Alex Salas is the entrepreneur behind Firechip, a start-up that designs and commercializes IoT hardware. Although it is based in Barcelona, the company has a network of thirty professionals distributed worldwide in the form of a Joint Venture. They all work towards Industry 4.0 and the digital transformation of production. For several months now, Firechip has been incubated at ThinkIn 3D, taking advantage of the resources of its additive manufacturing accelerator in order to consolidate a solid business project.
What is Firechip?
It is a start-up in charge of designing hardware for other companies, which then rename the product to sell it to the end customer. Let me give you an example to make it clearer. Imagine a well-known brand that sells laptops and tablets. That company may have the capacity to design 5 laptops and tablets, but in reality it is selling more than 20 different models on the market. To expand its catalogue, this brand purchases third-party designs and acquires exclusivity over that tablet or computer model for a specific territory. Firechip is that original design manufacturer — we sit between the chip manufacturer and the brand that sells the product to the final consumer.
Creation and structure of the start-up
The start-up was created three years ago as an international Joint Venture. It currently has 30 people distributed globally who collaborate according to project needs. This structure allows resources to be shared and invoiced internally, maintaining the flexibility and efficiency of the work.
Products and departments
Firechip currently has three departments: Smarthome IoT, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT). Over the next six months, they will develop the Industrial IoT and Smart City department, with products such as smart water meters for homes.
Role of additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing is key at Firechip. They prototype the casings before manufacturing expensive moulds, and in short runs, they create the final part using additive manufacturing. This allows them to show clients what a product would look like in a different territory with a customised appearance.
Benefits of being incubated at ThinkIn 3D
The accelerator allows them to learn, use shared workspaces and prototype at reduced cost. This helps reinvest in resources and continue developing the product catalogue with quality and competitive pricing.
Advice for other start-ups
Alex recommends making the most of ThinkIn 3D to develop projects, grow professionally and access the resources needed to significantly scale the business.
Future vision
In five years, Alex sees himself with his own building in Barcelona, a broad catalogue of IoT products. He also sees his company with international presence and a high R&D budget.