Before he helped put software into factories, Erik Mirandette crossed Africa by dirt bike, served in military counterintelligence and learned a durable lesson: useful systems begin with the people closest to the problem.
Tulip Interfaces is a Boston-area software company that gives factory-floor workers a no-code platform to build the apps, dashboards, and connected-machine workflows that run modern operations. Spun out of the MIT Media Lab in 2014, Tulip treats human operators as the most valuable resource on the shop floor rather than something to automate away. Its composable platform stitches together people, machines, sensors, and AI into 'frontline operations' apps used by more than 200 manufacturers across pharma, medical devices, aerospace, and consumer goods. In January 2026 the company raised a $120M Series D led by Mitsubishi Electric at a $1.3B valuation, crossing into unicorn territory.