How François Simard, Co- Founder And CEO Of Omnirobotic Raised $5.8M To Build Self-Programming Robots For High-Mix Finishing?

François Simard founded his first innovative company in the manufacturing sector in 2000, specialized in machine vision and robotic guidance.

A graduate of the École Polytechnique de Montréal in robotics engineering, he is already passionate about autonomous robots and leads the university’s robotics team in international competition events. Mr. Simard has extensive knowledge of the manufacturing industry, visited more than 400 manufacturing plants in sectors such as aerospace, military, automotive, food, and semiconductor.

The inventor of 2 patents, his passion for artificial intelligence and robotics, lead him to co-found Omnirobotic in 2016. Mr. Simard believes autonomous industrial robots will be transformational across the manufacturing industry in the same way autonomous vehicles will impact transports.

Omnirobotic offers self-programming robotics technology for high-mix spray and finishing processes.

This technology allows robots to SEE, PLAN, and EXECUTE unique robot motion programs in real-time with maximum efficiency and effectiveness to the process needed.

Just like autonomous cars or autonomous mobile robots, this technology creates new possibilities for Autonomous Industrial Robots. This new category is starting to take manufacturing facilities by storm with their ability to automate some of the toughest jobs that humans have still been stuck doing, and with that are creating productivity and quality of life benefits in which we can all take part!

In an exclusive interview with AsiaTechDaily, François says:

Making mistakes is inevitable: try to make the least expensive ones.

A deep-tech startup is hard to bootstrap. Try to find revenue early on to get to your first financing round.

There are going to be good days and bad days. I do what I can each day remind me of this simple fact.

Read on to know more about François Simard and his journey.

Please tell me about your personal background and What motivated you to get started with your company?

François Simard: Omnirobotic is my 3rd company. I founded my first company some years after graduating from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. It was a machine vision company creating inspection and robot guidance equipment for the manufacturing industry. I started it as no company at the time was dedicated to push R&D in machine vision in my area.

What is your current main product, and can you share any previous product pivot story to the current product?

François Simard: Our main product is an Industrial grade cognitive and perception platform enabling robots to understand the process they are applying. 

Instead of focusing on programming the motion for industrial robots, Omnirobotic focuses on developing an AI able to understand process constraints and physical limitations (joints limits and collisions, for instance) so that it can find by itself how to move to reach the goals manufacturers set for them.

At first, we were looking to rent Autonomous (aka AI-driven) industrial robots. We later understood that our true value is within the AI platform and perception system, not the robotic arm itself. We pivoted to provide the AI platform and underlying hardware it runs on (the OmniBrain™) as an add-on to industrial robots.

How much money have you raised in total so far? When was the recent funding round? 

François Simard: We raised over CAD $7.5M so far, the last round being CAD $6.5 in August this year.

What were the internal decision processes in determining when to begin fund-raising, and what were the logistics for this? And how many investors have you met so far, and how did you meet these investors, and which channels worked best for you?

François Simard: We decided to raised when we saw the milestones we aimed for being withing grasp. We met over 50 investors in Montreal, Toronto, Boston, and of course, San Francisco. 

We participated in several events like Collision 2019 and others like Investor-Startup matchmaking. We also reached out to selected investors. We discover that meeting with investors sharing your thesis was much more productive.

What are the biggest challenges and obstacles that you have faced in the process of fund-raising? If you had to start over, what would you do differently? 

François Simard: We would focus on investors sharing our investment thesis.

What are your milestones for the next round? And what are your goals for the future?

François Simard: Demonstrating our platform could be successfully be used by channel partners to deliver values for end users.

How have you attracted users, and with what strategy have you grown your company from the start to now?

François Simard: We started by offering to rent our autonomous painting robot CAD $25/h. This created a shock for high mix manufacturers. It was now possible for them to use robotics even if they produce a high mix of parts in an unstructured environment. This is a radically different value proposition. 

We received more demand than we initially could handle!

What do most startups get wrong about marketing in general?

François Simard: It is not delivering a clear message about their Unique Selling Proposition. It takes a while to clearly identify it, and we struggled with it at first.

How do you plan to expand globally?

François Simard: We plan to leverage our partner’s distribution network. 

By focusing on our core business (providing robot autonomy), we are creating new sales opportunities for robots OEM and robotic processes equipment OEM in a market they can not serve without our technology (high-mix manufacturing). This has created an opportunity to work with them.

What are the most common mistakes companies make with global expansion?

François Simard: Going too fast with an insufficient product and underestimating the support cost.

How do you handle this COVID-19 outbreak situation for your company’s survival in the future?

François Simard: Our technology is relevant across the manufacturing sector. Some of our customers are struggling with the pandemic, while others are thriving. 

Overall, the pandemic has little effect on our business. However, we have a traveling limitation that is slowing down our sales for the moment. 

Working with our international partners is very helpful in the current situation.

What are the most common mistakes founders make when they start a company? 

François Simard: Developing a product without being sure there is a market demand for it.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? And What advice do you have for someone who is interested in doing similar things like yours or in a similar direction?

François Simard: Making mistakes is inevitable: try to make the least expensive ones.

A deep-tech startup is hard to bootstrap. Try to find revenue early on to get to your first financing round.

What are the top-three books or movies (TV series) that changed your life and why?

François Simard:

• The Plex (Google history) told how to make a decision based on data, not on gut feeling
• Spin Selling. Listen to the customer need first and articulate your pitch to illustrate how your solution would resolve his problem
• Steve Jobs 1st iPhone Presentation – Behind the Scenes a good reminder of how hard it is to launch a revolutionary product, even for a well-established company

How do you keep yourself motivated every day?

François Simard: There are going to be good days and bad days. I do what I can each day remind me of this simple fact.

What are the top- three life lessons that you want your (future) sons and daughters to know?

François Simard:

1. Perseverance
2. Perseverance
3. Perseverance

What would you like to be remembered for?

François Simard: As one of the founders of the company who makes manual robot programming obsolete.

You can follow François Simard here.

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