Samotics is a Dutch company from Leiden that took part in 2019’s PortXL Rotterdam program, under its former name, Semiotic Labs. Founded in 2015 with a mission to eliminate unplanned downtime, Samotics has evolved its predictive maintenance system, SAM4, into a robust and high-accuracy failure detection technology. Today, the company is active across five continents for more than 80 customers—helping them reduce risk, lower costs, save energy and put an end to unplanned downtime.
We spoke with Samotics’ Simon Jagers, Founder & Company Evangelist
On what’s happened since the 2019 PortXL program: “Around the time that we participated in PortXL, we were in the process of evolving from a start-up with a good idea into a company that provides quality services and information on a consistent basis. The timing of PortXL was perfect for us, because it created an open, collaborative atmosphere between participants and established companies. It facilitated frank and open discussions around the core proposition and the service delivery model. After all, it’s not just about the technology: adoption and integration into day-to-day operations is what creates lasting value. Soon after PortXL, the team was strengthened by a new CEO, Jasper Hoogeweegen, who helped structure the company, modeling it along the customer journey and aligning expectations. Since then, we’ve almost tripled the number of units in the field and the team has nearly doubled. We are focused primarily on Europe, and have taken our first steps to move into the US & Asian markets.”
Samotics’ value in a nutshell: “Seen through a Maslow ‘hierarchy of needs’ filter, the basis of the machine is that it must work. After that, many clients want to reduce energy consumption and waste and improve performance. Using electrical signature analysis, we gather information on system operation and energy consumption—speed and torque in rotating systems—enabling us to help reduce energy waste in addition to monitoring performance. What our clients have in common is that machine failure is expensive. The more expensive unplanned downtime is, the more relevant the accuracy of the monitoring is, and that’s where we come in.”
On the PortXL experience: “The program challenged us to focus on the business side of things and create an open atmosphere to discuss the value of a solution with the companies involved, which was really useful. It went beyond just judging the uniqueness of our idea and its potential, into really focusing on its real-world use, with a view toward scaling up. It was about implementing the technology at a small scale, to ultimately build it up globally. Creating a collaborative atmosphere was something PortXL did brilliantly. That’s why I recommend that start-ups join this program.”
Original interview took place in February 2021 and was published on the PortXL LinkedIn page on March 9th 2021. This is the full version. Our thanks go to Simon Jagers from Samotics for his availability.
