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Protex AI Welcomes Grocery Retail VC Fund, W23 Global, as Strategic Investor

ByEthan Lin

Jul 29, 2025

Protex AI, the leading provider of AI-powered workplace safety and operations solutions, is excited to announce that W23 Global has joined its recent Series B funding round as a strategic investor.

W23 Global is a venture capital fund backed by five of the world’s leading grocery retailers, including Tesco, Ahold Delhaize, Woolworths Group, Empire Company Limited/Sobeys Inc. and Shoprite Group operating across North America, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Africa.

Dan Hobbs, CEO of Protex AI, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with W23 Global as part of our funding round. They bring both a strategic focus and a speciality in retail operations that will help Protex in our mission to revolutionize safety and operations for some of the world’s largest organizations.”

Protex AI uses cutting-edge AI and computer vision technology to empower EHS and operations teams with real-time insights, enabling proactive interventions and a safer, smarter workplace. The company’s platform is already deployed in Fortune 500 environments across 28 countries, helping organizations foster sustainable safety cultures through automation, privacy-centric analytics, and actionable intelligence.

“The safety and well-being of colleagues across the broader supply chain is paramount. Protex AI’s innovative use of AI and computer vision provides a powerful, privacy-preserving tool to move from reactive to proactive safety measures,” said Ingrid Maes, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of W23 Global. “This investment reflects our commitment to supporting technologies that can create significant positive impact by making workplaces safer and more efficient.”

W23 Global’s investment further signals the growing demand for transformative, scalable safety technologies in the workplace. Protex AI is uniquely positioned to drive the evolution of proactive safety across the industrial workplace.

At Protex AI, we’re building a safer, smarter industrial workplace with an intelligent operating system that redefines how facilities operate. Our AI-powered technology is enabling businesses to gain greater visibility of unsafe behaviours in their facilities. The privacy-preserving platform plugs into existing CCTV infrastructure and uses its computer vision technologies to capture unsafe events autonomously in settings such as warehouses and manufacturing facilities.

Ethan Lin

One of the founding members of DMR, Ethan, expertly juggles his dual roles as the chief editor and the tech guru. Since the inception of the site, he has been the driving force behind its technological advancement while ensuring editorial excellence. When he finally steps away from his trusty laptop, he spend his time on the badminton court polishing his not-so-impressive shuttlecock game.

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