Time has come for buildings to get smart
Following our two-part story on our Hungarian heroes, it is time to meet Grzegorz Koblański, the CEO of Indoorway and the second Hungarian startup that will attend the Global Meetup.
Where do we spend most of our time? Usually at home, or work, or maybe at a restaurant out with friends or family, or shopping. And what do all these places have in common? They’re all buildings and indoors. Grzegorz explains that we spend more than 90% of our time in buildings and there is hardly any information about the inside of the buildings and what is going on in there. “There’s a lack of knowledge of how we use the space and the processes inside it”, he says. That’s why Indoorway wants to change the industry by making smart buildings.
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Indoorway is an analytical platform for indoor spaces that uses localization as a data source. They are still a very young startup. Established at the beginning of 2017, and already with a good track record of success. Indoorway has sold their technology to buildings, factories, warehouses, automotive and office spaces in Poland and Germany. And their technology has mapped more than 2.5 million square meters globally.
When asked where the inspiration came from to start this company, Grzegorz did not even think for a second about his answer. “Customers. The product was truly inspired by our first customers”, he repeats.
Practical examples
Grzegorz’s solution has several applications in everyday life. If a reader is installed in a building, users do not need to type in their credit cards, for example, it can just be done by localization. They can also track forklifts moving in a warehouse, or basically any other information that can be achieved using localization.
This opens up many possibilities. Their software can even save lives. During a fire, for instance, if the hubs are installed in the building, the software can detect where and if there are people trapped inside. It can also guide and help them navigate the building towards safety.
Getting in the Ring
Before competing, Indoorway did not have any customers in Hungary, now they do. “We met amazing companies, people were extremely smart, it was a pleasure to participate and be around these people”, says Grzegorz.
Competing in the ring did represent a bit of a challenge for him, he did not feel entirely comfortable at first. “I had no idea what to expect. Should I be aggressive, or just present in a punchy way? In the end, I did my own thing, followed my own flow and it worked”, he says. For him, the whole dynamics of the competition is more engaging than the usual pitching battles. “It’s something different than a 3-minute pitch. I hate those, what can you say about the company in 3 minutes?”. Good point, Grzegorz.
Going with the flow
Grzegorz and his team will be heading to the Global Meetup very soon to compete for the title of ultimate winner. For him, it is more about the experience and staying open for new opportunities that might come from unexpected places.
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“What I usually believe is in that opportunities come as a surprise. Sometimes I set my mind to something and in the end it’s completely different. I have my targets, and I focus on my everyday target. So, if there’s an opportunity I push for that, if not, we build recognition another way”.
Read all about another hero in Hungary, Gremon Systems, here.
Do you also want to go to the Global Meetup? Then sign up for the competition.