1. Learnings from founding a
computer vision startup
Till Quack (kooaba) & Jan Erik Solem (Polar Rose)

2. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Founded 2006, 10 employees
Founders: Herbert Bay, Till Quack,
Luc Van Gool
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Object recognition for
consumer applications
On mobile and web
Spin-off from ETH Zürich
Still close relations to ETH

3. kooaba makes images smarter
Mobile Search (since 08/09)
(more about products during talk)
Auto-tagging (Q2 2010)

4. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Till Quack
PhD with Prof. Luc van Gool (graduated in 2009)
Research interests: Object Recognition + Internet + Mobile
kooaba founded during PhD
Interests in innovation, product design etc.
Two former companies
(e.g. mosaickr.com with T. Weise and S. Saur. Sold in 2010.)

5. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Founded 2004, 15 employees
Malmö, Sweden: HQ, management, computer vision
Warsaw, Poland: products, infrastructure
Sophia-Antipolis, France: computer vision
Spin-off from Lund University.

6. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Face recognition for
mobile, desktop and web

7. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Jan Erik Solem
PhD with Profs. Anders Heyden and Fredrik Kahl
(graduated in 2006)
Research interests:
large-scale vision, object recognition and visual retrieval
Polar Rose founded during PhD
Interests in entrepreneurship, Web and mobile

8. What to expect

9. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
What we learned along the way
Flickr:kate at yr own risk

10. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
What’s special about Vision startups
Flickr:Pete Prodoehl

11. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Discussion between JES and TQ - and you
Flickr: Katie Stine

12. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Lots of pointers to resources
Flickr:Ramkarthikblogger

13. Learnings from founding a Computer Vision Startup
Syllabus
1. Why a startup? JES / TQ 215-230
2. The business idea JES/TQ 230-245
3. Business plan: what and who to write it for? JES 245-300
4. Team JES 300-315
5. Funding: who and how to ask for money JES 315-330
Coffee Break 330pm-4pm
6. Product design: finding out what people really want TQ 400-430
7. Business models: how to make money? TQ 430-450
8. Software engineering: doing research vs. delivering a product TQ 450-520
9. Marketing & sales: getting people to know & buy your products TQ 520-545
10. Competition and positioning: OMG, Google is doing the same thing! JES 545-600

14. Let’s start!