The innovative equipment has been tested in the laboratory and in the field. The time has now come to spread the word about the new laser-based technology with the capacity to reveal insect behaviour and thus contribute to new breakthroughs in malaria research—and to huge savings in agriculture.
Up until the end of December, the team behind the DTU start-up FaunaPhotonics will be working to prime their laser radar for the market. They will be doing so at Scion DTU, together with 21 other selected companies that have been given four months of access to a prototype workshop, a mentor scheme, consultancy in product and business development, and a broad professional network encompassing the rest of DTU.
The initiative is backed by Scion DTU, the Danish Industry Foundation and Keystones (specialists in business development and sourcing capital), which are organizing the ‘Danish Tech Challenge’ event—the first and biggest competition in Denmark for hardware-based enterprises. The winner will be presented with DKK 500,000, tax free.
Can it survive?
“The prime objective for us is to test our concept. Can it survive, or should we simply shelve it? Of course, it would mean a lot to us to win the competition. This would allow us to concentrate more on our potential customers as we wouldn’t have to waste valuable time writing applications to various funds and foundations, or have to give part-ownership to an investor,” relates Frederik Taarnhøj, an entrepreneur with an MBA from MIT.
Mikkel Brydegaard Sørensen, Frederik Taarnhøj and Carsten Kirkeby hope to make contact with customers via the Danish Tech Challenge.
He teamed up with Mikkel Brydegaard Sørensen, postdoc at Lund University and Carsten Kirkeby, postdoc at DTU Vet, to found FaunaPhotonics earlier this year.
Frederik and Mikkel met through their studies at the Biophotonics 2009 International Graduate Summer School, one of whose organizers is DTU Fotonik. Carsten and Mikkel met through research. The three men soon discovered that they actually made an energetic and creative team.
The tough questions
FaunaPhotonics is a unique laser radar system with the capacity to identify and monitor insects at a range of several kilometres. The invention has a number of potential uses; for example, it allows researchers to monitor insect behaviour in connection with the spread of malaria and other diseases.
Environmental authorities and farmers can also use it to identify pests quickly, with a view to implementing strategic combating measures involving a minimal use of pesticides. Until now, it was first necessary to capture an insect, then use a microscope to determine its species and gender—a procedure that demanded a large staff and a lot of time.
Field trials.
“Taking part in this competition means a great deal to us. The mentors here ask us the tough questions much sooner than if we were working on our own back in the lab. This puts us in a much better position to determine which business model we need to apply, what type of financing is best for us, and how we can make contact with the right customers,” explains Frederik Taarnhøj.
According to Jakob Svagin, Project Manager on the Danish Tech Challenge, the distinguishing features of the winner will be extensive technical expertise combined with the potential to create jobs and add value to society:
“Most entrepreneurs will come through the accelerator programme with a stronger product, a stronger network and a stronger business plan, which will benefit them for many years. However, the process will also help some participants realize that they would be better served establishing a consultancy company instead. This is a success, too.”
The winner of the Danish Tech Challenge will be crowned in January 2015.
Article in DTUavisen no. 9, November 2014.