"DEPsys is now at the heart of the grid operator business"

Why is DEPsys Measurement Hardware Certification so important for the development of your company?

Our hardware has been industrially certified since spring 2017, giving DEPsys and GridEye the credibility of a mature product. The measurement certification that we just passed, brings us into the heart of the grid operator business. The regulator requires grid operators to conform to European standards in terms of electricity supply quality, a conformity that they have to prove via certified measurement devices just like ours. In that sense, this certification is a big milestone for GridEye. It also sets DEPsys at the level of the big, renowned companies in this field and thus makes GridEye interesting for network operators because they can start with the deployment of a high-resolution measurement infrastructure and then gradually move into smart grid applications without rolling out separate, parallel systems.

Can you tell us in a few words what your scale-up does?

DEPsys develops GridEye, a solution that provides grid operators with a toolbox to master the power distribution networks of the future, i.e. during and after the energy transition from a centralized, carbon-based energy generation towards one based on decentralized, renewable sources. Up to now, the main use case has been the integration of solar power installations. Going forward, electromobility is taking over that spot, which is why DEPsys becomes more and more active in that space. In addition to its value for the energy transition, GridEye is an enabler of the business transformation, as it digitalizes the grid.

How many clients has acquired DEPsys in these last months? Where are they based? 

DEPsys has now over 25 customers. 10 of them have been added to the list in 2018. Although this is significant growth, it is even more important to state that these 10 customers come from six different countries, namely Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Ireland and Norway. Back in 2017, DEPsys was a company purely active in the local Swiss market. As of 2018, this fundamentally changed with its over 25 customers in seven countries on two continents, including its Asian presence in Singapore.

DEPsys recent visit to Marocco with Doris Leuthard is an important milestone for the company. Why? Is Marocco a gateway to Africa’s Energy Transition?

Switzerland has excellent contacts with Morocco, especially in the domain of energy. DEPsys being one of the thought-leaders of the energy transition, we had the opportunity to join Federal Counsellor Doris Leuthard on her trip to Northern Africa to discuss the vision of the energy of the future. It is true that Morocco can be an entry door to the African continent, but the challenges are not only of technical nature.

Can you tell us more about the projects of DEPsys for the next months? What are the next steps?

A lot of young companies are entering into the trendy smart grid market. With its broad product offering, its certified products, and its real-world customer installations, DEPsys is currently the most advanced and most credible company in this space. In the coming quarters, we will see new and enhanced applications added to the GridEye offering, as well as a strong development of the international presence with the first DEPsys subsidiaries abroad, and a true global presence with dedicated people and installations on the Asian and American continents. We also expect DEPsys to grow significantly in terms of headcount to support the growth from a sales and service perspective.

(ES)