«In the evolution of SWISSto12, the main difficulty has been to identify the right market»
15.06.2015
Emile de Rijk is the CEO of SWISSto12, a spin-off from EPFL created in 2011. First active in the field of scientific equipment, the startup focuses since 2014 on the market of antennas for satellite telecommunications, which promise is to equip our planet with broadband Internet access. SWISSto12 manufactures its antennas thanks to a 3D printing process in plastic material before they are metalized on the basis of a patented process (Metal Coated 3D printed Plastic Antennas). The recent contract that SWISSto12 signed with the European Space Agency (ESA) enables it to foresee a market worth more than a billion dollars. The startup’s expertise is among others based on an EPFL PhD thesis. The young company could also count on the support of startup programs, such as Venture Kick and venturelab, since its beginning.
 Emile de Rijk is the CEO of SWISSto12, an EPFL spin-off created in 2011.
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Hats off for your contract with ESA: how did it all start?
Last year, we applied to a program of the EPFL Swiss Space Center, which collaborates with ESA. Our application file retained the attention of ESA experts, who invited us to meet them. We discussed a lot about the potential of our 3D printed antennas for satellite telecommunications. Today, we are the only ones to possess this manufacturing technology in the domain of antennas. The initial conversation led to a concrete project.
What is the potential of your technology for ESA?
Current satellite antennas, entirely crafted in metal, are complicated to assemble and rather expensive due to their weight. Today, 1 kilo of “antenna” costs a few tens of thousands francs to launch into space, and a telecommunication satellite contains a few hundreds kilos of components. Our 3D printed plastic antennas allow a reduction of weight by a factor 10. They are manufactured in one piece, so no assembling is required. ESA believes in the commercial potential of our technology, and this is why they support it. Their goal is to one day use our technology for ambitious space missions, such as the launch of the space probe Rosetta in 2004.
What are the perspectives of such a project, for SWISSto12?
This project allows us to establish our credibility in the space domain. Our antennas can also be used on ground, which allows us to sight the market of movement connectivity, enabling plane, trains, boat and vehicles to stay connected to the Internet. We will also be able to reinforce our engineering team in a near future.
When we started in 2011, we were focused on the development of terahertz components for the market of scientific instruments (medical imagery, quality control of electronic chips, magnetic resonance, etc.) Despite its technological advancement, this market is still a niche market. This acknowledgement led us to take an ambitious turn towards the domain of telecommunications, in 2014.
In the evolution of SWISSto12, the main difficulty was to identify the right market. Our technology was promising since the start, but we were not aware of its exact commercial potential. Despite an increasing economical basis in the first domain of activity, which we will keep in the future, we decided to enter a market which was in line with our ambitions.
In the long run, our objective is to become an actor of reference in the domain of antennas for satellite telecommunications, in space and on ground. Our potential clients are called Airbus, Boeing, Space X or Thales Alenia Space. We are currently seeking Serie A fundings from European corporate VCs active in space industry and aeronautics. These funds will help us mark the first milestones toward our growth objectives, to work on the aeronautical certification of our products and to open a sales office in the US, where most of our market is present.
An EPFL PhD thesis is at the basis of SWISSto12, which you successfully finished in 2013. Other than the help of EPFL and numerous prizes and rewards, you also benefited from the help of the Venture Kick and venturelab programs to become an accomplished entrepreneur...
We received precious and numerous awards. Switzerland is full of supporting mechanisms for young companies, such as Venture Kick, venturelab, deVigier, FIT, >>venture>>, CTI - without mentioning the help of EPFL.
Venture Kick helped us to «come out of the lab» thanks to pre-seed capital of CHF 130’000. Moreover, the structure of the process in 3 steps allowed us to think our project through and to become the feedback of confirmed experts.
In 2012, we had the great opportunity to be part of the Swiss national startup team in Boston thanks to the acceleration program for world-class startups, venturelab. This enabled us to enlarge our network in Switzerland and abroad, and to improve our skills for the acquisition of clients and investors. In 2012, we entered the TOP100 Swiss Startups ranking which enabled us to reinforce our credibility.
All this contributed to our impulse, together with amazing internal competences. Although the entrepreneurial adventure is hard, I would start the adventure exactly the same way if it was to be repeated.
Last year, we applied to a program of the EPFL Swiss Space Center, which collaborates with ESA. Our application file retained the attention of ESA experts, who invited us to meet them. We discussed a lot about the potential of our 3D printed antennas for satellite telecommunications. Today, we are the only ones to possess this manufacturing technology in the domain of antennas. The initial conversation led to a concrete project.
What is the potential of your technology for ESA?
Current satellite antennas, entirely crafted in metal, are complicated to assemble and rather expensive due to their weight. Today, 1 kilo of “antenna” costs a few tens of thousands francs to launch into space, and a telecommunication satellite contains a few hundreds kilos of components. Our 3D printed plastic antennas allow a reduction of weight by a factor 10. They are manufactured in one piece, so no assembling is required. ESA believes in the commercial potential of our technology, and this is why they support it. Their goal is to one day use our technology for ambitious space missions, such as the launch of the space probe Rosetta in 2004.
What are the perspectives of such a project, for SWISSto12?
This project allows us to establish our credibility in the space domain. Our antennas can also be used on ground, which allows us to sight the market of movement connectivity, enabling plane, trains, boat and vehicles to stay connected to the Internet. We will also be able to reinforce our engineering team in a near future.
«Our potential clients are called Airbus, Boeing, Space X or Thales Alenia Space»
You started in 2010 – tell me about the evolution of SWISSto12 until today and your vision for the future.When we started in 2011, we were focused on the development of terahertz components for the market of scientific instruments (medical imagery, quality control of electronic chips, magnetic resonance, etc.) Despite its technological advancement, this market is still a niche market. This acknowledgement led us to take an ambitious turn towards the domain of telecommunications, in 2014.
In the evolution of SWISSto12, the main difficulty was to identify the right market. Our technology was promising since the start, but we were not aware of its exact commercial potential. Despite an increasing economical basis in the first domain of activity, which we will keep in the future, we decided to enter a market which was in line with our ambitions.
In the long run, our objective is to become an actor of reference in the domain of antennas for satellite telecommunications, in space and on ground. Our potential clients are called Airbus, Boeing, Space X or Thales Alenia Space. We are currently seeking Serie A fundings from European corporate VCs active in space industry and aeronautics. These funds will help us mark the first milestones toward our growth objectives, to work on the aeronautical certification of our products and to open a sales office in the US, where most of our market is present.
An EPFL PhD thesis is at the basis of SWISSto12, which you successfully finished in 2013. Other than the help of EPFL and numerous prizes and rewards, you also benefited from the help of the Venture Kick and venturelab programs to become an accomplished entrepreneur...
We received precious and numerous awards. Switzerland is full of supporting mechanisms for young companies, such as Venture Kick, venturelab, deVigier, FIT, >>venture>>, CTI - without mentioning the help of EPFL.
Venture Kick helped us to «come out of the lab» thanks to pre-seed capital of CHF 130’000. Moreover, the structure of the process in 3 steps allowed us to think our project through and to become the feedback of confirmed experts.
In 2012, we had the great opportunity to be part of the Swiss national startup team in Boston thanks to the acceleration program for world-class startups, venturelab. This enabled us to enlarge our network in Switzerland and abroad, and to improve our skills for the acquisition of clients and investors. In 2012, we entered the TOP100 Swiss Startups ranking which enabled us to reinforce our credibility.
All this contributed to our impulse, together with amazing internal competences. Although the entrepreneurial adventure is hard, I would start the adventure exactly the same way if it was to be repeated.