SXSW Startups: ObjectBox
The Forrest Four-Cast: February 20, 2019
Fifty diverse startups will aim to impress a panel of judges and a live audience with their skills, creativity and innovation at SXSW Pitch Presented by Cyndx. Winners in 10 categories will be announced at the Pitch Award Ceremony at 6:30 pm Sunday, March 10, at the Hilton Austin.
A finalist in Hyper-Connected Communities, which will pitch at 5 pm Saturday, March 9, ObjectBox enables Edge Computing in IoT and Mobile with the fastest Edge Database: smaller than 1MB, 10x faster than any alternative, and easy natural language APIs. With ObjectBox, companies develop decentralized products independent from the cloud that perform in real-time. On top of the database, they’re building a data synchronization solution.
ObjectBox is an on-device database — it is software that sits on devices that are on the edge of the network. It allows IoT and Mobile devices to process data intelligently right there on the device, which also means data stays where it belongs and people keep ownership of their data. Other benefits include: cloud cost savings, real time response rates, heightened data security, and independence from a network connection.
Alyssa Coke, COO of ObjectBox, answered some questions about the company.
What is your competitive advantage?
We bring three advantages to the table. Speed: ObjectBox is 10x faster than any alternative. Size: Our database is less than 1MB, and uniquely optimized for small devices. And ease of use: ObjectBox is NoSQL with native language APIs that are super easy to use.
What are your goals for ObjectBox in 2019?
Our biggest goal will be the release of ObjectBox Sync, our synchronization solution that ties into the database. We also have strategic growth goals in place to build on our existing traction, and we’re working on building up our IoT community.
Tell us about how your product works to give the feeling that mobile apps are online even when disconnected.
An on-device database like ObjectBox allows app developers to store and process data locally on the phone. That means that apps can access local data and execute operations, even without internet connectivity. A lot of apps these days are developed to be “offline-first.” This makes a ton of sense as it keeps mobile data usage down and allows apps to be used anywhere, even in airplane mode.
Does ObjectBox plan to offer commercial services?
Yes. While the ObjectBox database is free to use, our synchronization solution is a SaaS product. We also offer licensing and enterprise features for larger scale users.
Currently, the common areas that edge computing can be found are drones, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and industrial IoT. Do you think other industries could also benefit from IoT edge computing?
Definitely. Edge computing is a horizontal solution — it makes sense just about anywhere there are large amounts of data (we can see this increasing with Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, and Machine Learning applications), connectivity issues, or where security is a priority. One area of IoT where we think there will be huge growth in edge computing is in consumer products — it’s much easier to prevent breaches of personal data if that data never leaves the device.
Has ObjectBox been involved with other pitch events and tech conference?
We pitched at Slush 2017 and made second place out of 100 startups. That was a tremendous launch to building our network in the European startup ecosystem. We believe that taking part in SXSW will broaden this network even more, especially within the U.S. In general, our team regularly speaks at technical conferences in the fields of IoT and Mobile App development.
ObjectBox is based in Munich, Germany. Tell us about the startup ecosystem there.
Munich is not the obvious choice for a startup, but the ecosystem here is growing. Year after year, Munich is ranked as having one of the highest qualities of life in the world, and with the strong technical universities and large-scale tech companies based here, there is a considerable talent pool. Plus, we’re only a short plane ride away from most of Europe.
What has the startup experience taught you about life?
Never stop growing. I’ve always been a big believer in lifelong learning, but the startup journey provides rapid growth opportunities all the time — and growing yourself ultimately helps you grow your startup.
What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d had that you’d give to others wanting to join the startup journey?
Practice “Give First” — always. Also, never feel shy to ask for help: Generally, people are happy to be helpful. Plus, don’t forget to have fun with your startup — and don’t take yourself too seriously!
Look for more interviews with other SXSW Pitch finalists in this space between now and March.
Click here to see all 50 finalists for SXSW Pitch 2019, along with the links to their interviews on Medium.
Also, if you are an entrepreneur, check out all the cool panels and presentations in the Entrepreneurship and Startups Track, which runs March 8–12 at SXSW.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
