Mechanical Orchard's process involves identifying a system or job on a client’s mainframe, assessing it for potential improvements, and then using AI models to identify a "steel thread" that can expose potential issues in the legacy code. The company then creates a replica of the system using a combination of human- and AI-generated code. The startup has already delivered results for customer Omni Logistics and plans to use its funding to hire more engineers and begin marketing efforts. However, it faces challenges from large, mature businesses like Accenture or VMware, and its success could encourage others to build similar setups.
Key takeaways:
- Rob Mee's new startup, Mechanical Orchard, aims to help companies move away from old mainframe computers and modernize their software setup using AI and open-source software.
- Mechanical Orchard has raised $24 million from Emergence Capital at a $95 million valuation after reaching $10 million in revenue and profitability in just over a year.
- The startup uses a combination of human- and AI-generated code to create a 'digital twin' of a client's mainframe system, which is faster and cheaper than rebuilding a system by hand.
- Despite the challenges of competing with large, mature businesses like Accenture or VMware, Mee's reputation from his previous venture, Pivotal, gives him a better chance of success, according to Emergence investor Jake Saper.