3D-Mapping Startup: High-Tech Gründerfonds and BitStone Capital invest in dotscene GmbH

With the successfully concluded financing round, the Freiburg-based company is further expanding its capacities and thus responding to the great demand for its solutions for portfolio digitisation in the real estate industry.

With its technology for mobile 3D laser scanning, dotscene GmbH captures real estate from inside and outside, from the ground and from the air. It thus provides complete and accurate planning bases for a fraction of the resources previously required. These are used, for example, by the housing industry as a digital building twin or for applications in the area of industry 4.0.

“Only the recording of real estate, including the stairwells, over several floors and the combination of these data records with the recorded outer shells of the buildings can produce truly complete 3D models,” says Michael Ruhnke (leading software developer, dotscene GmbH). “We were aware from the outset that our technology in practice only generates real added value for our customers when we get a solution to this problem”.

The core competence of the start-up company is the development of hardware and software for mobile laser data acquisition. The Freiburg-based PropTech company combines 3D laser sensors from the field of autonomous driving and SLAM algorithms (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) of mobile robotics to efficiently convert our environment into 3D models. The laser scanning system dotcube 600k developed by the Freiburg-based company works completely independent of external reference variables such as GPS and can therefore be used on drones, on foot and on vehicles. Based on this technology, the company creates CAD models, true-to-scale floor plans and façade projections for its customers.

“With the fresh capital we will now above all accelerate the further developments, expand our infrastructure and increase our presence on the market”, says Nicolas Trusch (Managing Director, dotscene GmbH) and adds: “With the know-how of the High-Tech Gründerfonds and the industry knowledge of BitStone Capital we have a strong investor constellation on board with which we are excellently positioned for the future”.

Lucille Bonnet, Senior Investment Manager of High-Tech Gründerfonds: “It has never been so easy to completely digitize huge objects and their environment. dotscene has developed a robust solution with strong unique selling propositions and is already using it successfully in the market. Now we’re working with the team to unleash the great potential for the real estate industry”. Manfred Heid, Partner at BitStone Capital adds: “3D mapping will be the basis for many of the future technologies that are emerging and we look forward to discovering these applications with the team.

Since the foundation of dotscene GmbH in October 2016, the company has been financed by sales in its core business and currently employs 11 people. The founding team, consisting of Dr. Michael Ruhnke, Nicolas Trusch, Andreas Wachaja, Maryan Wieland and Prof. Dr. Burgard, who accompanies the company as Scientific Advisor, has transformed approaches from robotics into a product for the real estate industry, thus opening up completely new opportunities for its customers.

 

About dotscene
dotscene GmbH develops hardware and software for the efficient capture of 3D models, with the special focus on mobile 3D laser scanning and mapping for indoor and outdoor environments. Our latest laser scanner development dotcube 600k can be used as handheld device, on drones, and on vehicles. Mobile and flexible data acquisition is enabled by applying SLAM algorithms (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) from the domain of mobile robotics. This makes laser scanning independent of external reference variables such as GPS or specific markers. Based on this technology dotscene creates CAD models, true-to-scale floor plans and facade projections for its customers, mainly from the real estate sector.

Contact
dotscene GmbH
Nicolas Trusch
Gerberau 11
79098 Freiburg, Germany
T: +49 761 489 805 73
mail@dotscene.com
www.dotscene.com

 

About BitStone Capital
BitStone Capital is an internationally operating company builder and venture capital investor headquartered in Cologne, Germany, which not only invests in innovative digital real estate business models, but also accelerates their development with its own resources: with its network, excellent industry know-how and specific expertise in new technologies.

 

About High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a seed investor that finances high-potential, tech-driven startups. With EUR 892.5 million in total investment volume across three funds and an international network of partners, HTGF has already helped forge more than 500 startups since 2005. Driven by their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, its team of experienced investment managers and startup experts help guide the development of young companies. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech startups in a range of sectors, including software, media, internet, hardware, automation, health care, chemicals and life sciences.
To date, external investors have injected over EUR 2 billion into the HTGF portfolio via about 1,400 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in more than 100 companies. Investors in this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry For Economic Affairs and Energy, the KfW Banking Group, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., as well as the companies ALTANA, BASF, BAYER, B.Braun, Boehringer Ingelheim, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, Drillisch AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, Postbank, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG.

Contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Lucille Bonnet
Schlegelstraße 2
53113 Bonn
T: +49 228 82300-134
l.bonnet@htgf.de
www.htgf.de