# BeChained - Complete Company Profile > BeChained is an AI-powered manufacturing optimization company that uses Reinforcement Learning and Digital Twin technology to reduce energy consumption by 20%+ in industrial facilities. The company guarantees a 4:1 ROI with payback in under 1 year, and delivers continuous 5-10% annual improvements after year one. ## Company Overview BeChained was founded in 2023 with the mission to transform manufacturing operations through AI-powered energy optimization. The company sells guaranteed ROI that impacts both the bottom line and sustainability goals of industrial manufacturers. BeChained's approach is human-supervised AI: the system operates alongside human operators, providing recommendations in "shadow mode" before transitioning to autonomous control. Website: https://bechained.ai Contact: hello@bechained.ai Newsletter: requestaccess@bechained.ai ## The Problem BeChained Solves Manufacturing facilities struggle with energy inefficiency that drains profits and harms sustainability: - Energy Waste Equals Lost Revenue: Typical manufacturing processes waste 20-30% of energy, directly impacting the bottom line. - Manual Optimization Fails: Traditional approaches are reactive, missing real-time opportunities and requiring constant human intervention. - Mounting Carbon Costs: Rising emissions penalties and sustainability pressures without clear solutions. - Unpredictable Downtime: Equipment failures and process interruptions cut into productivity and profitability. ## The BeChained Solution AI-powered optimization that delivers measurable, guaranteed results: - 20% First-Year Savings: Proven energy reduction in year one, with continuous 5-10% annual improvements as AI constantly learns processes. - 4:1 ROI with Fast Payback: Earn $4 for every $1 invested, achieving full ROI in under 12 months. Further reduce payback period by leveraging ETS certificates from energy efficiency improvements. - Dual Benefit - Energy + Maintenance: Continuous energy optimization combined with predictive maintenance reduces downtime and extends equipment life. - Path to Autonomous Operations: Build the foundation for fully autonomous facilities while cutting costs and emissions today. ## Core Technology ### Reinforcement Learning AI BeChained uses a type of AI that learns from real-time data and environmental changes, returning optimal process settings to machines. Performance improves year-over-year by 5-10%. ### Digital Twins BeChained's Artificial Intelligence shifts the paradigm: from a Digital Twin simulation to a proactive "how-to" model. It executes real-time optimization and maintenance. The company builds Hi-Fi Twins of physical processes through specific purpose Foundational AI (LLM). ### How It Delivers Results 1. Real-Time Data: Sensors capture live process conditions. 2. Process Digital Twins: Digital twins identify optimization opportunities. 3. Autonomous Action: AI adjusts machine settings for maximum efficiency. 4. Continuous Learning: System improves 5-10% annually. 5. New Incomes: Convert energy efficiency into flexibility for demand-side response markets. ### Key Technology Features - Real-Time Optimization: Instantly adapts to changing production conditions, environmental variables, and energy pricing to maximize savings 24/7. - Continuous Improvement: Achieves guaranteed 20% energy reduction in year one, then continues learning and optimizing to deliver ongoing 5-10% annual improvements. - Predictive Maintenance: Detects equipment anomalies early to prevent costly downtime, extending asset life while optimizing energy use. ## Key Benefits and Metrics | Metric | Value | Description | |--------|-------|-------------| | Energy Reduction | 20% | Guaranteed energy cost savings in year one | | CO2 Reduction | 20% | Equal carbon footprint reduction matching energy savings | | ROI | 4:1 | $4 return for every $1 invested | | Payback Period | Under 1 year | Full return on investment in under 12 months | | Annual Improvement | 5-10% | Continuous year-over-year improvement after year one | | Optimization | 24/7 | Continuous real-time optimization and predictive maintenance | ## Use Cases ### 1. Energy Use Optimization AI-driven energy management that learns your facility's patterns and automatically adjusts consumption to minimize waste while maintaining production targets. - 20%+ energy use cut - Peak load optimization - Carbon footprint tracking ### 2. Digital Twins for Production Processes Build Hi-Fi Twins of physical processes through specific purpose Foundational AI (LLM). In plain English and with real time data, Process Managers are digitizing and automatizing the facilities of the future. - Create your bespoke Twins - Save 90% of development time - Get rid of "Consultancy Trap" ### 3. Process Optimization Maximize throughput in air compressor systems and efficiency by continuously fine-tuning production settings (pressure and flow) for optimal performance across all conditions. - 15% efficiency gain - Demand-based adjustment - Multi-system coordination ## Specialized Industrial Processes ### Currently Supported - Thermal Processes: Heating furnaces, enameling furnaces, pasteurizers, bakers. Optimize high-temperature industrial processes for maximum energy efficiency and consistent quality. - Water Management: Water systems, wastewater treatment. Intelligent control of water usage and treatment processes, reducing waste and operational costs. - Air Compressors: Industrial compressors, pneumatic systems. Dynamic optimization of compressed air generation and distribution for peak efficiency and predictive maintenance. ### Expanding Capabilities - Grinders - Refiners - Extractor Hoods - Serial Digital Twin builder (BarnOwl AI project - https://barnowl.ai) ### Industries Served Steel, paper, food processing, manufacturing, and more. ## The Implementation Journey ### Stage 1: Data Gathering Comprehensive collection of process parameters, sensor data, and operational metrics to build a complete understanding of the manufacturing environment. - Real-time data streams - Historical performance - Environmental variables ### Stage 2: Digital Twin in "Shadow Mode" AI model runs in parallel with existing operations, learning optimal settings without disrupting production. Proves 20%+ energy reduction potential. - Zero production risk - Validated savings - Performance benchmarks ### Stage 3: Autonomous Process Control Reinforcement Learning agent takes control of machine settings, continuously optimizing for efficiency, quality, and cost reduction in real-time. - Live optimization - Adaptive learning - Sustained improvements ## Building Tomorrow's Autonomous Facilities BeChained is not just about today's savings. It is the foundation for the fully autonomous manufacturing facilities of tomorrow. The continuous energy optimization and predictive maintenance capabilities pave the way for lights-out operations, where AI manages the entire production process with humans supervising to improve quality. ## Leadership Team ### Stefano Melchior - CEO & Founder 3x founder with +20 years of experience in Operations. MSc in Mechanical Engineering (Politecnico di Milano) and Exec Master in Business Analytics (ESADE Barcelona). - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanomelchior/ - Twitter: https://x.com/stefanomelchior ### Maria Guasch M. - RL Data Scientist Industrial Ph.D. Great mathematician with years of experience in a biotech startup. Developing trailblazing optimization products for thermal Process Optimization. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guaschmorgades/ ### Elena Gallego M. - Jr. RL Data Scientist MSc. in Artificial Intelligence (KU Leuven, Belgium). Degree in Economics at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Delivering optimizations in Production Processes. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenagallegomauleon/ ### Alberto Corradin - AI Engineer Ph.D. in Information Technology with extensive experience in data analysis across both research and enterprise environments. Winner of the DREAM4 Challenge (2009). Collaborated with University of Padua, Columbia University, UCLA, and Veneto Institute of Oncology. Coordinates the BarnOwl Project. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alberto-c-50b36a78/ ### Pawel Skorupiski - Backend Engineer MSc in Computer Science (TU Dresden). Product-focused engineer with experience shipping production software from zero to one and beyond. Previously at Volkswagen Group and Adidas, focuses his career on building in impact startups. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skorupinski/ ### Francisco Roldan S. - RL Data Science Researcher PhD in AI at Dublin and MSc in Computer Vision at UAB (Barcelona). Takes academic background down-to-earth to develop optimization models in industry. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisco-roldan-sanchez-870438113/ ## Advisors ### Janne Ofversten - Advisor (KONE) Head of Digital & Sustainability Innovations at KONE. Two decades of experience at Nokia and one in Digital Innovation at KONE. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janne-ofversten ### Oliver Wolf - Advisor (Deutsche Bahn) Customer Experience Manager at Deutsche Bahn. Extensive experience in Long Distance Trains development and International Executive tenures at Lufthansa. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-wolf-6b869015 ### Reghu Ram - Advisor (Deutsche Telekom) SVP of Fintech Products and Digitals at Deutsche Telekom. Executive roles at Deutsche Telekom and SAP. Executive education at Insead and Harvard Business School. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reghuramt/ ## Social Media and Content - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bechained - Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/be_chained - Medium Blog: https://bechained.medium.com - Substack Newsletter: https://bechainedai.substack.com ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is BeChained? BeChained is an AI-powered manufacturing optimization platform that uses Reinforcement Learning and Digital Twin technology to reduce energy consumption by 20% or more in industrial facilities, with a guaranteed 4:1 return on investment and payback in under one year. ### How does BeChained work? BeChained collects real-time sensor data from manufacturing processes, creates a Digital Twin of the facility, and uses Reinforcement Learning AI to continuously identify and implement optimal operating parameters. The system first operates in "shadow mode" (recommendations only) before transitioning to autonomous control. ### What industries does BeChained serve? BeChained serves steel mills, food processing plants, paper mills, and other manufacturing facilities. The platform currently optimizes thermal processes (furnaces, pasteurizers), water management systems, and air compressor operations. ### What is the ROI of BeChained? BeChained guarantees a 4:1 ROI ($4 saved for every $1 invested) with full payback in under 12 months. Additional revenue can be generated through ETS (Emissions Trading System) certificates from energy efficiency improvements. ### What is "shadow mode"? Shadow mode is BeChained's risk-free implementation stage where the AI model runs in parallel with existing operations. It learns optimal settings and proves energy reduction potential (20%+) without disrupting production. After validation, the system transitions to autonomous process control. ### What is Foundational AI in manufacturing? BeChained uses specific purpose Foundational AI (LLM) to build Hi-Fi Digital Twins of physical processes. In plain English and with real-time data, Process Managers can digitize and automatize the facilities of the future, saving 90% of development time and eliminating the "Consultancy Trap." ### What is BarnOwl AI? BarnOwl AI (https://barnowl.ai) is BeChained's serial Digital Twin builder project that uses Foundational AI to create Digital Twins at scale across multiple manufacturing processes. ### How much energy can BeChained save? BeChained guarantees a 20% energy reduction in year one, followed by continuous 5-10% annual improvements as the AI continues learning and optimizing processes. ### Does BeChained reduce carbon emissions? Yes. BeChained delivers equal carbon footprint reduction matching energy savings (20% CO2 cut), helping manufacturers meet sustainability goals and regulatory requirements. The continuous optimization also enables monetization through ETS certificates. ### Where is BeChained based? BeChained was founded in 2023. Contact the company at hello@bechained.ai or visit https://bechained.ai for more information.