#StartupsEverywhere: Prathik Muppidi, Co-Founder, Autumn Labs
This profile is part of #StartupsEverywhere, an ongoing series highlighting startup leaders in ecosystems across the country. This interview has been edited for length, content, and clarity.
AI Advancing the New Era of Manufacturing
Autumn Labs provides software that makes it easy to monitor factory stations, and its process through a single platform helps organizations reduce production stoppages while enhancing product quality. We interviewed Prathik Muppidi, co-founder of Autumn Labs, to understand their software capabilities and the various challenges they encounter, such as broadband access, the H-1B visa lottery, and the limited definition of an accredited investor.
What led you to Autumn Labs?
In short, a series of life events. I’m a Canadian engineer who studied Mechatronics Engineering, a mix of mechanical, electronics, and software disciplines applied to robotics. After graduating, I relocated from Canada to work at Google for five years, where I led the design and deployment of robotic stations on production lines and sensor technology for various Google Nest products. During my time there, I noticed several infrastructure challenges in factories. After a brief detour to complete my MBA and MS at Harvard, I decided to start Autumn Labs to help tackle those problems. At Autumn Labs, our goal is to build a new frontier of infrastructure powered by AI, one that smooths the rollout of the next era of manufacturing.
What is the work you all are doing at Autumn Labs?
We build the monitoring and management layer for robotic systems and manufacturing production lines. Operations teams require performance metrics and operational data to monitor factory floor machines and robots during their operation. Our software integrates directly with the machine’s code, capturing detailed context about its operation and transforming that data into actionable insights that help teams drive improvements and solve problems faster.
We serve a diverse range of U.S. businesses, from large tech companies to small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as startups establishing their first production facilities. We offer flexible solutions that cater to the unique needs of every business.
How do you use AI to build your products?
Everyone on the Autumn Labs team has an engineering background and by leveraging AI tools—including AI-powered code editors and agents like Cursor and Codegen—we’ve been able to multiply our output by 5 or 10 times. We constantly use AI to code faster and test our applications faster. It really enables us to deliver to our customers the high-quality product that we want without having to hire a huge team, which would burn through our budget. These kinds of efficiencies driven through AI are especially critical to startups to help prolong their runway while delivering better products to users.
Do you see any barriers to adopting this kind of technology in factories?
The primary operational challenge worldwide, including in the United States, is the inconsistent availability of high-speed Internet connections at industrial sites. The main problem arises since industrial facilities continue to use pre-Internet manufacturing processes and infrastructure, which are hard to bring online without the right incentives and resources. Ultimately, these facilities and systems will all have to get online, and, for some parts of the country, that requires installing new broadband infrastructure. Wireless innovations serve practical purposes, but they cannot substitute the reliable, high-speed networks that fiber lines provide. And when wireline connectivity projects do receive funding, their implementation process spans a lengthy period, causing further delays in establishing connectivity.
How do you think the U.S. immigration system is working for startups?
The H-1B visa lottery system is pretty unpredictable, which endangers our capacity to attract skilled workers, hire employees and make plans to work with them long term. When we have an employee whose visa is still pending, we can’t know whether or not they're going to stay long enough to complete a critical project for us or whether they’re going to have to leave the country. We expend precious time and resources navigating immigration-related hurdles, which would be better spent on building our business. The answer isn’t as simple as only hiring American employees, because sometimes the person with the exact skills or experience you need isn’t based in the U.S. Being able to bring in exceptional international talent can strengthen a startup’s capabilities, and in turn help elevate the team as a whole and contribute to the growth of the broader domestic industry.
While moving away from an overall lottery might increase predictability, the proposed shift to a wage-based H-1B eligibility standard is concerning. Compared to others in the tech sector, startups offer lower salaries because they provide substantial equity packages to encourage joining the company at an early stage. Startups cannot compete with the high salaries that bigger tech companies offer. If policymakers were to factor in complete compensation packages, including equity, when determining visa eligibility then startups can more meaningfully compete for international talent. Startup friendly policies contribute to the overall industry and help keep America at the forefront of tech innovation.
Separately, though there are pathways for international folks in the U.S. to found and build industry-changing companies, the process is unclear at times. The current ambiguity and uncertainty serves as an intimidating backdrop and can discourage individuals from innovating in America.
What has your experience been like when it comes to capital access?
We’ve been able to take investments from venture capital firms and angel investors, but we ran into some difficulties due to the verification of accredited investors. That policy exists to safeguard retail investors from investment dangers, but its rigid framework and ambiguous compliance standards often make it difficult for individuals to confidently determine whether they qualify as accredited investors who can participate in startup funding. Policymakers should consider revising this system to make accreditation easier to understand and verify, while still ensuring that investors are aware of the risks involved and without creating unnecessary barriers to investment.
What are your goals for Autumn Labs moving forward?
The U.S. government has started a national effort to restore domestic manufacturing capabilities and expand its domestic production base. This is an excellent goal, but it requires modern, intelligent infrastructure. The U.S. needs a forward-looking manufacturing industry that leverages technology, including robotics and software, to enhance manufacturing speed and efficiency. We want to establish Autumn Labs as a key piece of that next generation of American manufacturing.
All of the information in this profile was accurate at the date and time of publication.
Engine works to ensure that policymakers look for insight from the startup ecosystem when they are considering programs and legislation that affect entrepreneurs. Together, our voice is louder and more effective. Many of our lawmakers do not have first-hand experience with the country's thriving startup ecosystem, so it’s our job to amplify that perspective. To nominate a person, company, or organization to be featured in our #StartupsEverywhere series, email advocacy@engine.is.
