Meet Venture Leader Agnes Petit's 3D concrete printing startup
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Ten Venture Leaders will represent Switzerland in Silicon Valley in March. Meet Agnes Petit, founder of MOBBOT. Learn more about 3D concrete printing and Agnes' expectations on her roadshow in Silicon Valley.
Can you introduce yourself, how your company started and what your project is?
I’ve worked in the construction industry for the past 12 years. In February 2011, I read an article in The Economist about 3D printing and thought ‘This is really awesome! It would be great if we could do the same with concrete.’ At the time, I lead the product development division of a large, precast-manufacturing company in Switzerland. In 2014, I started developing 3D concrete printing to satisfy many customers’ requests for special elements that couldn’t be met by traditional fabrication methods. However, some corporate environments aren’t well-suited for disruptive technologies like this. I quit my job in 2017 and launched my own startup with the aim to democratize 3D concrete printing.
What attracted you to Silicon Valley as a business development destination?
The opportunity to pitch to top technology investors and get their insightful feedback, to build a global-scale business. It’s also a unique opportunity to evaluate the latest developments of the ConTech sector in Silicon Valley.
What do you hope to achieve from the trip? What are your expectations and goals?
We pursue two main objectives. Firstly, raise interest from investors for next summer’s financing round and secondly, better understand the U.S. market and evaluate its opportunities and challenges.
Why is Venture Leaders Technology beneficial for your start-up?
Venture Leaders offers great exposure, helps us focus and improve our pitch to investors, and lets us pitch to top-notch investors.
What is pushing you towards international expansion?
Finding cost-effective solutions to deliver custom-made concrete products is a global need.
Mobbot’s offer and technology are an innovative answer to this market opportunity. The Swiss market is very small, so international expansion is the natural move for our company.
What do you foresee as the largest hurdles towards expansion into the U.S. market?
Firstly, we need to understand the decision-making process in detail and involve the various stakeholders at all stages. Secondly, regulations are different in each country and probably in each state in the U.S., and we need to understand them to succeed. Finally, everything is so BIG in the U.S. – project, distances, etc – that we must develop a focused, well-thought market entry strategy.
What makes you most nervous or excited about the trip?
Meeting potential investors in Silicon Valley is exciting, but getting their feedback can sometimes be challenging.
Read about the Startup Champions kick-off event and follow the trip on Twitter using the hashtag #VLeadersTech
Venture Leaders Technology is sponsored by Rothschild & Co Bank, Kellerhals Carrard, DPD, Swisscom, Canton de Vaud, ETH Zürich and EPF Lausanne.
