What GoSmarter.ai does

GoSmarter.ai is the commercial software platform of Nightingale HQ Ltd, a Wales-based (Caerphilly) UK company founded in 2018, purpose-built for metals manufacturers — chiefly steel stockholders, service centres, fabricators and rebar suppliers. The platform addresses three interlocking operational pain points: manual mill certificate handling, cut-plan inefficiency (5–8% scrap versus a ≤2.5% optimised target), and a lack of live stock visibility that drives over-ordering. It comprises three subscription modules — Metals Manager (real-time inventory by grade, size, heat number, condition and certificate reference), MillCert Reader (AI extraction of data from unstructured PDF mill certificates with an EN 10204-compliant immutable audit trail), and Cutting Plans (AI-optimised 1D cut lists using genetic algorithms and anomaly detection) — plus a free tier of calculators (Scrap Rate, Emissions, Business Case, Material Yield Planner).

The underlying stack runs on Microsoft Azure, using Azure OpenAI and cognitive services for certificate reading, with a custom domain-trained multimodal CV-plus-LLM pipeline and a REST API plus MCP server exposed on every paid plan. Pricing is per-site, with no per-seat or integration fees and unlimited users; the three modules are priced at £275–£1,000/month annual billing, with a 14-day free trial requiring no credit card. Distribution combines a product-led growth motion (free tier, free trial, self-serve onboarding typically live in 1–2 days) with a consultative sales motion for enterprise prospects, qualified on certificate volume and ROI fit.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; commercial scaling only began with the MillCert Reader launch in June 2025 and the broader GoSmarter.ai platform launch in August 2025. The company is privately held (parent: Nightingale HQ Ltd), founder-led by CEO Ruth Kearney and Head of Product Steph Locke, and primarily grant-funded to date through EIT Manufacturing and Innovate UK consortium projects alongside partners including KUKA, VTT, Bastal Steel and OCSC. Named enterprise references include Tata Steel UK and Midland Steel, with a logo set spanning precision engineering, electronics and defence (TMD Technologies).

Name

GoSmarter.ai

Legal name

Nightingale HQ Ltd

Website

https://gosmarter.ai

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GoSmarter.ai is a subscription SaaS platform, built by Wales-based Nightingale HQ, that uses AI to automate mill certificate handling, optimise long-product cutting plans and provide live, heat-number-level stock visibility for steel stockholders, service centres, fabricators and rebar suppliers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial metals manufacturing software

akta.pro primary industry

Software/SaaS Subscriptions (Consumer & Prosumer) (CRAFAIAB)

Keywords

• Metals manufacturing software
• Mill certificate automation
• Cutting optimization software
• Steel inventory management
• EN 10204 compliance software

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription SaaS — Core Platform: Three paid modules (Metals Manager, MillCert Reader, Cutting Plans) priced per site as monthly or annual subscriptions. Unlimited users per site. No per-seat fees. Free tier of tools available to drive adoption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

GoSmarter.ai sells a subscription SaaS platform purpose-built for metals manufacturers, comprising three paid modules — Metals Manager (real-time, certificate-linked stock visibility), MillCert Reader (AI-powered extraction of data from mill certificates regardless of format, language or layout) and Cutting Plans (AI-optimised 1D cut lists for long products targeting ≤2.5% scrap). A free tier of standalone calculators (Scrap Rate, Emissions, Business Case) supports lead generation. Pricing is per site with unlimited users and is sold both via self-serve 14-day trial and consultative demos, with REST API connectivity to common ERPs included on every plan.

Product overview

GoSmarter.ai is a metals management platform delivered as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core platform provides inventory tracking, certificate management, and cut plan optimization. Three paid modules sit on this platform: Cutting Plans (AI-powered cutting optimization for long products targeting ≤2.5% scrap), MillCert Reader (AI-powered mill certificate extraction and EN 10204 compliant audit trail), and Metals Manager (real-time stock visibility with certificate-linked traceability). A suite of free tools includes scrap rate, emissions, and ROI calculators. All modules share a common data layer where certificate data flows into stock records automatically and stock feeds cut plan optimization. Unlimited users per site, no per-seat fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GoSmarter: AI-powered metals management platform for steel stockholders, service centres, and rebar suppliers - handles inventory management, mill certificates, cutting plans, and compliance.

Products and services

• Cutting Plans AI-powered cutting optimisation module that generates mathematically optimised bar-by-bar cut lists from live inventory and open orders, targeting ≤2.5% scrap versus 5–8% for manual planning, with manual override and real-time scrap recalculation. Built for metals fabricators, steel stockholders and rebar suppliers running long-product cut-to-length operations.
• MillCert Reader AI-powered module that extracts data (heat number, grade, EN 10204 type, chemical composition, mechanical properties, CEQ, shape codes) from mill certificates in any format, language or layout without per-mill template training, with a formal review and approval workflow and EN 10204-compliant audit trail linking certs to inventory. Aimed at metals manufacturers and stockholders drowning in PDF certificate admin.
• Metals Manager Real-time inventory management module purpose-built for metals, tracking stock by grade, size, heat number, condition and certificate status, showing committed vs. available allocation and linking every item to its mill certificate for goods-in-to-despatch traceability. Designed for steel stockholders, service centres and fabricators.
• Free Tools Free forever suite of standalone calculators — Scrap Rate Calculator, Emissions Calculator, Material Yield Planner and Business Case Calculator — enabling manufacturers to measure current scrap rates and ROI without an account, designed as a lead magnet into the paid platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20–50% scrap reduction on structural sections, tube, and bar
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EIT ManufacturingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2023EIT Manufacturing co-funded the Re-imagining Design & Planning for Greener Reinforcement Steel Manufacturing project. Nightingale HQ serves as lead digitalisation partner on the EU/international consortium alongside KUKA, Bastal Steel, OCSC, and VTT. The project aims to reduce steel manufacturing waste through optimisation techniques using Microsoft Azure OpenAI and cognitive services.
• KUKAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2023KUKA (industrial robotics and automation company) is a partner in the EU consortium led by Nightingale HQ and funded by EIT Manufacturing. The project focuses on greener reinforcement steel manufacturing through modular prefabricated sections and digital planning optimisation.
• Bastal SteelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2023Bastal Steel (Irish steel manufacturer) participates in the EIT Manufacturing-funded consortium alongside Nightingale HQ, KUKA, OCSC, and VTT. The project targets greener reinforcement steel manufacturing through standardisation and digital planning optimisation.
• VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2023VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) is a research partner in the EU consortium focused on greener reinforcement steel manufacturing. The project combines planning optimisation with emerging technologies to reduce waste across the value chain from mill to factory floor.
• OCSC (Civil Engineers)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2023OCSC (civil engineering consultancy) participates in the EIT Manufacturing-funded green steel project as part of the multi-disciplinary consortium that includes Nightingale HQ, KUKA, Bastal Steel, and VTT. Contributes the civil engineering and construction perspective to modular prefabrication design.
• High Value Manufacturing ClusterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHigh Value Manufacturing Cluster is listed as a partner supporting Nightingale HQ's work with GoSmarter.ai that led to the Wales Tech Awards 2025 Best Greentech recognition. The cluster supports advanced manufacturing innovation in the UK.
• Welsh GovernmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWelsh Government is listed as a supporter of Nightingale HQ's Greentech work that won the Wales Tech Awards 2025 Best Greentech. GoSmarter is developed by Cardiff/Wales-based Nightingale HQ.
• Midland SteelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMidland Steel is a primary customer, development partner, and consortium partner for GoSmarter/Nightingale HQ. They participated in the EIT Manufacturing green steel project and ran a live production trial of GoSmarter's Cutting Plans achieving 50% scrap reduction across 734 tonnes. Tony Woods, CEO of Midland Steel, is quoted as an evangelist for the technology.
• Tata Steel UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTata Steel UK worked with Nightingale HQ on AI strategy engagement, with CEO Rajesh Nair quoted on the outcome of the collaboration. The engagement focused on practical, actionable steps for AI adoption across people, operations, and long-term strategy.
• IDEAM ClusterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIDEAM Cluster (Irish Digital Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing) partnered with Nightingale HQ on the Springboard Certificate in Leadership in Digitalisation of Manufacturing programme and the 'BoostUp' startup competition. CEO Ruth Kearney delivered talks on 'Toolkits for Smart Manufacturing' to manufacturing cohorts.
• Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTUS (Ireland) delivered the Springboard Certificate in Leadership in Digitalisation of Manufacturing programme, partnered with IDEAM Cluster and Nightingale HQ. CEO Ruth Kearney spoke on 'Toolkits for Smart Manufacturing' to the industry cohort.
• STRADA Project (EIT Manufacturing)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNightingale HQ is a core partner in the STRADA Project, a leadership programme for women in manufacturing co-funded by EIT Manufacturing. Nightingale HQ leads the 'Leading Digitalisation' masterclass as part of the programme.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SigmaNEST: SigmaNEST is the leading CAD/CAM nesting and cutting-optimisation platform for sheet metal and structural fabrication — directly comparable to GoSmarter's Cutting Plans module, serving the same long-product cutting optimisation use case in steel and structural fabrication.
• OptiCut: OptiCut is a 1D / 2D cutting optimisation software used by metal, timber, and glass fabricators — directly competing with GoSmarter's Cutting Plans module for cut-list optimisation in long-product manufacturing.
• Steel Projects / Steel Manager: Steel Manager (and adjacent products like Steel Projects) is steel service-centre software for stock tracking, certificate management, and cut optimisation — a direct legacy competitor to GoSmarter's Metals Manager and MillCert Reader modules.

Broad incumbents

• Infor CloudSuite Industrial (Infor M3): Infor M3 / CloudSuite Industrial is a long-established ERP suite purpose-built for metals manufacturers and service centres — overlapping with GoSmarter's Metals Manager inventory and traceability capabilities but as a much broader enterprise platform.
• Epicor Kinetic: Epicor Kinetic is an ERP system with deep metals and fabrication industry templates serving steel service centres and manufacturers — comparable as a broader incumbent competing for the same IT budget as GoSmarter.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365: Microsoft Dynamics 365 is an enterprise ERP/CRM suite and the underlying platform provider for GoSmarter (Azure / Azure OpenAI). It overlaps as a broad incumbent that could natively extend into metals-specific AI workflows over time.
• Plex Systems (Rockwell Automation): Plex (now part of Rockwell Automation) is a cloud-native manufacturing execution system widely used in metal and discrete manufacturing — comparable as a broad incumbent serving overlapping plant-floor and quality use cases.

Emerging players

• 1factory: 1factory provides a cloud-based quality management system (QMS) for manufacturers covering first article inspection, control plans, and PPAP — adjacent to GoSmarter's EN 10204 audit trail and traceability workflow for metals manufacturers.
• Katana MRP: Katana is a cloud manufacturing ERP/MRP platform for SMB manufacturers including metal fabricators — comparable at the small-fabricator ICP level with GoSmarter, addressing inventory and production planning workflows.
• Genius Solutions (ERP): Genius Solutions provides an ERP system specifically designed for SMB metal fabricators, steel service centres, and job shops — overlapping directly with GoSmarter's stock-management and traceability value proposition for small manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nhq-gosmarter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/gosmarterai
• Xx.com/nightingalehqai

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GoSmarter.ai