Technis: The startup that advances infrastructure performance management

16.02.2022 06:55, Isabelle Mitchell

A jury of experts and investors went through 90 applications and selected Technis to participate in the Venture Leaders Mobile 2022 roadshow. In February, the technology startup and the Swiss National Startup Team members will attend the Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona. Before the 10 entrepreneurs meet with top-notch investors and industry leaders to strengthen their business network and advance their globalization, we want to introduce you to Technis founder and CEO Wiktor Bourée.

Technis provides a comprehensive sensor-to-dashboard solution for real-time infrastructure performance management. The startup has developed modulable and smart flooring solutions allowing people interacting in a space to be counted in real time. Technis’s software solutions save resources and increase safety by helping to optimize living spaces, manage points of sales, and optimize travel information. 

Name: Wiktor Bourée
Location: Lausanne
Nationality: French
Graduated from: ETH Zurich, master’s degree, chemical and biomolecular engineering, 2013
Job title: Founder and CEO of Technis
Number of employees: 50 FTEs
Money raised: CHF 7.2 million
First touchpoint with Venturelab: In 2016, for Venture Kick

Wiktor, can you summarize what Technis does?
Technis develops comprehensive sensor-to-dashboard solutions for real-time infrastructure performance management to simplify the management of physical assets. We have built a unique technological architecture that allows us to bring together all types of sensors on a cloud and deliver all kinds of services.

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
I played tennis with a friend, and we could never agree if the ball was in or out. Being two engineers, we came up with a solution cheaper than Hawk-Eye [a computer vision system used in sports]: We designed a smart flooring solution to solve this problem. We sold zero tennis courts in this market, but we succeeded in pivoting to a good market fit.

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders Mobile roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision? 
I expect to present our vision, where we want to grow, and what we are developing at the moment. We want to meet potential investors and share our passion for what we are doing. To exchange, get feedback, and build relations with potential partners. Venture Leaders Mobile will help us grow our business.

What would be the title of your biography? 
Many things I have achieved in my life needed some kind of special motivation. In several situations, the hardship and the odds not in my favor pushed me to do what I did. So the title would be Adversity Made Me Who I Am.

What is your favorite book?
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel. This book highlights the distinction between evolution and revolution. It is a good reminder about the difficulty of creating something truly novel.

What are you most proud of?
The people working at Technis and the opportunity we each give to each other by making the best of our time and our collective intelligence. I am particularly proud of the atmosphere at work, how people engage with each other, and their daily work.

Where and when are you most productive?
Being in demand a lot, it is often difficult to focus on one task for an extended period of time. We have offices in Lausanne and Paris, and I often take the train between the two cities. This is the place I can be the most productive because it is difficult to reach me due to network issues.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder?
On my way to developing Technis, there have been a lot of closed doors and what seems to be defeats. Whatever, try again, fail again, and fail harder. Follow your path and your intuition. You have to keep going despite the struggle.

What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
The hardest part of building a business is finding the right people to build with. The most important lesson I have learned as a founder is that just because people seem skillful on paper, they have these skills in real life. Being skilled inside a company includes social and cultural skills.


For more information and updates on Technis and the Venture Leaders Mobile, follow the Venture Leaders Mobile 2022 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.