Batist Leman, CEO and Co-Founder of Azumuta, joined the Category Visionaries podcast by Front Lines Media to share his journey from a childhood passion for building to leading a company that’s reshaping productivity in manufacturing. In the interview, Batist delves into how Azumuta supports human workers in an era of automation, the challenges of scaling a startup, and why manufacturing remains a fascinating and rewarding industry to serve.
How Azumuta Started
Batist’s journey began with an early love for building, from programming at age 11 to constructing backyard projects with Legos and electronics. His passion eventually led him to study mechanical engineering and automation, and later to a role at a robotics company.
However, the pull toward entrepreneurship grew stronger. “The urge was too big, so I started something on my own,” Batist explains. As an independent consultant, he worked on industrial and bank-related software projects, focusing on reliability and security. It was during this time that he identified a recurring need in manufacturing. “A customer asked me if I could create a software tool for making work instructions. Then another customer asked for the same thing, and I thought, ‘Maybe this could be something bigger.’”
“It was a dream come true because it combined my two passions: programming and manufacturing,” Batist reflects. Today, Azumuta helps manufacturers digitize work instructions, ensuring their workers have the tools they need to handle complex processes efficiently.
We have a culture of listening to our customers and building the product alongside them.
Scaling a Vision: From Consulting to Product
Transitioning from consulting to building a scalable product required bold decisions. Batist describes it as a gradual process but acknowledged the leap of faith involved. “Each big decision feels huge at the moment, but afterward, it seems smaller,” he says. “Starting your own company, hiring employees—it all starts to feel natural as you go.”
Azumuta primarily serves discrete manufacturing companies producing complex products where errors carry high costs. By embedding the platform factory-wide for each client, adoption scales quickly. “With some clients, we onboard the entire factory at once, so scaling can happen fast,” Batist notes.
Listening to Customers and Iterating for Success
A key factor in Azumuta’s growth has been its iterative, customer-focused approach. “We have a culture of listening to our customers and building the product alongside them,” Batist explains. This approach, paired with inbound marketing strategies like SEO and video content, has fueled Azumuta’s steady growth.
However, building a strong marketing team was not without challenges. Initially bootstrapped, Azumuta hired less experienced marketers, which slowed progress. Bringing in experienced professionals, particularly from companies like HubSpot, marked a turning point. “You could see the growth curve shift when they joined the team,” Batist says.
Shifting from Features to Solutions
When discussing Azumuta’s messaging, Batist acknowledged an early focus on features. “We’re a very technical team,” he says. “As an engineer, and with our first hires being developers, we naturally focused on features. That resonates with operators and engineers, but it doesn’t land as well with C-level executives.”
Recognizing this gap, Azumuta shifted its messaging to address broader business challenges. “Now we talk about things like workforce quality, capturing tacit knowledge, and preparing for demand spikes,” Batist explains. “Instead of selling features, we focus on solutions that matter to executives. It’s a shift that’s made our value proposition much clearer.”
Balancing European and U.S. Approaches to Fundraising
Reflecting on Azumuta’s $3 million funding round, Batist shares his thoughts on the differences between European and U.S. fundraising landscapes. “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” he says. “In the U.S., companies raise huge amounts, but that comes with downsides. You need to spend it wisely, and high valuations can become risky if the market drops.”
In Europe, smaller funding rounds mean slower growth but offer stability. “With the amount we raised, we’re in a good middle ground. Plus, we have fantastic paying customers, so our revenue stream supports us well. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword.”
Advice for Aspiring Founders
When asked for advice, Batist emphasizes the importance of enjoying the market you serve. “Manufacturing is an amazingly cool audience,” he says. “The people are grounded, easy to talk to, and genuinely interesting. If you don’t like the people in your market, selling to them will be much harder.”
He also stressed targeting markets with clear budget allocations. “In manufacturing, there’s always a budget, but it’s competitive. If there’s no funding for what you’re building, you’ll struggle,” Batist explains.
While there’s a lot of focus on robots and Industry 4.0 technologies, we’re dedicated to empowering the people involved.
The Bigger Picture
Looking ahead, Batist sees Azumuta as a key player in making manufacturing more productive by supporting human workers in an increasingly automated world. “While there’s a lot of focus on robots and Industry 4.0 technologies, we’re dedicated to empowering the people involved,” he said.
Batist believes humans will remain essential in manufacturing, overseeing processes and assisting robots. However, the knowledge they carry needs to be captured and preserved. “If someone leaves and that knowledge hasn’t been captured, it’s a huge loss,” he warned. Azumuta’s mission is to ensure workers are supported with tools that help retain their expertise, creating a more resilient and productive manufacturing industry.
Use Azumuta’s Platform
See how our platform can help streamline data collection, increase productivity, and increase quality assurance with a demo of Azumuta.
