New safety-solution for industrial applications: Keeper – Beeper – Collision-Sweeper

Comnovo GmbH, a spin-off from the Communication Networks Institute at TU Dortmund, develops and distributes innovative warning systems to avoid collisions between humans and mobile vehicles. The wireless technology for precise distance measurement around the vehicle has received several awards, including the ICT Innovation business plan competition and the Health and Safety award of the professional association BG RCI. Today Comnovo announces that it has raised financing from High-Tech Gründerfonds and SeedCapital Dortmund. The funds for this round serve the further development of the distribution network and the technology.

Accidents with mobile machines such as wheel loaders or forklifts are regularly the cause of serious or sometimes fatal injuries. Apart from the human harm, lasting financial compensation and pension payments and serious legal consequences for those responsible for the companies are connected with such an event.

Comnovo closes the safety gap by a novel radio-based warning system to reduce the risks of collisions between mobile vehicles and people dramatically: the KEEPER device is installed near the driver, while the much smaller BEEPERs are worn by people working in the vicinity of the machine. Once people equipped with BEEPER approach the danger zone of the machine, the driver as well as the endangered person are alarmed.

Dr. Andreas Lewandowski and Volker Köster (CEO and CTO) of Comnovo to the advantages of the new warning system: “The warning system is a retrofit solution for all types of vehicles and very easy to install. The accurate distance estimation between the devices enables the perfect adjustment of the warning area to the circumstances of the operation and speed of the machine. The major USPs are the mitigation of dead angles by an all-around coverage, alarming on both sides and the possibility to recognize the beeper with the radio signal even around corners – regardless of dirt or other visual impairments “.
The Comnovo team now wants to grow the company: “We market the certified warning system since mid-2013 and have more than 100 systems in operation. We will now use the new capital and entrepreneurial know-how of the new investors to establish an international distribution network and to complete the product range.”

“The team of Comnovo impressed us with its existing product development and Key-Customers. We are glad to assist Comnovo in its further growth. “Adds Ron Winkler, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds.

Nico Hemmann, Investment Manager of Seed Capital Dortmund, agrees: “Comnovo has already understood to establish their safety solution on the market during the EXIST research transfer project. We are pleased to accompany Comnovo as another successful company in Dortmund. ”

About Comnovo GmbH
Comnovo GmbH was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the Communication Networks Institute at TU Dortmund and supports companies in the design of safe and efficient work processes: based on high-tech wireless systems for sensor data acquisition, distance measurements and positioning, the Comnovo systems afford a significant contribution to increasing the safety of employees and to increase the efficiency of industrial processes.

Press contact:
Comnovo GmbH
Dr. Andreas Lewandowski
Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Str. 13
44227 Dortmund
Tel .: +49 (231) 9742-7240
lewandowski@comnovo.de
www.comnovo.de

About SeedCapital Dortmund
SeedCapital Dortmund invests in young, innovative high-tech start-ups companies. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping to market launch. SeedCapital Dortmund invests up to EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 1,5 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this partnership include the Sparkasse Dortmund, the NRW.Bank as well as Private Investors. Furthermore we collaborate closely with the local Competence Centres Technologiezentrum Dortmund, BioMedizinZentrum, MST.factory as well as the Zentrum für Produktionstechnologie.

Contact:
Seed Capital Dortmund GmbH & Co. KG
Nico Hemmann
Freistuhl 2
44137 Dortmund
Tel .: +49 (231) 183342-0113
Fax: +49 (231) 183342-99
info@seed-do.de
www.seedcapital-dortmund.de

About High-Tech Gruenderfonds
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, the KfW Banking Group, as well as strategic corporate investors including ALTANA, BASF, Bayer, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Lanxess, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, METRO, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, SAP, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 576 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million HTGF I, EUR 304 million HTGF II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Ron Winkler
Schlegelstraße 2
53113 Bonn
Tel: + 49 228 / 82 30 01-00
Fax: + 49 228 / 82 30 00-5
info@htgf.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de