5 Years of Hololight – 5 Questions for Our 5 Founders
Happy birthday! It’s been five years now since we started our Hololight journey. Time for a chat with our 5 founders Flo, Susi, Alex, Luis and Michi about the past and the future. Big thanks to our great team and all our fantastic customers and partners!
Hololight is celebrating its 5th birthday. How did it all start?
Flo: We founded Hololight at a time when Augmented Reality was relatively new in the industry. An important step was the announcement of Microsoft’s first AR data glasses HoloLens. We saw a huge potential for industrial use, were able to get our hands early on a device and used this market advantage to create first solutions.
Alex: With our engineering background, we also knew first-hand where the challenges lay. During our student days we designed a train and could have made good use of the technology back then: think prototype construction.
Luis: Before missing the boat or the train in this case – better start a company quickly (laughs). Our goal was to develop an industrial-suited augmented reality software that would close the gap between virtual planning and the real world.
How has Hololight changed over the years? What has remained the same?
Susi: The spirit and dynamics remained the same – both in the founding team and among the employees. It’s still good virtue for us to consider the individual situation of each Holo-member. This includes flexible working, home office, but above all, an open exchange at eye level between development, management, sales and marketing.
Michi: We have become more efficient and focused over the years, thanks in part to our investors. For example, they have challenged, motivated and supported us in the professionalization of our financial processes. And we now also select events and partnerships much more systematically.
What has been the funniest Holo-moment so far?
Luis: In our early days, Flo got a call from one of our mentors at TechFounders, who nervously told us that a board member of a large company wanted to drop by our office in person to bring us a building component for a project. Alex was in the office and had the situation completely under control. Just coming fresh out of the shower, he told the board member (almost) only covered with a towel about the AR project. Of course, he did not know who was sitting opposite him. This down-to-earth attitude came across as very likeable and we laughed a lot about the situation.
Flo: So that’s what you call down-to-earth (…). I wouldn’t necessarily single out one specific moment: No matter what situation the company finds itself in – and there were some risky moments too – there is always something to laugh about. We take things with humor and focus on our work. With the necessary seriousness in the matter of course. 😉
Where do you see Hololight in the next five years? What are you most looking forward to?
Susi: In the short term, in times of Covid-19, I hope that the current situation will relax soon and that our great team can come together again in the office. Of course, we also want to bring our virtual birthday festivities into reality and arrange a “proper” party.
Alex: On the product side, I see that our AR software Hololight Space is being used globally and is becoming the standard in the industry. Our vision is to be the global leader in engineering tools.
Michi: We also want to maintain the feeling of familiarity and company solidarity, even if we are growing strongly in terms of our staff. In five years’ time, the personal and fun aspects of work should continue to be the focus and should not have to suffer at the expense of success.
Aside from the industry, where do you see the greatest application for AR? How could it change our lives?
Alex: Real-World-AR-Gaming! Pokémon Go only got the ball rolling!
Susi: Support in everyday life. Many everyday activities can be made more efficient with Augmented Reality and smart glasses.
Luis: Yeah, I’m thinking about AR and artificial Intelligence as a personal assistant that takes care of tasks for me. This gives people more time to concentrate on their creativity.
Michi: I am very much looking forward to the day when Augmented Reality has arrived in mainstream day-to-day life. When consumers can simply buy AR hardware at electronic stores and AR glasses are popular gifts for Christmas.
Flo: Augmented Reality is a big milestone and a clear sign that we have arrived in the future. Almost no science fiction work can do without AR. Space ships display holograms everywhere and Iron Man also uses AR as a personal assistant. Our social life will be shaped by AR in the future. And the advertising industry in particular will not miss this potential.