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Powerhouse AI
YC W22Entrepreneur First '21Singapore, SG · Founded 2021 · 6 employees · 3 known investors
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Powerhouse AI develops AI-powered warehouse scanning and management software that uses computer vision to track, manage, and verify warehouse activities beyond traditional barcode and RFID systems. The platform serves warehouse and logistics operations with advanced data extraction and inventory verification capabilities.
Also known as Powerhouse AI (YC W22) · pwh.ai · Pwh.AI
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W22)
Powerhouse AI was founded in 2021 by Ivo Verhaegh and Kushal Pillay.
Investors · 3
How we know: the company's own site · the Y Combinator directory · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us
How we know: the Entrepreneur First portfolio · Y Combinator's founder network · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us
How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Powerhouse AI develops computer-vision software that turns a mobile device camera into a scanning and verification tool for warehouse operations. The product has two main components: an AI Assisted Scanner and a Manager Cockpit. The scanner covers document scanning (reading logistics documents such as delivery orders, purchase orders and invoices to automate cross-checking and reduce manual data entry into ERP/WMS systems), label scanning (reading multiple labels at once and extracting information beyond text and barcodes, including symbols, dimensions and expiry/manufacturing dates), and 3D Vision Count (counting boxes on pallets from a single image and flagging discrepancies). The Manager Cockpit provides real-time monitoring of accuracy and per-user or per-order productivity with custom image-backed reports, controls for managing operator-edited data and pushing corrections to operators, and AI assistance that verifies data, flags abnormalities and extracts additional missed label data.
The company positions the product against barcode and RFID scanners, claiming multiple simultaneous scans versus single scans, a 5-10 foot scanning range versus up to 3 feet for RFID, no requirement to generate new labels, and data extraction that is not limited to preconfigured barcodes or tags. Its Y Combinator listing describes four core functionality areas — workflow digitization, AI counting, AI label processing and AI document processing — and states efficiency and accuracy gains of 20% to 40%. Target warehouse processes are inbound receiving, cycle counting/stocktake and outbound shipping.
Founding story
Founded in 2021 by Ivo Verhaegh and Kushal Pillay. Pillay previously worked on robotics and computer vision, building models for robot navigation around human movement and for threat and vandalism detection, and concluded that robotics was not a universally applicable solution because of cost and limited flexibility; the founding premise was to deliver robot-grade technology to human workers instead.
Business model
Software sold to warehouse and logistics operators, delivered as a mobile-device application plus a web-based manager cockpit; the Y Combinator listing categorizes the company as SaaS, warehouse management tech and logistics. The company positions itself as offering automation at a fraction of the cost of conventional warehouse automation hardware. Pricing is not disclosed in the sources.
Not disclosed in the sources; a third-party data aggregator estimates annual revenue of approximately $256,665 and revenue per employee of about $86,000, figures that are labeled as estimates.
Traction
Published customer stories cover deployments and pilots with DHL (multi-label detection), DSV (inbound process optimization), ST Logistics (paper-based to automated inbound), Unilever (counting goods inside racking) and a pharmaceutical supply chain data-entry use case. The Y Combinator profile states the company works with large enterprises and 3PLs. In July 2024 the company was selected for the Wincanton Labs 2024 cohort. Third-party estimated annual revenue is approximately $256,665.
Latest developments
In July 2024 the company published news of its selection for the 2024 Wincanton Labs cohort and a piece on machine vision and AI. Website copyright is dated 2024.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Small, early-stage vendor competing with established barcode and RFID scanning approaches in warehouse data capture, differentiating on camera-based multi-object scanning and lower cost relative to conventional automation. Y Combinator lists a team size of 6; a third-party aggregator places headcount in the 1-10 range.
The company's stated differentiators versus barcode and RFID scanners are: multiple simultaneous scans instead of one at a time; extraction of data beyond physical labels and beyond preconfigured barcodes or RFID tags; no need to generate new labels; a 5-10 foot scanning range; document extraction for delivery orders, purchase orders and invoices; box counting; AI-assisted instant verification; and operation on ordinary mobile devices rather than dedicated hardware.
Technology
Computer vision and AI applied through standard mobile-device cameras rather than dedicated scanning hardware. Capabilities include multi-label detection in a single image, extraction of text, barcodes, QR codes, symbols and dimensions, document understanding for logistics paperwork, and 3D vision box counting from a single photograph, with automated verification and anomaly detection layered on top. Co-founder Kushal Pillay's background is in robotics and computer vision, including models for predicting human movement and detecting vandalism or threats; the stated aim is to put robot-grade technology in human hands. Website infrastructure reported by a third-party aggregator includes Webflow, Cloudflare, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Calendly.
Go-to-market
Direct enterprise sales, with the website driving visitors to "Contact our Sales" and "Schedule a Demo" calls to action. The company publishes customer success stories with named logistics firms and manufacturers as social proof and participates in corporate innovation programs such as the 2024 Wincanton Labs cohort.
Warehouse operators, third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and manufacturers handling inbound receiving, stocktaking and outbound shipping; published case studies reference DHL, DSV, ST Logistics, Unilever and a pharmaceutical supply chain customer, and the site carries a testimonial attributed to a key account manager at CH Robinson.
Geography
Headquartered in Singapore, with the website listing Singapore and New York locations and a Singapore phone number; a third-party aggregator lists a Brooklyn, New York address.
History
The company was founded in 2021 and participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2022 batch. A third-party aggregator records a $500,000 funding event dated 2022-02-10. By July 2024 the company was selected for the Wincanton Labs 2024 cohort and had published customer case studies with several large logistics operators. Y Combinator lists the company as active with a team of six.
Risks & controversies
Sources disclose limited financial and operational detail. Financial figures available publicly are third-party estimates from a lead-generation data vendor rather than company or investor disclosures, and that vendor's headquarters, headcount and departmental data conflict with the company's own Singapore-based listing. The company is small (team size 6) and competes against entrenched barcode and RFID scanning ecosystems. Website testimonials include an apparent misspelling of a customer company name.
Compiled by commissioned research from 7 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Related companies · 5
Companies working in the same space as Powerhouse AI.
Timeline · 4
launches, deals, and filingsCompany news item announcing that Pwh.AI was chosen for the Wincanton Labs 2024 cohort.
Website case studies describe multi-label detection at DHL, inbound process optimization at DSV, a shift from paper-based to automated inbound at ST Logistics, counting goods inside racking at Unilever, and streamlining data entry in a pharmaceutical supply chain.
A third-party data aggregator records a single funding round of $500,000 dated 2022-02-10, described as the company's total funding to date.
$500K source ↗
Powerhouse AI is listed in the Y Combinator company directory as part of the Winter 2022 batch, categorized under SaaS, warehouse management tech and logistics.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structure▸Research sources · 7
primary sources listed
- Powerhouse Aipowerhouseai.co · web
7 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Powerhouse AI do?
- Y Combinator-backed Singapore startup selling AI camera-based scanning and manager software for warehouse operations.
- Who founded Powerhouse AI?
- Powerhouse AI was founded by Ivo Verhaegh, Kushal Pillay in 2021.
- Who are Powerhouse AI's investors?
- Powerhouse AI's investors include Y Combinator, Entrepreneur First, Samsara Ventures.
- Where is Powerhouse AI headquartered?
- Powerhouse AI is headquartered in Singapore, SG.