Nextlens: Meet the Venture Leader Mobile innovating phone cameras

08.02.2023 07:00, Morgane Ghilardi

Meet Manuel Aschwanden, CEO of Nextlens, the startup that develops tunable lenses for consumer cameras in mobile phones, smart watches, AR/VR headsets, laptops, and IoT devices. Manuel and the other members of the Swiss National Mobile Team will head to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February.

Name: Manuel Aschwanden     
Location: Dietikon, Zurich
Nationality: Swiss 
Education: ETH Zurich, Ph.D., 2007 
Job title: CEO 
Number of employees: 30 
First touchpoint with Venturelab: Venture Kick, 2007

How did you come up with the idea for your startup?
Nextlens is a spin-out of Optotune. After successfully perfecting the manufacturing process for liquid lenses on a large scale, the application of this innovative technology in consumer products became possible. Nextlens was created to capture the potential of this market with maximum focus.

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how do you think it help you achieve your vision?
We expect to increase the visibility of Nextlens among customers and investors.
 

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Whom does your product or solution help, and how?
Our technology enables new features such as macro in telephoto cameras or very fast focusing and with it 3D-image stacking. This enables any person to take stunning pictures and allows the camera module makers to offer this performance in smaller, more power- and cost-efficient solutions. 

What are you most excited about at work right now?
We have built a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team and established a product roadmap with true value for our customers. Our collaborative, creative, and fast-learning culture helps us work together tirelessly on the next big market launches.

How did you go about building your team?
As it is a spin-out of Optotune, we already had some team members that could help build the team. Over time, we have strengthened the team with industry experts 

What market are you addressing and what is the potential of your startup in that market?
We address the market of compact camera modules which is more than 5 billion units per year. We initially aim to gain a foothold in the high-end market segment.  

What are your company's and team's key achievements to date?
Nextlens has successfully entered the mobile phone market and is already shipping to the second mass production project (Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 1 and 2). We have built a production capacity of <3kk per month and are developing applications in the field of mobile phones, laptops, smartwatches, and AR/VR with key players in the industry.

How did you come up with the name of your startup?
It was teamwork. We asked the entire team to make suggestions and then we voted to find the name people liked most.  

Is there a key principle or value that guides you as you build your company?
Yes, we have five core values in the company: pioneer spirit, respect, positive mindset, ownership, and profitable growth.  

Who inspires you and why?
There are many Swiss technology entrepreneurs that have shown how to build a globally successful technology company. It is inspiring to see that this is possible to do.  

How do you foster creative thinking in your team?
We try to carefully listen to the voice of the customer and to understand what the real problem is. Based on the challenges we get from the customer, we find unique solutions via brainstorming and fast prototype iterations.  

Who do you look to for guidance and mentorship?
We have an outstanding board of directors with tremendous experience and great business sense. They are not only great at challenging our ideas but also very motivating personalities.

Which startup do you wish you had founded and why?
I am happy with the one I have founded by myself.
 

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What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder?
As a founder, you have to face the rollercoaster of startup life in the front seat. This also means making difficult decisions that all land on your shoulders. Fortunately, there are also many positive moments to compensate for these difficult moments. 

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a founder?
For me, the most rewarding is to know we can create great jobs that people like. As a founder, you have much more freedom to shape the organization and with it its culture.  

What is something you wish you had known about being a founder?
As a founder, you are always in the spotlight, whether you like it or not. This means also that you need to be extra aware of your actions.  

What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
It is not the first idea that necessarily will succeed. It is the ability to be flexible and to move quickly that will bring success.  

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received and from whom?
Although I do not personally know Dale Carnegie, as he is no more alive, his book How to Win Friends and Influence People is full of very precious advice.

What is your greatest professional failure, and what did you learn from it?
Being too optimistic and hiring too fast and then having to let go great talent. I learned to be more realistic in planning.

How do you stay on top of industry trends?
The only way to succeed in the long term is to talk to customers and understand what their real problem is and then react quickly.

What did you want to do with your life at age 12?
To become a professional skier. I grew up in the mountains of Uri and skiing was my biggest passion at that time.

What is always in your fridge and why?
Chocolate. It makes me happy and creative.


Nextlens's liquid lens technology promises reliable super-macro focusing that allows for focusing distances of down to 2cm.


The Venture Leaders program supports startups in their global growth by taking promising entrepreneurs on investor roadshows in sector-relevant tech hubs. Venture Leaders Mobile is organized by Venturelab with the support of Huawei, Swisscom, and VISCHER.