Where did you get the idea for your startup?

Marc Fleschen. – “I created my first startup in the year 2000 with the first technology bubble. I managed to sell the company before it all collapsed and realised that the value that the companies claimed at that time was without proper credentials.

When the second technology cycle happened in the last couple of years, I realised that every new technology was depending on one thing: the internet access. No matter what technology would survive or what service would win they would all depend on one single element: connectivity.

However, radio frequencies (wifi) have not really been disrupted since the last 15 years. We optimised radio frequency, we are moving from 4G to 5G, but today we face other challenges that we were not considering 15 years ago. Health, energy,  sustainability.

The more we develop technology the more we need to increase the speed, the more energy we use to make this ecosystem work.

We decided to break that circle and invent a technology that was mentioned by Graham Bell under the then named photophone. It was research based on wireless communication based on optical communication. What it means is that today with LED we invented a way to transfer high-speed data rate information through any LED light. It’s like wireless optical fibre. No radio frequency, better for a healthier environment.

Using existing LED light helps reduce the energy consumption and wireless communication is an incredible market with an exponential demand around the globe.

What are the required qualities to launch your startup?

“Believe in what you are doing. Take risks. And work like your life depends on it. When you create a company you enter a different world, being your own boss requires more efforts to handle stress and remain steady while managing risks.

Be prepared well in advance with all the necessary requirements: when you launch a startup, a lot of elements like shareholder structure, shareholder agreement, company structure or business model seem not important but time passes by and when the day finally comes and you want to raise funds all those elements, if not ready, come back to bite you and put your entire operation at risk.

What seems far and not important is sometimes what makes the difference between success and failure and competitive edge to stay the leader.

We often hear that it is essential to make mistakes. What do you think of that?

“Mistakes are good, a lot of good products exist today because they came from a mistake: microwave was meant to be a radar. Also, errors and mistakes are a good way to build experience and knowledge as long as you do not give up on facing adversity.

The startup world is a difficult place with a lot of companies, but very few will succeed and are dependent on many factors like VCs, business angels, or competitors taking over. The element that will make the difference is how the team and the leader of the team can stand out and not give up if they believe that their product or service adds value to the society and is disruptive.

If they succeed and surpass together all the errors, they will gain knowledge and experience and will increase strength which will become an asset for future advancements.”

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