Fabio Depetris – Touchless Automation GmbH

Touchless Automation offers innovative solutions for every industry that processes microcomponents. As soon as the sensitive microcomponents are touched, there is a risk of scratching, soiling or other damage. The solution offered by the Biel based startup can move components of all materials – completely contact-free.

What inspired you to start your company?
Touchless Automation was born from my deep wish to create something new that would maybe one day change the world. This desire grew with time and now that it is alive it is an endless source of satisfaction. The other great inspiration was for me to grow as well and learn all that is necessary to actually make a dream come true. Learning how to go beyond the technology field to sales, marketing, management, corporate governance and many more is driving me to improve every day. The third one is passion. Seeing Touchless Automation moving its first steps when it was just a feeble idea and then getting traction, evolving, convincing more and more people is what drives me today.

What entrepreneur(s) do you admire and why?
Great question, difficult answer. I have lots of people I look up to, for a wide range of different reasons. It would be too easy to just pick one, like Elon Musk. I think that what I admire the most in an entrepreneur is the extreme motivation of realizing his dreams. Dreams that would allow humanity to advance further and create a future that is more innovative and, in a simple word, better.

Can you tell us a short story about a customer using your product?
There is a very fun story about the first time I showed a video of our technology to the company which will become our first customer. During the presentation, their Head of R&D suddenly raised his voice and said “This is not possible! You are cheating!”. We found out that day that they’ve been looking for what we invented for years now. This was the first time we realized that we invented something bigger than what we originally thought. The fun part is also that they had a completely different use for our technology which allowed us to learn a lot and improve even further.

What do you love about your own leadership role in your company?
What I love about my leadership position is the possibility to transmit the passion and the positive attitude that I have for technological challenge and innovation to my team. Seeing the consequent explosion of good results that we are achieving is a satisfaction equal to no other. Most of the time results are well above my expectations, which, in the end, drives me to go even further.

Why did you apply for the W.A. de Vigier Award?
The W. A. de Vigier Award is one of the most prestigious awards in Switzerland. The opportunity to participate in the competition was very important for three main reasons. First, the visibility. Since we got into the 16 finalists, our visibility has increased manifolds and it will increase even further as we got into the Top 10. The second reason is network. As a B2B industrial oriented startup, it can be difficult to create leads and contacts. Exposing ourselves to the de Vigier network has already proven itself to be a successful move. The last reason, which may seem obvious, is the possibility of winning the prize. That liquidity would allow us to increase our strength on the market and enhance the product to the next level.

What are your impressions so far about the W.A. de Vigier Award?
What has impressed me the most about the W. A. de Vigier Award is the level of professionality in the evaluation of the candidates. We are not only evaluated on the quality of the business model and level of technological innovation, but a large part of the score is based also on soft and managerial skills. This is truly the key to success in my opinion, because the ability to realize the plans is what truly makes the difference in the end.
This is probably the reason why the W. A. de Vigier Award has developed its extremely high reputation. As soon as we were announced in the Top 16, investors, banks and potential customers already began contacting us. The endorsement given to us by being in the Top 10 will give us the necessary credibility to go to the market and succeed.