Reviewing design changes is often slow, fragmented, and frustrating. Engineers typically flip through PDFs, compare screenshots from email threads, and piece together feedback from scattered meeting notes and slide decks. It’s not only time-consuming - it’s also easy to miss critical details.
In high-stakes mechanical industries like aerospace, automotive, and medical devices, even the smallest oversight can result in costly rework, compliance issues, or product recalls. Yet, despite these risks, many teams still rely on outdated review methods. While CAD tools have advanced, the actual review process- largely manual and inconsistent, has seen little innovation since the 1950s.
bananaz was built to solve this problem. By combining copilot AI and computer vision, the platform automates change detection, structures the review workflow, and helps teams move faster with greater confidence. Early adopters are already reporting up to 90% reductions in review time, without sacrificing thoroughness or traceability.
Why Traditional Review Workflows Hold Teams Back
The process of design review today is still largely manual. To review or get feedback on a drawing or model, engineers export files and compare them side by side, hoping to catch all the differences. They share comments across a variety of channels, from email and PM to screenshots and slideshows, which lends to version confusion and unnecessary time spent in review.
Traditional review workflows are high-friction: they slow teams down and introduce risk. Changes are incredibly easy to miss, review cycles stretch out, and critical decisions often happen without a clear record.
In regulated environments, such a lack of structure isn’t just inefficient, but a liability.
What bananaz Does Differently
bananaz’s software sits on top of your existing CAD and PDM tools and brings structure, visibility, and speed to the review process. It isn’t a replacement for your design stack, but an added layer that makes your reviews faster, smarter, and smoother.
Here’s how it works:
Automatic change detection
bananaz compares two versions of a 2D drawing or 3D model and instantly highlights what’s different between the two: geometric changes or annotations. The software analyzes differences that affect FFF (form, fit, and function) and instantly notifies you of changes. Bananaz removes the need for manual comparison and visual guesswork.
Contextual review and collaboration
Reviewers can comment, approve, reject specific changes to a drawing or model within the platform. Every decision made in relation to a design is captured in context with a full audit trail, eliminating the need to jump between tools or chase down feedback.
Version control without the confusion
Since bananaz integrates with PDM systems, it always pulls the correct file versions. You won’t ever have to worry about outdated attachments or mismatched revisions.
One platform, one truth
Everyone involved in the design process, engineers, QA, manufacturing, can see the same changes, decisions, and status of a drawing or model all in one place. The result? Faster reviews, fewer errors, and better alignment across teams.
Where the 90% Time Savings Comes From
In December 2024, bananaz announced a $5.3 million seed round. Along with the funding, the company shared early results from pilot users: engineering teams working on complex mechanical designs were completing reviews up to 90% faster than before.
The time savings come not from cutting corners, but from eliminating redundant steps and automating the process.
When teams don’t have to manually compare files, stare at different iterations of drawings to guess what changed, or waste time emailing screenshots back and forth for review, the entire cycle compresses. A process that once took multiple days, especially for assemblies or drawings under regulatory review, can now be handled in under an hour.
And because the platform highlights every change, users aren’t just moving faster, but catching more than they used to.
Built for Engineering, Designed for the Whole Review Chain
bananaz is designed with engineers in mind, but the value extends well beyond the design team.
Design engineers use the platform to validate that changes were made correctly and that no errors slipped through the cracks. Reviewers use it to quickly understand what’s changed between two iterations, why the changes matter, and where to focus. Quality and compliance teams use it to track decisions and approvals, without having to parse native CAD files. Managers use it to monitor progress and ensure teams aren’t stuck in back-and-forth cycles of review.
Because the entire review process happens in one interface, with the correct files, context, and version, bananaz eliminates the handoffs and rework that slows reviews down. When managing R&D workflows, bananaz enables you to define and manage multiple design options, configurations, and updates- ensuring your entire team stays aligned throughout the process, not just at the final stage.
No Disruption Required
One of the biggest advantages of bananaz is that it doesn’t require teams to change their workflow.
To use bananaz, you don’t need to switch CAD tools, migrate files, or replace your PDM system. bananaz integrates directly with your existing environment, whether you’re using SOLIDWORKS, Creo, or another stack. You can also upload files manually if needed.
bananaz works out of the box and fits into your workflow, only it enables you to be faster, smarter, and more streamlined in your process. Additionally, the set up is fast and the platform is intuitive: most teams are reviewing files within the first day of using it.
Faster Reviews, Fewer Mistakes
Design reviews are a critical part of the engineering process. But they don’t have to be slow, and they certainly don’t have to be manual.
In high-stakes product development, where speed and accuracy are often at odds, bananaz helps teams achieve both.
