Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem are you solving?
Asli Solmaz-Kaiser, iComplai: iComplai integrates high-dimensional data streams to predict food safety risks in any supply chain. It’s an early warning system. We help food manufacturers identify risks in their supply chain and respond early to avoid costly and dangerous recalls.
It’s the product-market fit and our customer orientation that have brought major clients like Mars and innocent (a Coca-Cola Group company) to us. But it’s not just the customers: since food safety is a critical issue, iComplai also generates significant interest in the market.
We were recently selected for the “German Entrepreneurship Master Accelerator” program. iComplai is also among the startups receiving support through the European Commission’s WomenTechEU program. In this program, the Europäische Kommission provides financial support to high-caliber deeptech (AI) companies, many of which are led by women.
Munich Startup: But that’s been around for ages!
Asli Solmaz-Kaiser: iComplai provides security information at the push of a button, it’s very easy to use, and because it’s a login-based platform, no installation is required. But iComplai is not just a source for product safety data. With the help of AI technology, the platform is also able to predict future safety risks, giving food processors more time to take preventive action.
“We protect the health of consumers”
Munich Startup: What’s your founding story?
Asli Solmaz-Kaiser: I’ve always wanted to have my own business. I think that’s in my DNA since I come from an entrepreneurial family. In our industry (quality management), I’ve always seen the potential of AI and digitalization. Turning this potential into reality is very exciting for me.
Perhaps more importantly, I see that the work iComplai does has great purpose. We protect the health of consumers and we protect the environment from negative impacts. Knowing that iComplai contributes to this goal is a great motivation for me and the entire iComplai team.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Asli Solmaz-Kaiser: We founded in April 2020. That was right during the corona period. It was challenging to get in touch with potential customers since there were no trade fairs, conferences, or other events. That was important not only for acquiring new customers, but also for testing our business idea.
Munich Startup: How is business going?
Asli Solmaz-Kaiser: Very well! We’ve won notable customers in 6 different countries and want to continue scaling with an expanded sales team.
iComplai relies on artificial intelligence for data interpretation
I’m one of those people who, when someone gives me 1,000 data points, says: “But what does that mean? What do I need to do or change based on this data?” The data itself is important, but it’s the insights from the data that customers need. They want support identifying potential problems before they become big problems. The artificial intelligence models we already have, and the new ones we’ll bring to market over the course of the year, will support these insights and provide predictions.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Asli Solmaz-Kaiser: I can’t imagine a better location for starting a company! First, Munich is home to important startup support programs like German Entrepreneurship. We’re currently in the Master Accelerator program from German Entrepreneurship. Here we can benefit from office space in Munich, among other things. That wouldn’t be possible at another location. In addition, there are always startup meetups that help us gather new inspiration, network, and develop further.
Munich Startup: Quick exit or playing the long game?
Asli Solmaz-Kaiser: We have a mission: healthier food for consumers. And we won’t let it go until this mission—or at least what we have in mind—is fulfilled.
