Being part of a startup from the very beginning, what was it like?
Reflecting on my career at Fraunhofer IPA, which forms the roots of NODE Robotics, I look back on a very intensive and instructive time. I am a computer scientist and after my studies I had the opportunity to deal with the development of software solutions for customers.
The most exciting time started with the founding intention in 2018, when not only me – but the whole founding team – suddenly had to deal with a variety of new topics. Suddenly it was about the development of a whole company instead of “just” a software.
What do you see as NODE's greatest potential?
Through our NODE.EDGE software solution, we enable robot manufacturers or mechanical engineering companies that want to become such, to have navigation software that has been tested and works in industrial use. This can be used directly and individually; therefore, no additional resources need to be invested in the development of an own solution.
Together with the NODE.SRVS, this results in a package that transforms robots in industrial applications from customized solutions to tools that function everywhere, are available everywhere and can be used everywhere.
Going to market with an "uintangible" product, such as software, sometimes isn't easy. What is the difficulty of it and what might be an advantages as well?
One problem with software is that we can’t point to an object that speaks for itself and say “we sell that”. Many people don’t know how much work is behind the development of software, so they are a bit skeptical when it comes to paying for it. They are missing the tangible product, in exchange for their money.
One advantage of software, on the other hand, is that it can be adapted insanely quickly to new problems or circumstances. Because of its immediate availability, it offers a way to solve tomorrow’s challenges quickly and sustainably.
