--- title: "About Tulip | The Frontline Operations Platform" description: "Founded in 2014 out of the MIT Media Lab, Tulip is the frontline operations platform manufacturers use to run composable MES, apps and AI across 45 countries." url: "https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/about-us/" lang: "en" --- # Unlocking human potential in frontline operations Tulip is the frontline operations platform manufacturers use to transform how their operations work, with the people who run them at the center. ## Our Mission ### Our mission is to unlock human potential by transforming how frontline operations work. That means three things. Software that frontline teams can adapt themselves, without waiting on IT or a vendor. AI that augments an expert rather than replacing one. And the governance, validation, and audit trail enterprise and regulated manufacturers need, built in from the start. ## Our Story Tulip was founded in 2014 by Natan Linder and Rony Kubat, a spinoff out of MIT's Media Lab. They started from a simple observation: factory workers lacked modern digital tools, and most automation projects failed because they tried to replace human experts outright instead of finding the middle ground. A decade ago we coined the term *unlocking human potential*. In the age of AI it only rings more true. We build AI-native, human-centric software that puts frontline experts in control of the technology, the process and the governance around it. Today Tulip runs in regulated and discrete operations worldwide, backed by a $120M Series D led by Mitsubishi Electric, alongside Insight Partners, NEA, Pitango Ventures and Vertex Ventures. ![The whole Tulip company gathered indoors for a group photo at the 2026 company onsite](https://tulip.widen.net/content/8rmava4i9v) ### Founded 2014 A spinoff of the MIT Media Lab. ### $120M Series D Led by Mitsubishi Electric in January 2026. ### Six offices Somerville, Munich, Budapest, Singapore, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. [Read the Series D announcement](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/press/tulip-secures-120m-series-d/) ## Tulip by the Numbers Over 60K frontline workers in 45 countries run their operations on Tulip. - **45** Countries with active deployments - **60K** Frontline workers using Tulip - **300K** Apps built on the platform - **28M** Hours of use per year ## Customer Stories Manufacturers like Outset Medical, Test Devices by Schenck, Tiffany & Co., VEKA, Sharp Packaging, AstraZeneca and Avon use Tulip to reduce defects, training time, quality escapes and changeover time. - **70% fewer defects** Outset Medical · Reduction in defects > It’s completely paperless, and we estimate saving about a million dollars compared to a paper-based system or any other MES. > > — **Hector Vidal**, Sr. Director Manufacturing/Plant Manager, Outset Medical > We’ve had several AS9100 audits recently. Tulip helps with audit readiness by giving us traceability across production and quality, and it gives us a practical way to address findings as they come up. > > — **Darren O'Neil**, Industrial Engineering Manager, Test Devices by Schenck - **50% more capacity** Test Devices by Schenck · Increase in production capacity - **80% less training time** Tiffany & Co. · Reduction in training time > Our operators actually feel like their voice is heard, that their craftsmanship is able to come through. > > — **Bob Alley**, VP of Jewelry Manufacturing, Tiffany & Co - **85%** VEKA · Reduction in quality escapes - **30%** Sharp Packaging · Faster clinical trial packaging process - **29%** AstraZeneca · Reduction in changeover time - **3x** Avon · Faster MES setup See how manufacturers across pharma, med device, aerospace and discrete run their operations on Tulip. [Read the full customer stories](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/case-studies/) ## Where We Are ### Somerville Global HQ · Massachusetts, USA ### Munich EMEA · Germany ### Budapest EMEA · Hungary ### Singapore APAC · Singapore ### Tel Aviv R&D · Israel ### Tokyo APAC · Japan · Minato-ku ## Experience Centers Three working production floors where customers run their own processes on real equipment before committing to anything. ![The Tulip Experience Center floor in Somerville](https://tulip.widen.net/content/l6m6z1f2ck) ![The Tulip Experience Center in Munich](https://tulip.widen.net/content/7efkqgeq8n) ![The Tulip Experience Center in Budapest](https://tulip.widen.net/content/2ddsuhmjxr) ### Somerville Massachusetts, USA ### Munich Germany ### Budapest Hungary The Somerville center is built on the grounds of a former Ford plant, anchors a 15,000 sq ft facility, and hosts Operations Calling each autumn. [Book a tour](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/tulip-experience-center/) ## Operations Calling Our annual frontline operations conference, hosted on our own factory floor. Two days of sessions, demos and hands-on time in Somerville, and now in Lyon for Europe. ![A full room of attendees at Operations Calling, Tulip's annual conference at its Somerville headquarters](https://tulip.widen.net/content/nfrqgyqpwh) Operations Calling 2025, Somerville. 700+ registrants, 90+ speakers, 60+ sessions, 38 partners. [operationscalling.com](https://www.operationscalling.com/) ## Tulip at a Glance ### Company Tulip Interfaces, Inc. Founded in 2014 as a spinoff of the MIT Media Lab. ### Founders Natan Linder, co-founder and CEO, and Rony Kubat, co-founder. ### Headquarters Somerville, Massachusetts, USA, with offices in Munich, Budapest, Singapore, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. ### Category Frontline operations platform and composable MES. ### Industries Pharmaceutical, medical device, aerospace and defense, and discrete manufacturing. ### Funding $120M Series D in January 2026, led by Mitsubishi Electric, at a $1.3B valuation. ## More About Tulip ### Careers Open roles and how we work [View careers](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/careers/) ### Press Announcements and coverage [Visit the newsroom](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/press/) ### Trust Center Security and compliance [Visit the Trust Center](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/trust-center/) ### Partners Technology and GTM ecosystem [Meet our partners](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/partners/) ### Analysts - Leader, IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Discrete MES, 2024–2025. Debut appearance, straight into the Leader category. - Leader, ABI Research: MES for Process Industries, 2025. [Explore analyst reports and other resources](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/resources/) ## Talk to our team Multiply the effectiveness of your frontline operations. [Schedule a Demo](https://pr-1391.tulip-co.tulipecointra.net/contact-sales/)