Jul 29, 2020
clous: Industrial Design is a team job
Meet Claas and Thomas. Together they are on a journey to make innovation faster, by building a B2B online marketplace for engineering services. In order to do so, they develop a platform that breaks down complex 3D designs into smaller tasks for different service providers.
When you think of inventors and engineers, you probably often think of famous individuals who were considered geniuses. Such as Thomas Edison, for example, who is credited with the invention of the light bulb. Or Alexander Graham Bell, who is said to have invented the first telephone. Both lived around the beginning of the 20th century and became the epitome of an engineer.
In the early 21st century, the work of engineers has changed radically. Engineering is now more complex than ever and has become a team job. The time of individual geniuses — if they ever existed — is over forever. And with clous, the engineering team of companies could become way bigger, more skilled, and diverse.
An intelligent engineering platform to make innovation faster
Today, ideas are modeled in 3D designs before companies can produce the first prototypes. Clous is developing a platform that breaks down those designs into smaller tasks. “90 percent of CAD engineering are smaller jobs that usually take up 1–3 days”, says Claas, CEO and Co-founder of clous. “With our platform, a large project is divided into numerous micro-projects by an algorithm, which can then be completed by engineers or service providers around the world. Turning the idea into a prototype becomes faster and companies save time on their way to innovation.”
The platform also provides more security for the ideas of companies: No service provider sees the complete construction plan in this process, which saves complex non-disclosure agreements. Therefore, Claas and Thomas bring a principle that is already widely used in the software industry to the world of engineers.
From colleagues to friends to co-founders
The two founders met five years ago at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology in Berlin, one of the most renowned applied science institutes in the world. They were both researchers, became close friends, and are now co-founders. While Claas is more on the managing side, Thomas is a picture-perfect engineer. When he was 16, his biggest dream was to own a welding machine. He is always looking for a solution until he finds it — you can be sure that he got his welding machine.
As of now, clous is very early stage. And with no extensive experience in business, Claas and Thomas are happy to call APX their partner: „For us, it is a perfect opportunity to get as much knowledge as we can from experienced entrepreneurs“, says Thomas, CTO, and Co-founder. “With APX’s extensive network, they make the perfect partner for us.“
Stay up to date with clous via LinkedIn.
About APX:
APX is the leading pre-seed VC and accelerator program for very early-stage startups in Europe.
Based in Berlin, APX invests across industries in teams building digital businesses — often as their first investor — and supports each team with an investment of EUR 50K, access to an extensive network, and a tailor-made growth program to secure follow-on financing.
