Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Robominds: We are the Robominds founders: Tobias Rietzler (29), an electrical engineer with a degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Munich, and Andreas Däubler (33), a trained software developer and self-taught engineer. During his studies, Tobi shared an apartment with his cousin. Since she and Andi are a couple, evenings spent together sharing countless ideas (and beers) were inevitable, and that's how the Robominds idea was born. One thing's for sure: we'll never run out of ideas.
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Robominds: We make robots smart – and thus making industrial robotics future-proof for companies of all sizes. Because our software allows robots to see, understand, grasp, and coordinate independently, long training times are eliminated – and coordinate-based robotics even less so. Our solution can easily learn entire processes, for example, in order picking: From order processing and route planning to controlling the robot arm and the vision system, everything is ultimately automated. This transforms the much-discussed Industry 4.0 from a buzzword into reality, especially for SMEs.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Robominds: No, not in this depth and breadth. We are certainly not the only ones researching and working in this direction, but we are doing so independent of robot and component manufacturers and their interfaces. Virtually everyone can integrate our Robobrain suite into their production or logistics environment, (almost) regardless of the company's current setup in this regard.
Munich Startup: Has there ever been a point where you almost failed?
RobomindsLife is a highway – things come from right and left. But our primary focus is on not getting sidetracked. A reliable investor and good contacts with experts are incredibly helpful.
Constant growth with room for improvement
Munich Startup: How are things going?
Robominds: We're seeing steady growth, but of course there's also room for improvement. We've also already made it into a museum: At the beginning of the year, the Deutsches Museum unveiled a cobot, a collaborative robot. These can work with humans in close quarters, unlike conventional industrial robots. A Danish company built it, but we wrote the software and taught the robot how to grasp.
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Robominds: For us, Munich's greatest strengths are its attractiveness to talent and Bavaria's strong role in business, research, and networking. Business and research associations are strong, and recruiting staff here is relatively easy for us. Sure, when it comes to investments, we tend to look across the pond with envy, and there are certainly cheaper locations for office rent and the like – but overall, we are Munich residents by conviction and heart, and we truly love it here.
Munich Startup: Get up early or stay up all night?
Robominds: Andi gets up early, Tobi stays up all night—and our team complements each other equally well. We also value good coffee for everyone.
