Start-up case study from Singapore for Austria
The current Southeast Asia working trip has taken Labor and Economics Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) and a delegation from Indonesia to Singapore. In addition to talks with the ministerial counterparts there, there were on-site visits to companies, such as voestalpine. The visit to the start-up Lionsbot stood out. The local Reiwag is also invested in the manufacturer of “intelligent” cleaning robots – and Kocher became a cleaning specialist there at short notice.
Lionsbot builds different cleaning robots that are constantly able to avoid all new obstacles not only in busy warehouses. There are also those who do the same in offices and, if necessary, also tell jokes – the devices should be discovered empathetically as funny companions, explains university professor and co-founder Rajesh Elara Mohan to the Austrian delegation. Kocher “showed” the different types of robots’ work areas, which they then cleaned and scanned the area in order to skilfully avoid collisions with other people or devices, including people moving quickly. The politician and those present clearly enjoy it.
Lionsbot was founded in 2018, and Reiwag joined in 2019 with eleven percent. The company’s value has multiplied since then, and a round of financing is currently underway, said Reiwag boss Viktor Wagner. Why does a local company in Singapore get involved in such a start-up? “We are convinced that this development will be indispensable in the future. We also have problems finding employees in Austria and many other countries, ”said Wagner to the APA. “Robots are not only gaining in importance in production, but also in service and also relieve our employees.” The robot can bring enormous advantages for customers.
“Of course, the return on investment is also crucial. And our lead investment in Lionsbot has paid off so far,” Wagner continued. The number of robots sold worldwide is constantly increasing. “We have sold 1,200 cleaning robots worldwide so far and expect the number to increase significantly. Production is constantly being expanded.” A branch has just been set up in the USA, the European headquarters are being built in Leiden in the Netherlands because of the university location there, said the Austrian.
Mohan also emphasized that Lionsbot is extremely related to research in Singapore and the universities there. He is not only a company co-founder, but also a professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). On the one hand, Wagner said that many of Mohan’s students come to Lionsbot after their studies. Mohan emphasized the great support of the state of Singapore for the universities and especially the IT departments there. He himself supervises 2,000 students and Lionsbot would get “a lot of know-how from the university”. A whole series of graduates would also come to the cleaning robot start-up and work there – designers, researchers, programmers.
Much revolves around empathy research. The robots also have “eyes”, can speak, some tell jokes – they should be liked by people. One drives around in the Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ) in Vienna and cleans diligently.
According to Reiwag boss Wagner, the networking with Lionsbot that preceded the entry was carried out with the support of the WKÖ. The Deputy General Secretary of the WKÖ, Mariana Kühnel, highlighted Reiwag’s commitment and investment as a positive example. In Austria there tends to be a lack of masses of IT specialists translated to something similar, she delayed when asked.
Kocher is told – as he later told Austrian journalists – with ministerial counterparts from Singapore, including the interests of local companies in the expansion of the airport there and also labor law issues. “It is not so well known that Austria is also a real industrial location.” He emphasized that. Because it is also important that the Alpine republic is not only won over as a culture and tourism country. Energy issues were also discussed, since Singapore’s supply is primarily dependent on gas. This comes not only via a pipeline from nearby Indonesia, but also as LNG from many countries around the world. “LNG purchasing is very differentiated. After that, Europe will also have to wear traditional costumes in the next ten to 15 years,” said Kocher.