In our video series Pioneers of Progress, we feature outstanding entrepreneurs and leaders. Screening Eagle is on a mission to protect the world's infrastructure.
"I don't believe when somebody tells me, we’ve always done it like this. There are always better ways." – Bruno Valsangiacomo, Screening Eagle
Bruno Valsangiacomo
Chairman & Co-founder, Screening Eagle
Stefan Gratzer
Credit Suisse
Marcel Poser
CEO & Co-founder, Screening Eagle
Co-founders Marcel Poser and Bruno Valsangiacomo, together with their team, develop innovative technology that looks inside buildings and other infrastructure essential to our lives. Not into rooms or through tunnels – but actually inside the materials themselves.
Combining cutting-edge technology with a true entrepreneurial mindset, the company is disrupting the traditional inspection and management industry. It uses sensors to monitor the health of materials, almost like a medical scan for infrastructure. Then it employs software and data analytics to turn the readings into insights asset owners can act on.
Monitoring the health of the built world in this way will boost efficiency and provide valuable insights on everything from the condition of ageing structures to road safety. The timing is perfect for this kind of innovation. As economies move to address issues such as rapid urbanization and climate change, Credit Suisse has identified infrastructure as one of its Supertrends.
This synergy led to the companies joining forces. Credit Suisse invited Screening Eagle to present at the Private Innovation Circle and was struck by the start-up’s drive and concrete plan for executing its vision.
Credit Suisse Supertrends: Long-term investment themes identified by Credit Suisse research that are driving deep and long-lasting economic, social and political change around the world.
Launched in 2014, the Credit Suisse Private Innovation Circle provides an extraordinary opportunity for selected clients of Credit Suisse to explore game-changing ideas from pioneering ventures from around the world.
Of course, it's important to retain this entrepreneurial spirit as the company grows, and ensure partners and investors share the vision. This is where Credit Suisse’s history in supporting entrepreneurs became an integral part of Screening Eagle's story. As Poser, says: "It was amazing to see how passionate they were to make this happen." Here, Screening Eagle shares five lessons on how to build a business that disrupts an industry.
"I do not believe when somebody tells me, we've always done it like that," Valsangiacomo says. "I challenge this – there are always better ways." His disruptive, agile spirit is what has propelled countless successful start-ups.
Research from EY shows, for example, that the simpler business models and flatter structures of start-ups allow them to respond quickly to opportunities. But it's the relentless curiosity and the passion for tackling challenges that really sets the entrepreneurial mindset apart.
Revolutionizing an established industry in this way doesn't just happen overnight. The dream must be realized through a mindset in which nous and experience combine with the sheer willpower to make it happen. After all, as noted by Fortune, 90% of all start-ups fail.
So what's powering those that succeed? Really disrupting an industry, says Poser, requires the drive to "leapfrog forward" and change everything. And if someone attempts to stand in your way or tell you it's not possible? "Don't believe those guys," he says. "If you believe you can make it happen, together with your team, then go for it and make it happen."
Of course, no one truly knows what's around the corner, as recent months have shown. But as Valsangiacomo says, "It's really key for an entrepreneur not to have fear." This mindset is common among the most innovative companies.
And it can pay dividends. In the recent crisis, resilient firms moved early ahead of the downturn, according to McKinsey, and they were able to ride out the uncertainty instead of letting it overwhelm them. Research shows building this kind of resilience requires companies to ensure they are able to respond to anything, be in a position to recover fast, and reimagine the business for future success.
"This is not only about sophisticated inspection," Valsangiacomo says. "It is improving real impact value, economical impact and the environmental impact of infrastructure and building assets." So Screening Eagle's inspection tech serves humans to help create better buildings, urban areas, and societies – in everything from traditional infrastructure to modern updates, such as 5G and smart cities. This holds the possibility of creating jobs in every category. And in some cases, it could help spot flaws to prevent disasters.
That’s the power of true entrepreneurial vision. For Screening Eagle, it's not just about bringing a traditional industry up to date – it's about changing the planet.
"The team is absolutely essential if you want to disrupt an industry and build a great business," Poser says. And getting the right result, he adds, is like a recipe – finding the right ingredients and balance is key. Research backs up this view. In a majority of cases, the failure of a new venture is down to problems with the team. In fact, almost two-thirds run up against this issue. While industry experience is crucial, soft skills are what help the team truly thrive.
"Once you find that mix of talent, of people who want to challenge each other, people who want to climb up that mountain together – that's when you become truly unstoppable," Poser adds.
A strong team is an advantage: 70% of the world's most profitable companies were founded by teams, 30% were founded by a single entrepreneur.
Whatever you do, we all have a preferred work style. Some people prefer being part of a team and progressing collaboratively towards a common goal. On the other hand, some are motivated by managing their time and effort to realize a goal all on their own.
Our preference for doing things as a team or independently is something that develops in childhood, but is influenced by who we work with and where we work. And it's also something that changes through the different stages in our life.
Take the quiz and find out if you are more of a team player or a solo artist!
