Repairing, refurbishing, and recycling via AI

A SaaS platform makes circular services more accessible by promoting stakeholder collaboration

Spotted: The days of planned obsolescence may be coming to an end. More and more people are demanding a ‘right of repair’ – the legal right for owners to modify and repair products without needing to use only the manufacturer’s software, tools, and service providers. Proponents argue that the ability to access manuals and repair products is vital to achieving both consumer rights and meeting climate change targets.

Working to accelerate this transformation is Berlin-based startup FixFirst. The company’s artificial-intelligence-powered software platform helps repair and maintenance workers, manufacturers, retailers, insurers, and cities to streamline workflow and collaboration. Partners can use the software for everything from fault or error diagnosis and cost estimations to scheduling.

FixFirst claims the platform will make it easier for companies and repairers to increase repair efficiency by up to 70 per cent and offers a big improvement in customer experience. It also aims to make it easier for organisations to launch and scale circular offerings by allowing companies to design circular and repairable products from the outset – a sort of built-in right to repair.

The business is a brand of Fix Ventures, a Greentech startup co-founded by Sebastian Daus. The brand has so far raised an undisclosed sum in a pre-seed round.

There is rising interest in designing products that can be repaired and reused. Some of the innovations Springwise has spotted include a blender that has been designed to be easy to repair and upgrade and a circular subscription service for office furniture.

Written By: Lisa Magloff