Key Takeaways
- James Bayly says Mindhive’s AI grading engine—trained on 14 million hides—detects 35+ defect types with high precision.
- Italy and Brazil were prioritized for expansion based on finishing sophistication and large-scale, multi-site operations.
- Series A capital will fund team growth, R&D, and regional support infrastructure in Brazil and Europe.
- Early pilots of FinishSelect™ show significant yield gains and faster processing speeds for finishing operations.
- Adoption barriers are organizational rather than technical, requiring deep change management.
James Bayly on AI Transforming Traditional Leather Inspection
Mindhive Global CEO James Bayly characterizes the company’s technology as a substantial shift from rapid human judgment to digital, data-rich analysis. The platform uses structured lighting, 4K line-scan cameras and neural networks to capture and grade each hide objectively.
“Our core technology utilizes lights, cameras and significant computing power to enable machine-vision technology to capture an image of each hide we grade,” Bayly explained. Mindhive’s BlueSelect™ system analyzes these images “through neural networks trained on 14 million hides over 14 years,” giving it the ability to detect “35+ different defect types, from sub-millimeter tick damage to large-scale defects like neck hump or major staining.”
He contrasted this with manual grading, which offers only a brief visual sweep. “A grader needs to assess an area larger than a pool table in less time than it takes to read this sentence… The traditional method does not allow any digital or objective record.” By comparison, Mindhive creates “a complete digital record for every hide that can be reviewed, analyzed, and used to defend grading decisions objectively.”
According to Bayly, consistency is just as important as precision. “A human grader’s assessment can vary by shift, by fatigue level, by individual interpretation. Our system applies the same criteria every time.”
James Bayly Explains Strategic Expansion Into Italy, Brazil and Asia
Mindhive’s Series A funding enables accelerated expansion into Europe, Latin America and Asia, with each region selected based on distinct structural advantages.
“Europe, and more specifically Italy, is the leather capital of the world,” Bayly said. Italy hosts globally significant finishing operations producing leather for luxury brands, where grading accuracy and traceability are essential. This environment aligns closely with Mindhive’s FinishSelect™ solution, launched at SIMAC Tanning Tech 2025. “The reception has validated that we’re solving real problems for leather components manufacturers.”
Brazil was chosen for its enormous processing volume and high level of consolidation. Mindhive’s work with JBS—thousands of hides per day across 13 sites—illustrates the scale. “When you’re operating facilities across different states or countries, standardizing quality assessment becomes a genuine operational advantage… A hide gets the same grade whether it’s processed in Mato Grosso or Marabá.”
Asia remains in validation due to its fragmented market and differing supply chain structures. Bayly emphasized sequencing: “We need to execute well in our priority markets first before expanding further.”
James Bayly on Talent, Technology and Regional Infrastructure
A major share of Mindhive’s new capital is being allocated to expanding the company’s capabilities across engineering, AI, enterprise sales, and customer success. The company has grown from eight employees to 37 in one year but needs additional capacity to meet demand.
“We’re still under-resourced for the opportunities we’re seeing,” Bayly said. “We need more implementation engineers… more AI specialists… and more commercial people who understand enterprise sales cycles in the leather industry.”
He added that selling into global enterprise environments requires new organizational structures—especially around large-scale customer success and reliability engineering. “When you're selling to companies processing millions of hides annually across multiple countries, you need the right people in the right roles to ensure your customers are raving fans.”
On the product side, Mindhive is accelerating development of integrations with ERP systems, cutting platforms, and traceability tools. “The goal is to create an ecosystem where quality data flows seamlessly from raw hide assessment through to finished product.”
Italy and Brazil will receive deeper on-the-ground presence, with Bayly stressing that this investment is practical rather than cosmetic. “This isn’t about opening fancy offices; it’s about having people on the ground who can respond when a customer needs support or calibration.”
Results From FinishSelect™ Pilots Guide Product Roadmap
Mindhive’s FinishSelect™ platform is now being tested across finishing operations, including the Scottish Leather Group. These trials indicate faster operations and greater material efficiency.
“They’re processing finished leather with complete digital defect mapping at dramatically faster speeds than their previous manual marking process,” Bayly said. Yield gains are especially meaningful: “When you know exactly where defects are and can optimize your cutting patterns accordingly, you extract more usable leather from each hide.”
Industry feedback is shaping Mindhive’s next steps. Integration with cutting systems and nesting software is a priority, as finishing operations increasingly seek seamless data flow. Bayly also noted rising demand for color and texture analysis to support premium sorting requirements.
Adoption Challenges: A Shift in Processes, Not Just Technology
While the industry historically relied on individual expertise, Bayly said attitudes are changing. “The conversation has shifted from ‘why would we do this?’ to ‘how do we implement this successfully?’”
He emphasized that adoption is organizational, affecting workflows, inventory decisions, production management and customer fulfillment. “You’re not just installing a machine—you’re changing how quality decisions get made.”
Mindhive addresses this by acting as a transformation partner. “We’re not shipping a box and walking away.” The company provides on-site deployment, workflow integration support, change management, and continuous data-driven improvement.
