Johannes Peeters, CEO of VoxelSensors, tells us more about the groundbreaking research project SPECTRE funded by Innoviris through the programme R&D Projects.
Watch our short "City of Innovators" video with VoxelSensors here!
What is your project about?
With the SPECTRE research project, we want to develop revolutionary 3D perception systems based on VoxelSensors' Switching Pixels technology, to study its applicability in robotics environments and enable adoption by customers and communities. To validate our technology, especially its software, in the robotics domain, we are collaborating with the ETRO, the Department of Electronics and Informatics at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
How will your project impact the Brussels region and the citizens of Brussels?
First, our technology can help lots of other companies develop great applications. This can range from small robots or drones that deliver parcels, but also, for example, an application that detects when people are in danger of falling out of bed or have fallen out of bed and thus sends notifications to healthcare providers.
We also provide employment: we have an ambitious growth plan, so we need people like engineers to execute that plan.
Finally, we are also committed to ESG and want to be socially engaged. We are also working to get young people, in schools and universities, excited about entrepreneurship in the technology sector and starting innovative companies in Brussels.
How did Innoviris funding made a difference for your company?
Innoviris funding is very important for us. We are a deep tech company that needs quite a bit of capital, not only to develop, but also to develop a product. For this, we need venture capital and that is hard to find. And let that be precisely something Innoviris capitalizes on.
Moreover, Innoviris provides a quality label. For investors, this is important proof that advisory experts have investigated our project and supported us that way. So, without the Innoviris grant, it would have been a lot harder for us to start companies and to start developing that innovation properly.
What has been your experience with Innoviris?
Very good! One of the things we have noticed is that Innoviris has made several simplifications, for example, follow-up involves a lot less administration. The guidance from Jonathan, our adviser at Innoviris, guided us well. For us, it was a smooth process where Innoviris helped think about how to bring our project, ...
Do you have any tips for candidates who want to apply for a grant from Innoviris?
- Prepare yourself well and take enough time to write down your project properly.
- Make sure the risk elements are clear and be fair about and honest in your budgeting and approach.
- Consider your advisor as a kind of sounding board and as someone who really thinks along with you instead of someone who sits on the other side and has to convince you of all kinds of elements.
