Two ex-executives from the recently bankrupted battery manufacturer Northvolt are making headlines again in Sweden as they embark on a new venture focused on artificial intelligence for industrial manufacturing. Just months after Northvolt’s collapse under $5.8 billion in debt, former CEO Peter Carlsson has partnered with Siddharth Khullar, who previously headed Northvolt’s AI initiatives, to establish Aris Machina, a startup aiming to revolutionize manufacturing processes with AI-driven software.
The new company, based in Sweden, is building a team of up to 20 engineers and has already secured early-stage investment from a number of prominent backers. Investors include angel investors alongside firms such as Earlybird, Village Global, AENU, and Planet A. While the size of the investment remains undisclosed, the level of interest signals confidence in the leadership team and their vision for the future of industrial automation.
Drawing from their experience at Northvolt, Khullar explained that the team will combine expertise from multiple disciplines to solve complex challenges in machine learning, particularly those faced in battery R&D and manufacturing. Their goal is to create AI-powered software platforms that can optimize every stage of industrial production, driving greater efficiency and performance across a wide range of industries.
Aris Machina’s platform will target not only battery manufacturing, but also sectors such as semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, robotics, and defense. The startup’s mission is to streamline processes and unlock new levels of productivity by leveraging the latest advancements in AI.
The venture also marks Peter Carlsson’s first significant position since leaving Northvolt in November. According to Khullar, their shared background at Northvolt is a unique strength for Aris Machina. “Unless you experienced Northvolt from the inside, it’s difficult to understand what an incredibly hard mission we were after,” he said, emphasizing the determination and expertise both bring to their new project.
