Your startup in one sentence?

Infrafon uilds the AI Smart Badge: a secure, privacy-first voice interface that replaces professional smartphones and pagers in clinics and other work environments.

How did your business idea come about?

Our idea originated from the realization that smartphones are excellent consumer devices, but not ideal tools for organizations. We wanted a solution that would meet the requirements of institutions right from the start. This led to the creation of the first Smartbadge: a lightweight, compact terminal that is fully configurable. We are now seeing a shift from smartphones to wearable AI tools (pins, glasses, earpieces), but here too, there are hardly any solutions suitable for institutions. That's why we are focusing on the AI Smartbadge with neuromorphic trigger word recognition and a secure, traceable AI distribution model as the future standard in everyday professional life.

How big is your team, who is in it, and how did you find each other?

There are five of us at the moment. Frieder (CEO) met Brian (CTO) at Mobile World in 2021 and pitched the idea to him. Brian was probably the only one who didn't think the idea was completely crazy, or who got on board anyway. Christian (COO) joined shortly afterwards as a student, followed two years later by Abdulrahman and Ritesh (two embedded developers from Freiburg).

Who profits from your product/your solution, and why?

Institutions such as clinics, care facilities, public authorities, and integrators/system houses are the primary beneficiaries: thanks to universal interfaces, modularity, and individual configurability, our solution can be seamlessly integrated into existing systems, enabling customers to implement their use cases with precision. End users also benefit from ergonomic design and a system tailored to their needs, which makes their everyday work noticeably easier.

What are your next steps?

We are currently developing a proof-of-concept (PoC) based on our current CC2 smart badge, now with neuromorphic trigger word/speech recognition. We are currently preparing another round of financing for the next development phase.

Why are you convinced that you will be successful?

We are committed to European independence: an AI smart badge that does not rely on the US or China, takes data protection seriously, and works reliably in everyday life with neuromorphic voice input. With our CC2 foundation, we deliver the only solution that institutions can integrate and manage immediately today.

What have been the biggest successes and hurdles/low points so far?

The series approval of our CC2 smart badge and finding the right partners for distribution and the first pilot projects was a major milestone for us. Obstacles and low points: We build hardware – that pretty much says it all.

Why did you apply for the ATHENE Startup Award UP25@it-sa?

We are competing because privacy by design, auditability, and EU sovereignty are at the core of our product. it-sa connects us with the right decision-makers, and we are very much looking forward to the exchange. Thank you to the ATHENE team for the opportunity!

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