Four founders and a technology that aims to bring plug & play to automation technology. The Munich-based startup Dynamic Components has developed “SensorLink”, a combination of hardware and software for embedded systems that connects machines with sensors and simultaneously transmits data in real time.
This will make it easier for companies to keep up with digitalization and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the future and to collect and evaluate machine and process data as accurately as possible in order to optimize their work processes.
Two of the founders, Michael Geisinger, computer scientist, and André Leimbrock, responsible for finance and sales, spoke with Munich Startup about motivation, support and the future direction of their company.
Spin-off with icing on the cake
Developed at the Munich research institute fortiss, an affiliated institute of the Technical University of Munich, several years of research have already gone into the spin-off. Michael, co-developer of the basic technology, explains the motivation behind the spin-off:
"I actually didn't want to start a company. But the technology has real potential. And it would be a shame if it ended just because the project budget ran out."
In 2015, two computer scientists, an engineer, and a business economist decided to further exploit the potential of the technology and bring it to market as a product.
They were supported by the EXIST research transfer — without this, the further development of the complex technology would have been impossible. As the icing on the cake, the founders won a grand prize in the ICT Innovativ start-up competition in spring 2015 (then still under the project name "Chromosome Industrial"). They used the 30,000 euros in prize money to drive the establishment of the GmbH. They also recently took third place in the Idea Award the Technical University of Munich and invested the prize money in their patent strategy.
Learning from machines
And what makes the product so unique? “We are the USB stick of automation technology,” explains Michael. Automatic device configuration on computers is second nature to us—but it hasn't yet been implemented in industry. This is precisely where the founders' technology comes in: The system independently detects the existing sensors and transmits the data to the downstream systems, even if a component is added during operation. The software is designed to maximize the optimization potential of networked machines.
“Software is not visible”
Your tip for other founders:
"It's a well-worn phrase, but it's true: get out there and talk to customers as early as possible. And maybe even take a different direction. We've learned from this: software alone doesn't sell; our customers are looking for a complete solution."
Because software is not visible and the Munich-based startup had difficulty presenting the product, the team also developed the appropriate hardware product, “SensorLink.”
Available upon request, the small box helps machine operators retrofit additional sensors to their machines. The customer can assemble everything themselves and then run their own evaluations—plug & play. The result is significant cost savings. However, the actual extent of these savings still needs to be verified for different application scenarios.
Win the first customer
The team recently joined Deutsche Bahn's accelerator program. In addition to the prize money, another nice bonus of €25,000, they will benefit from developing a concrete use case for their technology at Deutsche Bahn.
If the Demo Day proves that Deutsche Bahn can significantly reduce its signal and switch failures and the resulting train delays with the help of Dynamic Components, the founders would have their first customer. They could then equip switches, signals, and other trackside devices with their SensorLink box. And in the future, the devices would know for themselves that they are about to fail based on the evaluation of condition and environmental data – but... before they break.
Focus, focus, focus
After many exciting discussions with potential customers, further use cases for Dynamic Components from retrofitting fitness equipment to energy monitoring — so now it's time to focus! “We are currently evaluating: Where do we fit in technologically, where is a market, what is feasible?”, says André. The vision for 2020 is already clear: to bring plug & play to automation technology, build a prosperous business, and perhaps even internationalize.
