(This is a translation of a Swedish Article )
Linköping
2024-10-17 05:00
Text and Photo By Jan Novotny,Corren
When the Financial Times ranked Europe’s fastest-growing companies, Requtech was placed 182nd overall and ranked fourth among Swedish companies included in the ranking. "It gives a lot of energy to people," says CEO Omid Sotoudeh.
“It’s very complicated products. If you compare it to developing a mobile phone, I would say that this is significantly more challenging from a hardware perspective,” says Omid Sotoudeh, CEO and founder of the Linköping-based company Requtech. They develop antennas and terminals for telecommunications via satellites, and this summer, they announced a product that they claim will revolutionize the industry. To understand the significance, we need to take a quick detour into space.
A multitude of satellites orbit the Earth. Some of them are far away, in what is called the geostationary orbit (GEO). What is special about this orbit is that satellites in it move at the same speed as the Earth. They follow the planet’s movement constantly, meaning such a satellite “hangs” over the same spot on Earth all the time, from our perspective on the ground.Other satellites travel closer to Earth in what is called medium Earth orbit (MEO) or low Earth orbit (LEO).
Communication with GEO satellites is relatively simple—since the satellite is always in the same position relative to Earth, you just need to aim an antenna at that spot, and you’re set. It’s more difficult with orbits closer to Earth. MEO and LEO satellites orbit faster than our home planet, so they occasionally disappear from view, dropping behind the horizon for someone on the Earth’s surface. An antenna built for these orbits needs to be able to switch between different satellites very quickly to maintain an uninterrupted signal. When one satellite disappears behind the horizon, the antenna must swiftly switch to another one that is currently in its line of sight.
Requtech’s latest product is a small box weighing 27 kg, roughly the size of a computer monitor. It’s a terminal that contains an antenna and other necessary components for satellite communication. The terminal is planned for production for a broader customer base in the first quarter of 2025.
This is where Requtech’s new product comes into play—they have built a terminal capable of communicating with satellites in all three types of orbits.
“It’s a very heavy and challenging technology to develop, and it has taken us 5-6 years with the best people from various disciplines,” says the company’s CEO, who claims that they are among the few companies in the world to have developed this technical solution.
The company was founded in 2009 by Omid Sotoudeh and a colleague from Ericsson in Kista, Stockholm. Soon after, other team members who had previously worked at Saab joined in. Since 2016, the company has been based in Mjärdevi, Linköping.
In the early years, it was a small tech company focused on research. It wasn’t until around 2017 that they truly started investing in product development. Grants from the innovation agency Vinnova and their first external investment two years ago have been significant milestones along the way.
Gradually, Requtech has transformed over recent years from a startup mainly engaged in industrial research to a scaleup producing goods in small series. The next step is to start large-scale production.
For anyone who has tried hitting the bullseye on a dartboard, it might seem almost superhuman to build something that can aim an invisible electromagnetic beam at a satellite orbiting the Earth. But this is exactly what Requtech does.
“We have a modular approach in our products, so we reuse a lot across different product portfolios.”
In simple terms, it’s about developing products that can be built using the same types of parts, modules, instead of requiring custom-designed components for each individual product. While working modularly can sometimes take more time during product development, it can pay off later.
Sotoudeh expects that the company will double its workforce and grow to around 30 employees by the end of next year, excluding the external factory workers handling assembly. The turnover is expected to reach between 50 and 100 million SEK.
The company’s growth is not only evident in their financial statements, where in five years, they have nearly tenfolded their turnover to now reach over 26 million SEK. Last spring, the British business newspaper Financial Times also recognized the company as one of the 1,000 fastest-growing companies in all of Europe, according to a ranking by the newspaper.
He attributes the company’s success to both mentality and being located in Linköping and Mjärdevi, close to the university.
“We in Sweden have a very good business climate and work mentality. We have our long vacation, which the rest of the world doesn’t understand. But when we work, we work. No fuss, things just get done. The engineers are super motivated and extremely talented. We have a university that produces great people.”
About Requtech AB
Requtech AB, based in Linköping, Sweden, is at the forefront of satellite communication technology. We specialize in developing high-performance, reliable satellite communication systems. Our mission is to revolutionize communication capabilities, enhancing global connectivity through innovative solutions.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Marko Grujicic
Sales and Marketing Officer, Requtech AB
marko.grujicic@requtech.se
+46 (0) 735062675
www.requtech.com
