Startup of the Day - Autolog

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The BizSpark startup of the day is Autolog, based in Denmark. You will find below an interview with Stig Lyngsie, Co-founder of Autolog. All the best to them and congrats for being the startup of the day!

Autolog Logo

Website: www.autolog.co.uk and www.autolog.dk


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Interview with Stig Lyngsie, Co-founder of Autolog

Tell us who you are and your role in the company.

I am director of sales and marketing and one of the founders.

What did you do before creating your company?

I was finishing my ph.d. in Geophysics, when one of my friends (now our CEO) presented with me with an idea for a new software product. We are both the entrepreneur types and agreed to start a company and aim for the world marked.

How do you feel being the most promising ‘Startup of the Day’ per Microsoft BizSpark?

That is a confidence boost, and it signifies to me that the idea of starting the Autolog company was not a bad one (It can also come in handy in an argument with the wife, when discussing if it was a good idea to invest in the project or not.

What is your company’s mission?

To become the world leading provider of mileage registration systems for mileage reimbursement purposes. 

How did you get the idea for your company?

Our CEO Robert Holm got the idea one day, after having experienced the time consuming hassle you go through each month when you have to fill in your mileage report in order to get your reimbursement. He thought that there must be a better and faster way to do it. Some solutions already existed, but were very expensive, so he thought of an idea that would be cheap and would fit the world marked.

Tell us about your funding history. Are you currently looking for funding? If so, how much?

We have established sales in Scandinavia on a B2B platform, but we are currently looking for 1.2 mill. EUR to start up our Freemium B2C concept. We have participated in several investment fairs during 2009, but the ICT investors seem to be short on funding these days (so far no luck).

How many employees do you have? How many developers?

We have 9 full time employees and two part time. Three are software developers (full time), but some of our development projects are being outsourced.

Are you hiring? If yes, what are you hiring and where?

We are currently looking for additional resources in the development department and are looking for two developers over the next 6 month.

Which platform are you building on? Why?

We develop in DotNet for windows based platforms and integrate our software with all types of GPS devices. 

Where do you see opportunities today in the Software/internet area?

The mobile phone marked is one of the most prominent areas. Developing apps for that marked is definitely worth the effort. Also, combining ERP systems with some of the many business functionalities of the mobile phones you can create Business Intelligence that can optimize the routines and administrations in a company, I believe we will see more of that in the future.

What do you think about the BizSpark Program?

It is a great helping hand for startup businesses and allows the startups to focus on development and sales and thus establishing a strong base, instead of having to struggle with high costs on software purchase that may hamper the development.

Do you have any advice for young Software entrepreneurs?

Believe in your project, but don’t forget to make a business plan and be ready to adjust your plan as you gain more knowledge of the marked.

Who’s your role model?

Companies like SugarCRM for their Open Source and Apps model, Google for their genius way of making money on freeware and ZMags, a young company founded in 2005, for creating a super product and being able to expand and establish sales worldwide.

What’s the ONE THING you would like readers to take away from this interview

That would be something like: It is not the end goal but the process of getting there that is the fun part.

Published: 1/15/2010 9:42 AM

Company: Autolog