Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Optiwiser: Optiwiser AI Solutions is a German-Brazilian co-production. The founding team includes two Munich residents, Ediz Erkmen and Maximilian Köhler, and Enrico Miranda from Brazil. Ediz is CEO and holds a master's degree in Technology & Management with a focus on Operations and Supply Chain Management from the Technical University of Munich. Maximilian, who is responsible for sales and marketing, completed a master's degree in Management and Engineering at RWTH Aachen University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in "Human-AI Collaboration" at the Technical University of Munich. Enrico is our CTO and a native Brazilian. He holds a master's degree in AI and Robotics and already has over 10 years of industry experience.
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Optiwiser: Far too much is still being thrown away in the food industry. Inadequate demand planning is often the reason for this. Forecasts are simply incorrect, meaning that significantly more sales are planned in the forecasts than are actually booked. But poor demand planning also manifests itself in other ways. If fewer items are made available than are demanded, this can result in high revenue losses and damage to the brand image. Poor planning can be explained by a lack of financial resources and technical know-how. In most companies, an Excel list is still the most common method of demand planning. However, this is long outdated and, given today's technological possibilities, no longer up to date.
We then developed an AI-based, fully automated software solution to help companies optimally plan their demand and avoid waste and stockouts. Our software supports the entire demand planning and supply chain department. Our clients' individual processes are consolidated into a single software solution. Furthermore, the software can be implemented in less than a day and is particularly financially viable for small and medium-sized businesses.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Optiwiser: While there are already several AI-based software solutions available, Optiwiser AI Solutions clearly sets itself apart from other competitors through its performance, price, implementation time, and ease of use. We developed our product based on the pain points of our customers, who were dissatisfied with existing software solutions on the market. From the initial idea to implementation, creativity and technical expertise were required. Enrico Miranda (CTO) holds a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and has been working in the industry for over 10 years. His extensive expertise has been incorporated into the development of the tool, making it unique. The business model is already clearly defined: the demand planning tool 'Predictwiser Cloud' is distributed as SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). This means that customers license the software for a monthly fee. The ease of use eliminates the need for integration or coaching from the company side.
Optiwiser: “Customer portfolio includes young startups as well as established medium-sized companies”
Munich Startup: What have been your three biggest challenges so far?
Optiwiser:
- The development of the first proof-of-concept for our demand planning software together with our first customer, I do organic juice.
- Building a brand that clearly differentiates itself from other competitors and clearly highlights the benefits of our solution.
- The development of a reliable partner network that broadens our reach and enables us to establish direct contact with customers.
Munich Startup: How are things going?
Optiwiser: The software Predictwiser Cloud is currently being used by four companies for demand planning. The customer portfolio thus includes both young startups and established medium-sized companies.
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Optiwiser: In Germany, Munich, along with Berlin, is the ideal location to start a business. The city attracts international talent thanks to its renowned technical university and its many attractive employers. We are also in contact with many other Munich-based founders and regularly exchange ideas.
Munich Startup: Hidden champion or shooting star?
Optiwiser: We see ourselves more as a hidden champion that is not noticed by the end consumer, but simply ensures that the right amount is available on the supermarket shelf.
