Money is tight for brand new startups, yet it is also a pretty essential thing to keep your brand new company afloat. Bootstrapping or looking for funding is a solid way to ensure you can keep things going and we write a lot about successful funding rounds. You’d almost forget there is an even better way for startups to gain money: actually selling your stuff. That’s what VIBES managed to do. The Delft startup that helps manufacturers with prototyping attracted car manufacturer BMW as their first major client.
Those pesky sounds and vibrations
Details of the deal are scarce, but according to co-founder Daniël van den Bosch it involves ‘a significant amount of money for a small startup’. VIBES.technology develops applications that help engineers to analyze sounds and vibrations of their product, letting them solve vibration-related issues at an early stage of product development. For companies in the automobile industry, sound and vibrations are an important part of the product design, as they relate to driving comfort and sustainability.
“Soundproof”
With VIBES’ “soundproof” techniques, engineers can tackle the problems of sound and vibration in an early stage of the product development, even before a prototype is actually made. Usually this happens in the last phase of the product development, when it is difficult and expensive to make major adjustments.
Working for BMW
BMW Group is the first client to use VIBES. The startup can’t tell us for what car their technology will be used. “The cooperation with BMW is currently project based”, says Daniël van den Bosch, co-founder and CFO. We just started the project and it will run till the end of October or the beginning of November. Off course we hope to successfully finish the project and continue working with BMW.”
Long time in the making
The deal with BMW was long time in the making. Maarten van der Seijs, co-founder of VIBES, developed the technology while studying in Delft and validated with the help of BMW. “The other co-founders and myself were also involved in that project, either as student or mentor. The success of that project has certainly gained our team and technology the trust we need.”
‘Well paid’
Van den Bosch can’t talk about the financial details involved in the deal, but he will say this: “For a brand new startup like ours, the amount is pretty significant. This will allow us to continue for a while. But to get well paid for a first assignment is also prove for us, that we are on the right track. BMW Group is the first customer to put our technology into practice and we are talking to more possible partners in several industries.”
Cars, planes and boats
VIBES is indeed a very young startup, being founded only last year. They are currently part of the YES!Delft incubator program. Apart from the automobile industry, the possibilities of application of VIBES’ techniques stretch from aviation and aerospace, to maritime and sustainable energy industries.
Foto: VIBES.technology founders. Vlnr Dennis de Klerk, Eric Pasma, Daniël van den Bosch en Maarten van der Seijs.
