transforming safety, productivity, and accountability on the ground,' he said adding that the firm is keen in supporting viAct to scale its impact and expand into new frontiers — especially across the Middle East, a region ripe for innovation in infrastructure and development.
Mid East Info
26-03-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Digital Permit Systems: Boosting Safety in Mideast's Extreme Sites
The Middle East is home to some of the world's most demanding industrial environments—oilfields in the scorching deserts, offshore rigs in turbulent waters, and expansive construction projects rising amid extreme heat. In such high-risk settings, ensuring worker safety and regulatory compliance is a top priority. Digital Permit-to-Work (PTW) systems are revolutionizing safety protocols by replacing traditional, paper-based permits with AI-powered, real-time solutions. Speaking about the urgent need for safety advancements in high-risk environments, Gary Ng, CEO of viAct, emphasizes, 'The Middle East's industrial sites face some of the harshest working conditions globally, from extreme temperatures to volatile operational zones. AI-powered Digital Permit Systems are revolutionizing safety measures, ensuring compliance, and significantly reducing risks.' Why Manual Permit-to-Work Systems Are No Longer Enough In industries such as oil & gas, construction, and heavy manufacturing, traditional permit-to-work (PTW) systems rely heavily on paperwork and manual approvals. This outdated process often leads to delays, miscommunication, and compliance gaps. viAct's AI-powered Digital Permit System automates work authorization processes, offering real-time monitoring, instant approvals, and intelligent alerts. The system ensures that only authorized personnel enter hazardous zones by integrating computer vision and edge AI, reducing unauthorized entries by up to 80%. A leading refinery in Saudi Arabia adopted a Digital Permit System integrated with AI video analytics. The result? A 92% reduction in unauthorized access to confined spaces and a 70% decrease in manual permit processing time. In a UAE-based megaproject, viAct's permit-to-work software streamlined safety enforcement in extreme heat conditions. The system enabled easy mobile access for quick approvals, automated equipment checks, and real-time inspections. By detecting PPE non-compliance and instantly alerting site managers, the platform ensured a 10x improvement in safety adherence. As Hugo Cheuk, COO of viAct, aptly puts it, 'The future of workplace safety lies in intelligent automation. AI-powered Digital Permit Systems are redefining how industrial operations are managed in the world's most extreme environments.' Eliminating Delays and Risks with Digital Permit Management Traditional permit-to-work processes are slow, paperwork-heavy, and prone to human error, often causing operational delays and safety risks. viAct's AI-powered Digital Permit System is transforming how industries manage work authorizations by automating approvals, ensuring compliance, and enhancing workplace safety in real time. For instance, an industrial site that switched to real-time authorization with digital signatures reduced permit processing time by 70%, enabling work to start hours faster than before. The automated risk & conflict assessment feature flagged potential hazards instantly, preventing over 90% of safety conflicts that would have otherwise gone unnoticed in manual reviews. To ensure only qualified workers entered hazardous zones, instant labour qualification verification checked credentials automatically, reducing unauthorized access incidents by 85%. Meanwhile, quick equipment checks & inspections streamlined machinery verification, cutting down equipment failure rates by 60% and minimizing downtime. With intuitive compliance tracking and exclusive audit trails, every permit action was digitally logged, reducing compliance reporting efforts by 40% and improving overall safety adherence. AI-driven Digital Permit Systems are not just expediting processes—they're setting new benchmarks for efficiency, productivity, and workplace safety. The Future of Worksite Safety in the Middle East With increasing regulatory demands in the Middle East, digital PTW solutions are becoming an industry standard rather than an option. AI-driven permit systems enable businesses to: ✔ Reduce compliance risks & penalties✔ Improve efficiency & reduce project delays ✔ Minimize human error & prevent accidents By integrating AI with PTW processes, companies can shift from reactive safety measures to proactive risk mitigation.
