With a coin-sized, energy-efficient 3D ultrasound scanner, the founders Alexander Rudoy, Aldo Persichini and Tobias Bahnemann of Toposens Machines that enable trouble-free spatial orientation. Areas of application include indoor navigation, robotics, and home entertainment. In Munich, the team has not only found themselves, but also the optimal development environment.
Many lucky coincidences have brought the founding trio of Toposens in its current configuration in December 2014 on Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE), explains Tobias Bahnemann, the company's business head. However, the story of the development of a 3D ultrasound scanner, which the startup now aims to bring to market, began more than two years earlier. With Willy. Or rather, without Willy. Because Willy is still just a vision.
At that time, Alexander Rudoy, without his fellow student Aldo Persichini – now a member of the founding team – and without Bahnemann, was tinkering on a whim to develop a robotic fish that would swim independently in the aquarium: Willy. To spare Willy constant collisions with the glass wall, Rudoy searched in vain for a suitable 3D sensor that responded to ultrasound rather than light.
The ultrasonic sensors on the market were not suitable for three-dimensional space and a fish that loses its orientation in the dark was not enough for Rudoy.
“The start-up scene has always fascinated me”
Together with Persichini, the mechatronics and precision engineering graduate is now working on developing a mechanical bat brain. The idea, simply put, is that a 3D sensor will convert ultrasonic waves into point clouds, thus enabling safe orientation and movement in space – just as bats can.
Areas of application include intelligent driving or droneswho have a hard time finding their way around today in cloudy weather. “We are currently in the middle of the founding process”, says Bahnemann. “But we hope that we will have a product ready for series production in one and a half years, and in three years we might even be active internationally and in the radar sensor sector.” Willy should also finally be able to make his rounds by then.
Bahnemann was looking for a job and, as a non-resident, had arranged to meet another founder at the pitch evening in the SCE's Innovation Café when Rudoy and Persichini announced on stage that they needed business support. “The start-up scene has always fascinated me and at Toposens I have the chance to work with a real product, not just with software,” The 26-year-old explains his reasons for applying.
Today, he handles financing and grants for Toposens; just at the beginning of September, the trio also won 30,000 euros in the "Start-up Competition – ICT Innovativ" of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
“Munich is a high-tech location”
The young founders also want to use the money to convince customers, investors and employees of the potential of their idea. “It’s always a bit difficult when you don’t have anything to show yet.”, says Bahnemann. But he is convinced that he has found the right environment for this in Munich. “Munich is a high-tech location and not as web-app-heavy as Berlin. Munich is down-to-earth, There are countless highly trained teams here„, praises the Rhineland native. The initial support of the SCE and the provision of office space at the startup center were particularly helpful for Toposens.
"Munich offers a lot: a lot of exchange, a good infrastructure, large companies and service providers right on your doorstep. This compensates for the somewhat higher wage and rent costs.", believes Bahnemann. For those who, like him, have a passion for startups and want to get in touch with the startup scene, he recommends visiting the university startup centers or taking a look at meetup.com. “You get to know like-minded people.” And, like the 26-year-old, with a bit of luck he might also find the perfect founding team.
The video illustrates the application area of Toposens:
Note from the editors: The SCE Innovation Cafe usually takes place on the first Tuesday of the month. You can always stay up to date with our Event calendar.
