Alumni thrive with AI-powered formula for success

Ralf Gulde (RG): When I was ten, my dad gave me a Lego Mindstorms kit so I could build and program robots. That ignited my passion for robotics. Marc Tuscher, co-founder of sereact, and I have known each other since our school days, when we were already working on engineering projects together. After school, I knew I wanted to become an engineer and decided to study mechatronics at the University of Stuttgart, while Marc studied computer science. We took several software and artificial intelligence courses together, which turned out to be a perfect fit.

After completing our Master's degrees, we both did our doctorates at the Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (ISW). We had so much freedom at the institute, which made it possible for us to question things, for example how AI models are trained. We quickly realized that there wasn't anything really cool on the robotics market - so we simply built something new and founded sereact in 2021. 

RG: At the moment, industrial production and logistics rely on robots that perform the same movement over and over again without sensor information. However, if something is even slightly out of place, the entire application breaks down.

We have developed an AI model that enables robots to act depending on the situation without specific training. Put simply, our generalizing AI technology turns a dumb robot into a highly effective productivity tool.  This allows us to do what others cannot: simply provide the customer with a Sereact robot, enabling them to start picking parts within an hour - regardless of shape or surface. We have been able to solve a major problem with our technology and have already convinced many customers. Sereact robots are used by the BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz, for example.

RG: I was in the right place at the right time at the University of Stuttgart. There is a technology transfer initiative [de] here, TTI GmbH, which helped us to apply for the EXIST start-up grant. The institute's culture of innovation was a major source of inspiration, and the support from the entire ISW team truly made the difference for us. During our first two years, customer orders were still limited, so having access to the institute's infrastructure was incredibly beneficial. We had a robot, a lab and an office, everything was there.

Being inventive is also a big advantage. Marc and I founded the company in a very Swabian way. We drove around Stuttgart, buying used gaming graphics cards on eBay Classifieds to build our own servers. If you're determined to solve a problem, a creative mindset will take you far.

RG: Founding a startup is anything but easy. You quickly take on responsibility for many people and their jobs, being successful ist not just desirable but essential. What drives us, above all, is the ambition to outperform the competition. We also want to show that technology made in Germany can be much better than anything else available globally.

RG: We plan to expand our robotics platform by introducing mobile and humanoid systems alongside traditional articulated robots. We want to upgrade our servers in order to develop AI solutions for even more complex tasks beyond logistics and production. And we want to set up a site in the USA in order to roll out our technology on the market there too.

RG: Be brave! That’s the most important thing. The University of Stuttgart offers an ecosystem that supports start-ups from the very first step and can provide founders with access to the market. Especially in times of industry downturn, it can be a great opportunity to start your own company instead of endlessly applying to companies like Bosch or Mercedes.

When you're young, there's nothing to lose - just go for it! For me, it was definitely the best decision I have ever made.