Vicki Knott Spearheads Automation in Heavy Industry with CruxOCM

Vicki Knott, the CEO and co-founder of CruxOCM, is impacting the heavy industrial sector through innovative automation solutions. With a background in chemical engineering and exposure to traditional operations practices, Knott recognized inefficiencies in control room operations, particularly in the oil and gas industry. Through CruxOCM's Robotic Industrial Process Automation (RIPA), significant improvements have been achieved including a 99% reduction in operator workload. Knott's journey wasn't without challenges; navigating a traditionally male-dominated field and overcoming business hurdles required resilience. The company has made strides in the midstream pipeline sector, a $29 billion market, by leveraging vertical-focused advanced process control systems. Techstars played a crucial role in CruxOCM's growth, offering a supportive environment for burgeoning entrepreneurs and facilitating key industry connections. Knott's experiences underline the significance of recognizing and addressing unconscious incompetence in business, fostering customer relations, and the importance of credible support networks like Techstars and C100.