Vancouver-founded Sonibel is bringing artificial intelligence into one of the most manual corners of industry, using sound to detect welding mistakes in real time.
The startup has developed a system that pairs acoustic sensors with machine learning to identify defects as they happen, offering welders immediate feedback before errors turn into costly rework. The approach is based on a simple insight: experienced operators can often hear when a weld is going wrong, and Sonibel aims to turn that intuition into software.
The company’s sensor mounts directly onto a welding torch, capturing audio signals that are analyzed by AI models trained to recognize patterns linked to defects. When an issue is detected, the system alerts the user through a small display, enabling corrections on the spot.
The problem Sonibel is targeting is significant. Welding defects can lead to structural failures, delays, and expensive inspection processes, which today often rely on post-production techniques such as X-ray or ultrasound. By shifting detection into real time, the company is positioning its technology as a new layer of quality control for industrial fabrication.
Sonibel was co-founded by Sophia Millar, Hooman Pirouz, and George Hollo, with roots at the University of British Columbia. Pirouz previously worked as a reliability engineer in shipyards, where he saw firsthand how defects emerge and how difficult they are to catch early.
The startup recently raised USD $1.6 million in pre-seed funding led by Maple VC, with participation from Champion Hill Ventures, Dorm Room Fund, and angel investors. It has already secured a pilot with a Fortune 100 company and reports a waitlist of roughly 50 fabrication shops.
Sonibel says its system could reduce a meaningful share of welding-related costs for manufacturers, with potential savings scaling significantly in large operations. The company is now focused on making the technology easier to deploy, with the goal of delivering a more plug-and-play experience.
Like many Canadian startups in industrial technology, Sonibel is also looking south for growth, having incorporated in Delaware while maintaining ties to Canada as it scales.
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