For two years now, Bosch with the Reflekt GmbH in the development of Augmented Reality (AR) applications for production, workshop, training and sales work closely together. The collaboration is now being expanded through a minority stake by Bosch in the Munich-based startup. The corresponding contracts were signed at the end of December 2015. Approval by the Federal Cartel Office is still pending.
Since its founding in 2012, the augmented reality startup Reflekt has developed into a leading company in the field of industrial AR solutions and employs an international team of more than 25 people at its Munich location.
Why Munich is an important location for Munich-based AR startups
In addition to Bosch, customers such as BMW, Audi and ProSiebenSat1 Media use the user-oriented apps for mobile devices and data glasses.
This is also one of the reasons why Munich is so important for the startup:
"For us, the Munich location offers three important advantages. In addition to access to employees, especially in software development, many of our industrial and media customers are also located in the greater Munich area. Furthermore, Munich has a very vibrant technology scene."
reveals Reflekt CEO and founder Wolfgang Stelzle (see picture).
What exactly is augmented reality?
Augmented reality applications enhance reality with additional information. If the user points their smart device's camera at a specific area, additional digital information such as explanations, 3D objects, or videos are displayed on the screen. For example, augmented reality in an automotive workshop helps the mechatronics technician identify invisible components, error codes, or required tools.
A win-win situation – the collaboration of established companies with AR startups
Bosch's investment in Reflekt is intended to further strengthen the startup's partnership with the industrial company. CEO Wolfgang Stelzle says:
“Bosch’s reputation and market position will help us with international expansion and product development.”
And Dr.-Ing. Hans-Peter Meyen, member of the Bosch Automotive Aftermarket division, says of the future collaboration:
“Together with Reflekt, we will further expand our global position in this important future field.”
The cooperation between Bosch and Reflekt shows the interest of established companies in AR experts – for example, the Munich start-up metaio 2015 an AR startup bought by Apple (Munich Startup reportedAugmented reality applications will likely be used in many areas in the future, as they save time and reduce costs in industry.
