Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Skyfive: Skyfive brings broadband internet to one of the last untouched spots on this planet: the sky, where we set up huge cell towers that airplanes, helicopters, and drones can then log into. The three of us founders – Thorsten Robrecht, Dirk Lindemeier, and Michael Ohm – had already worked on this topic at the telecommunications group Nokia and then launched it on our own as part of a management buyout in 2019. Before joining Nokia, Thorsten was responsible for avionics development at Airbus/Eurocopter. Dirk gained firsthand experience with aviation communications as an air force officer aboard reconnaissance aircraft. And Michael is our brilliant inventor who developed the technology and brought it to commercial maturity.
“Air-to-Ground” instead of satellite connection
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Skyfive: Digitalization requires data, and data requires a data connection – this also applies to aviation. Until now, this data connection could only be established via satellites 36,000 kilometers away, which is slow and expensive. Anyone who has ever tried to use the expensive Wi-Fi services on an airplane knows what we're talking about. The corresponding antennas, by the way, are clearly visible to the naked eye as "humps" on the fuselage.
Our solution, on the other hand, comes from the ground 10 kilometers away, with significantly higher bandwidth, real-time transmission, and an antenna no bigger than a coffee cup. All this at a very low cost, as we rely on standard cellular technology and its economies of scale. The term "Air-to-Ground" (A2G) has become established for this approach. With the help of A2G, all aircraft will have a true broadband data connection for the first time!
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Skyfive: Yes, our solution has actually been in use in Europe for two years and is marketed under the name “European Aviation Network" has been successfully operated by our customers Inmarsat and Deutsche Telekom. To date, nearly 300 aircraft from the Airbus A320 family have been converted to log onto this network and offer passengers fast internet at minimal cost.
Munich Startup: What have been your three biggest challenges so far?
Skyfive: First, the aforementioned management buyout, which was an unexpectedly complex and lengthy process. Second, the coronavirus crisis, which hit airlines (i.e., our customers) hard. And third, the development of our global business without the possibility of traveling to the destination countries ourselves.
Skyfive: “We were able to launch a whole series of promising customer projects in 2020, despite the Corona crisis.”
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Skyfive: In one year, we want to have the next networks outside of Europe, either in Asia or the Middle East. In five years, we want to be the world's largest service provider for in-flight connectivity, measured by data volume transmitted.
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Skyfive: We're located in the south of the city, right next to our partner Airbus. Munich and the surrounding area have a very vibrant aerospace scene, and the Bavarian state government also supports our industry, so overall, we feel very comfortable here.
Munich Startup: Hidden champion or shooting star?
Skyfive: Let's call it Rising Star. We were able to launch a whole series of promising customer projects in 2020, despite the coronavirus crisis. Airlines are looking more than ever for ways to operate their fleets more efficiently and tap into new revenue streams. Our ultrafast data connection to the aircraft enables a wide range of digital applications designed specifically for this purpose, and at such low cost that entire fleets can finally go online.
