Brakeable, a Startup from the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) environment, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify the repair process. Through a collaboration with the Sporting goods manufacturer Ortlieb The solution has already been integrated into the company's German webshop. The tool was officially presented at ISPO in Munich.
Customers can now precisely locate defects, identify the affected product, and easily describe the problem. Brakeable's AI-based platform provides support with repair tips and an initial cost estimate. This reduces follow-up queries and speeds up the processing of inquiries.
Martin Esslinger, CEO of Ortlieb, explains:
"Brakeable simplifies the customer journey for repair requests. It's easier for end customers, as they don't need specialist knowledge to describe exactly what's wrong. For us as a company, the requests and the associated communication with customers are much more efficient because they are much more specific. We're pleased to be able to further expand the area of repairs, which is important from a sustainability perspective, and to be at the forefront of this with the tool developed by Stefan Hauser and his team."
Ortlieb claims to repair around 18,000 products annually at its headquarters in Heilsbronn and places great emphasis on sustainability. The partnership with Brakeable helps increase the longevity of products by identifying vulnerabilities early and incorporating them into product development.
Brakeable founder Stefan Hauser explained:
"We want to simplify and streamline the customer experience during the repair journey. Being able to do this with a company like Ortlieb, known for their wide range of repairs and product durability, is naturally fantastic."
An expansion of the partnership is already planned. In addition to integrating the service network, Ortlieb intends to use the tool to provide end customers with more detailed instructions for simple repairs. Video tutorials and suitable replacement materials will be available directly on the website.
