Weltenmacher is our Newcomer of the Month in August. The virtual reality startup provides a training software for dialysis patients. Here are 10 questions to Weltenmacher.
1. Why did you found your startup, which problem do you address and how do you solve it?
Our Duesseldorf based company Weltenmacher was initially founded in 2017 as a Virtual Reality agency. Quickly, we pivoted towards virtual reality training software. Today, we are mainly focused on the medical market and thereby helping nurses and patients to learn all the critical dialysis procedures.
2. What gave you the idea to found Weltenmacher?
After having our team ready, we decided to implement something that we call “vision of the month”. Through this framework, we evaluate new ideas for interesting products and markets and build up on it with a prototype and a short business plan. The initial idea for our dialysis training was brought to us by a friend of ours, Dr. Panagiota Zgoura, who later joined us as our medical advisor.
3. What is special about your business-model, what are you doing differently?
Our work can be pictured as the “democratization of the flight-simulator”, which is achieved by making training simulations available for everyone. This new form of education is increasingly being applied among many industries, such as automotive, air travel and medical. Our secret sauce is a virtual trainer, that uses AI to support users with their individual training needs.
4. Which were the biggest challenges you needed to overcome in the beginning?
One of the biggest challenge in the medical market is to overcome entry barriers. For Weltenmacher it is of high importance to have the right partners who help us to understand and tackle this very specific market.
5. What was your greatest success so far?
We just underwent a clinical evaluation within Europe and managed to train patients from 30 to 83 years. It was great to see very different people with different needs and skills using our application without any hesitation against the technology.
6. What is your biggest need/your next challenge?
Getting your product to the market is always the biggest challenge. Obviously, there are many pieces that have to fit together to do so: Growing the team, putting your strategy into place, finishing the product, finding the right partners and obviously: having enough financial resources at hand.
7. Why are you on Starbase/VZ?
We are currently looking for strategic partners to join us for the next phase.
8. What would you recommend other founders?
Stay focused and adapt to change!
9. Where did you meet?
The two founders were previously working together and are longtime friends. They managed to source the team from their professional network and through their guest lecturers at Hochschule Rhein Main, Rhein Sieg and Hochschule Düsseldorf.
10. What went really wrong since you founded?
Till today we have been wrong about how long it really takes to reach the next step. This won‘ t change, no matter how hard you try.
Check the company‘ s profile here.
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