Monopulse joins the StartUp Hub
The drone company Monopulse joined the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub at Danish Technological Institute this month. Co-founder and CEO Simon Jensen explains what the startup hopes to achieve during their time in the Hub and how they are developing an autonomous drone system focused on maritime search and rescue (SAR), which will increase search efficiency, improve crew safety and reduce workloads.
Can you describe your technology and why it’s unique?
Monopulse is developing an autonomous drone system for the maritime domain, currently focused on maritime search and rescue (SAR). Our technology combines GNSS, Deep Learning and image-based classification to detect and locate people in distress. The system will be able to reduce search time thanks to multiple drones being deployed simultaneously, which can then use their elevated positions in the air to scan the sea surface.
Why did you apply to join the Hub and what do you hope to achieve during your stay?
By entering the StartUp Hub and joining the national robotics cluster, we have become part of an exclusive group of experienced companies and startups that all share our challenges and passion for drones. As a member of the Hub, we now have ample opportunity to expand our network within the industry and meet potential investors.
We hope to make the most of our time in the Hub and utilise the facilities, robotics and drone experts and knowledge, and experiences of others from the industry to accelerate our ongoing transition towards completing a finished product. We also hope this will help develop our current business plans, preparing and strengthening us to engage with the market.
What’s your greatest challenges and opportunities?
Our greatest challenge lies in developing a solution that is simple and easy for the customers to use. Our system is complex and consists of several components, where we rely on a range of advanced technologies to enable the functionality and autonomy we need.
If we are able to shift the focus onto application, then we have an opportunity to make the benefits of drone solutions available for the maritime domain and streamline traditional tasks and challenges.
Another challenge lies in current supply chain issues. All our supplies are hard to acquire – from raw materials to electrical components to specialty connectors. However, as part of the StartUp Hub and the national robotics and drone cluster, we see great opportunity in the assistance we can get from Odense Robotics, and we hope to be able to reach the suppliers we need.
How did your company start and who is part of the team today?
We realised that many of the challenges currently facing ship crews may be mitigated by the use of solutions that incorporate and utilise the unique solutions offered by drones. We previously took part in the MyGalileoDrone competition by the European EUSPA. Here we participated with a solution to support maritime rescue from a ship (SAR) and we made the top 10 finalists with a total of 190 projects submitted. The positive feedback encouraged us to found Monopulse.
Our team consists of me, Simon Jensen, and Justas Poderys. Justas and I have engineering backgrounds and we previously worked together for five years on solutions for naval customers before founding our company in 2021. At Monopulse, Justas will focus on product development, while I will take the lead on our business development.
Learn more about Monopulse here.
Learn more about the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub here.
Want to know more about the StartUp Hub? Contact:
Peter Smedegaard, Business Development Manager, Startups, Odense Robotics,
Phone: +45 92 82 52 02, mail: psm@odenserobotics.dk