Dominique Henri talks about the development of his start-up SmartAir. We find out who supported him on his journey and why Dominique and his team are part of STAGE UP 2021
Dominique Henri, in January you applied with a project called ‘Smart Sanitizer’. You are still you, but your project has not only changed names, but has evolved quite a bit in terms of content. In the beginning it was all about a sanitizer, today your business idea is called ‘SmartAir’ and is based on an airport infopoint that helps travelers who want easy and fast access to flight information and airports improve their checkin processes and increase productivity. Please tell us how that came about.
Our journey started with the Smart Sanitizer concept due to the aviation industry’s hygiene challenges resulting from the corona pandemic. The technology featured flight information, current waiting times, and directions to your gate. We researched, developed, and produced our prototype within three months with the Institute for Intelligent Industrial Systems I3S at the Berner Fachhochschule, under Prof. Dr. Axel Fuerst’s direction, validated our hypothesis with customers, and learned new findings. We defined our next steps. Smart Sanitizer became SmartAir, an AI-powered solution that avoids delays, reduces waiting times and helps the passenger enjoy quality time and relax at the airport. Unlike traditional flight information display and stressing out procedures. A SmartAir cloud solution would also enable airport operators to streamline processes – from buying tickets online to reserving time slots for the security check.
You are already in contact with Lufthansa. What about potential customers? Zurich Airport, for example?
Lufthansa has been fully supportive, and we trust their expertise. Zurich is ranked among the best airports in Europe because it focuses on upholding the right services and that passengers appreciate their efforts. We are currently in discussions with the terminal development team to design a tailor-made solution to optimize the passenger experience.
The Impact Hub Bern also supported you on your journey. In what way?
The Impact Hub Bern community nurtured me from day 1 with a wealth of programs focusing on values-based entrepreneurship, and I highly recommend others to join our community. I wanted to give back too, and starting April 29th, I will co-host a new monthly Hub series where we invite early-stage startups to share their journey, success, and struggles. Together, we can exchange tips, empower each other, and inspire more people to be brave to pursue their vision.
What are you currently working on?
We are currently developing our software with Zurich University of Applied Science School of Engineering, Led by Prof. Andreas Meier. We are making significant progress and finding talented team members to build our technology along the way.
How did you benefit from the individual STAGE UP coaching?
The most added value I received from my coach Prof. Bramwell Kaltenrieder was how to communicate complex concepts simpler. As a result, If you look at my presentation, there are isometric illustrations that help the viewer instantly understand our passenger flow process. The STAGE UP workshops were also insightful, most notably the session with Christine Weber, ‘Basics of Business Modelling’, planning your business time efficiently with lean canvas, and de-risking your riskiest assumptions.
You are still in the running for the STAGE UP competition. On April 27th, you’ll find out if you’ll make it to the finals. What would this nomination into the Top 5 mean to you?
It’s bittersweet because I enjoyed the process and hope to continue. I highly recommend future potential STAGE UP candidates to apply and accelerate their growth. The Top 5 nomination means we can also inspire other early-stage start-ups to be brave.
Thank you very much, dear Dominique and toi toi toi!