Meet PXL Vision founder Michael Born and find out how he helps customers build trust in digital onboarding

24.06.2021 13:35, Isabelle Mitchell

Michael Born founded PXL Vision, a Venture Leader Mobile that provides fully automated AI-based identity verification technology. The Zurich-based startup helps companies simplify and optimize customer onboarding and reliably verify identities to increase conversion rates, reduce costs and effort, and create trust in online services. Learn more about Michael’s expectations for the Venture Leaders Mobile experience, and find out what advice he would give to his teenage self. 

The Venture Leaders Mobile 2021 will accelerate their expansion into the global market and strengthen their business network by attending the Mobile World Congress 2021 in Barcelona, Spain, to meet with top-notch investors and industry leaders. To introduce you to the members of the Swiss National Startup Team, we asked each entrepreneur to complete a short profile and choose six questions from a questionnaire about their personal and professional life.

Name: Michael Born
Location: Zurich
Nationality: Swiss
Graduated from: University of St. Gallen, in 2004, with a master’s of international affairs and governance
Your job title: Founder and CEO of PXL Vision 
Number of employees: 35
Money raised: CHF 4.6 million 
First touchpoint with Venturelab: 2007, Venture Challenge Course for Dacuda [Michael is the founder and CFO of Dacuda]

“PXL Vision is the Swiss market leader for highly secure and fully automated AI-based identity verification solutions.”
 
How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
PXL Vision was founded by former key people of Dacuda, an award-winning computer vision company that sold its 3D business to Magic Leap in 2017. Rather than joining Magic Leap, we decided to go for the entrepreneurial challenge and set up PXL Vision, as we saw a growing market need for computer-vision and machine-learning-based software solutions for digital customer verification.

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision?
I expect to meet great people—be it entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, or new customers—and hopefully establish connections that will fuel our next growth phase. 

What would be the title of your biography?
Let me sort this out once I find some time to worry about it!

What are you most proud of?
My family, of course. But apart from that, I’m proud that I always had the courage to go my own path and that we were able to create from the remains of Dacuda something that stands out and shines.

What advice would you give your teenage self?
Oh, many things, but I guess that’s part of the process. Maybe to have the courage to think even bigger and more ahead, take the lead more often, experiment even more, and be even more open to the unusual.

How did you come up with the name of your startup?
We wanted to express that we are a computer vision company, and I liked the idea of putting many pixels together to create one big picture.  

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a founder?
Seeing your venture evolve and become meaningful to others.  

What is the best advice you have ever received?
No baby is gonna die— enjoy the ride! I learned this from a former mentor, and it gives me peace of mind and is an encouragement to venture into the unknown.  

Last but not least, could you show us your workspace? 
 

For more information and updates on PXL Vision and the Venture Leaders Mobile, follow the Venture Leaders Mobile 2021 team with #VleadersMobile on social media or subscribe to our newsletter. 
 
This year’s Venture Leaders Mobile program is supported by Huawei, Swisscom, and VISCHER.