Polysense is opening its first office in the United States, in Chicago, Illinois. It is the next step after Polysense's $10.7 million seed round, and it puts a dedicated Polysense team on the ground in the market where some of the world's largest food manufacturers already run their production lines.
Chicago: home to the world's largest food manufacturers
Chicago is home to some of the largest food manufacturers in the world, putting Polysense close to the customers it already serves and the ones it wants to reach next.
The right moment to bet on automation
US tariffs are adding new pressure to an industry that already runs on razor-thin margins, pushing manufacturers, American companies and European players building factories on US soil alike, to invest in automation to protect what margin is left.
That pressure is compounded by a persistent labor shortage: experienced operators are retiring, replacements are hard to find and train, and food-safety requirements haven't gotten any easier. US manufacturing could need 3.8 million new workers by 2033, with up to 1.9 million of those roles potentially unfilled. That is exactly where Polysense helps: automating the inspection and adjustment work that used to depend on manual, experienced oversight, so manufacturers can protect margins and hold quality steady even with a shrinking pool of skilled labor.
“Food manufacturing is global, and we are focused on the biggest companies in the industry. Being close to our customers matters: it means we can see what's happening on their lines and help them act on it immediately, not from another continent. Opening in Chicago lets us do that in the US, and it's the natural next step after this funding round.”
Yarne De Munck, CEO and Co-founder, Polysense
Building one team, on two continents
Jarne Bogaert, one of Polysense's co-founders, is relocating to Chicago to lead the new office as US President of Polysense, together with Jonas Lernout, who joins as pre-sales engineer.Polysense is committed to building its US team the same way it built its team in Europe: with people who are close to customers and understand their challenges firsthand. The Chicago team will grow as the business scales.
“US manufacturers don't just want a vendor on the other end of a phone line, they want a team that understands their lines and can act on what it sees. That's the value we want Chicago to bring: real-time visibility into their lines, and a team close enough to act on it fast.”
Jarne Bogaert, US President, Polysense
What's next
Over the next six to twelve months, the Chicago team is focused on building real traction in the US and Canadian market: growing its customer base, building a repeatable sales and delivery process, and setting up the operational link between US customers and the delivery team in Belgium.
The ambition is simple: give US and Canadian manufacturers the same real-time visibility and control over their lines that manufacturers across Europe already rely on to cut waste and protect yield.
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