Who is AR-Simply and what is your product? 

"AR-Simply develops app-guides that digitize, ensure quality and create savings in workflows associated with servicing industrial equipment. We have set out to replace paper manuals with visual guides. With a mobile phone or tablet, you can scan the piece of equipment that needs disassembling or repair. The app generates a digital twin of the specific equipment through the camera and guides you, step by step, on how to assemble the parts correctly. Our concept has been developed in collaboration with stakeholders in the maritime sector, but our solution is applicable in any industry where the correct assembly or disassembly of technically complicated equipment must take place.

We collaborate with manufacturers of equipment for the marine industry, where we digitize spare parts catalogs and create additional sales of spare parts. In servicing and maintenance, we provide visually supported app manuals that guide service technicians step by step. Further down the line, we would like to expand our business with products for digital training of international service technicians, which will minimize time and travel costs associated with the training.

Our customers collaborate in value chains consisting of for example manufacturers, service partners and shipping companies, so we must be able to support these constellations. Right now, we are focusing on the manufacturers. In collaboration with the North Jutland pump company, DESMI, which has been our business partner from the start, we collect data and analyze optimization opportunities."

Frederik Nørgaard Jensen, Co-founder of AR-Simply.

How does the AAU Startup Grant contribute to your startup? 

"The AAU Startup Grant gives us the opportunity to test the large-scale potential of our solution in industries other than the maritime. We have received input from more than 60 potential customers and business partners, and it has indicated that our solution can make a difference in all industries that produce, assemble and conduct maintenance of their products for customers. 
 
Right now we are working on securing test designs for five manufacturing companies. With them as cases, we must collect data on which parts of their business we can create the most value with our digital support. Based on this insight, we can adapt our product to the international markets in which our customers operate. 
 
The past year has been very busy and it has paid off. We have worked full time on AR-Simply testing our product and have expanded the team with a third founder within marketing and communication. In spring, we won the NOVI Grant of DKK 250,000, which confirmed that our concept has potential, and winning the AAU Startup Grant has given us yet another boost in both finances and self-confidence."

Frederik Nørgaard Jensen, Co-founder of AR-Simply.

Where is AR-Simply in its development right now?

"Our startup came about because we had the opportunity to participate in the AAU Startup Program with an idea based on our thesis project. In this process, we received guidance which has helped us to take one step at a time in developing the idea into a real concept with sales in mind. Along the way, we have learned an incredible amount about business development, sales and negotiations simply by doing it.

In the past year, we have grown into a team organization with a student employee and interns. This means that we must develop the company, focus our resources, and create a good work culture. In spring, we moved out of our startup-garage in AAU Innovate, where we were part of a strong network of like-minded student startups, to an office in the entrepreneurial environment at NOVI, which we were awarded as part of the NOVI Grant. Here we are surrounded by startups that are more established than us. They inspire us to move forward and provide good sparring about, among other things, our go-to-market strategy."

Frederik Nørgaard Jensen, Co-founder of AR-Simply.