Sense Monitoring sets the bar high

In this startup, nobody can have a fear of heights or spaces. Their daily work environment consists of large-area flat roofs. On the other hand, everyone in the team must demonstrate courage – to boldly propose innovative solutions that increase worker safety and protect building structures.

In the beginning, there was an idea. It was this idea that brought together engineer friends: a land surveyor, a civil engineer, and a programmer. And in 2012, it served as the foundation for constructing the startup Sense Monitoring. The area of interest for this trio of innovators was large-area buildings, their operation, and improvement.

Coming out of the basement

Work on a solution that could be shown to the world lasted nearly four years. During this time, product prototyping, testing, and continuous improvement took place. The technical background of the founders certainly came in handy in analyzing operations. From the beginning, a methodical, systematic approach leading to the validation of the developed solution was also evident. Thanks to this, when it was finally time to present Sense S-One, it was a well-thought-out product ready for action. That is why it could immediately go from the proverbial basement, where many startups begin their operations, straight under the flat roofs of warehouses, logistics centers, and production plants.

On the way to the top

Sense Monitoring itself was climbing upwards. Shortly after its product premiere, the startup was recognized in the prestigious European Startup Awards in 2016. The company received the title of best solution in the Smart City category in Poland. A year later, the Sense Monitoring team was hosted at the Presidential Palace. From several hundred applications from across the country, the Council of the Startup Poland Foundation selected the 10 most interesting solutions, whose creators could present their designs to representatives of the Polish government and the largest companies in Poland.

In the same year, Sense Monitoring was also hosted – as the only Polish company among ten startups from all over the world – at the Wolves Summit. With their presentation in the so-called Great Pitch, they won an award from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and an invitation to present in London.

Accolades also poured in during 2018. First, Sense Monitoring triumphed in the “Tradition & Modernity” competition organized as part of the European Start-Up Days. The crowning achievement of this victorious march was the title “Innovative Product for Logistics, Transport, and Production 2018”, awarded to the Sense S-One system.

Great brands, large-area buildings

What aroused recognition at home and abroad? The aforementioned Sense S-One system, used for continuous, precise, and automatic control of flat roofs and the prevention of their overloading. The men from Sense Monitoring fitted perfectly into the needs of the large-area building market, such as logistics halls, production plants, shopping centers, or public utility facilities. Everywhere there, the risk of roof failure or building structure damage due to heavy rainfall, accumulation of snow, or improper operation (e.g., careless technical inspections) is very high. Sense S-One minimizes this risk to a significant extent, informing owners of any critical conditions threatening the safety of the building.

It is no wonder, then, that renowned brands from all over the country became interested in the Sense Monitoring solution. Soon, the company’s clients included Panattoni Europe, Woodward, Fideltronik, Strabag, and 7R, among others. Today, Sense Monitoring protects 1,000,000 m2 of flat roofs.

You see more from above

Along with expanding its customer base, Sense Monitoring expanded its product portfolio. Conversations with CEOs, managers, and building operators allowed the Sense Monitoring team to deeply understand the challenges they face every single day.

The second product novelty alongside Sense S-One was the Smart Roof platform. Its main functionality is collecting, analyzing, and archiving data about a flat roof 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All information goes to an intuitive mobile application, where it is presented in the form of clear charts and graphics. The Smart Roof platform automatically informs the user – via SMS and email – of any events requiring their attention. It was conceived as a tool for managing a network of buildings.

The next product idea was inspired by climate change. Increasingly violent and intense, yet less predictable rainfalls in the spring and summer periods regularly contribute to building disasters in the form of collapsed or leaking roofs. Water Accumulation Detectors (Sense DSW) are designed to prevent this; they measure the level of water pooling on roofs in real-time, inform about the duration of persisting stagnant water, and also verify the openness of roof drains.

Acceleration like wind in the sails

The Sense Monitoring team does not hide the fact that it owes the beginning of the company’s development, among other things, to its participation in KPT ScaleUP, an Industry 4.0 accelerator managed by the Krakow Technology Park. The three-month support program, the opportunity for direct cooperation with industrial partners, and specialized training and mentoring helped the Sense Monitoring team gain speed, secure valuable contacts, and improve their products together with experts.

However, the company itself is far from a philosophy of hyper-optimism and hyper-growth. It constantly adheres to its methodical, analytical approach. Anyone who has ever climbed onto a roof knows that you need a trustworthy ladder, you check a few times if it stands stable, and when taking every step on individual rungs, you must maintain extreme caution. This is exactly how Sense Monitoring proceeds, running its innovative business for flat roofs. There are results. Currently, the company is profitable, has found its business model, is working on new products, and is refining existing ones. It welcomes its guests in three offices (Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań), from where it also increasingly corresponds with foreign companies interested in implementing Sense Monitoring products. For international expansion is the next stage in the company’s development.

Looking at the effectiveness of the Sense Monitoring team in realizing its objectives – you can be sure of their success.

You can learn more about Sense Monitoring’s activities from their website, Facebook fan page, and LinkedIn.