Meet CODE_n finalist Precogs

Adrien Sandrini is the CEO of Precogs

Precogs, a startup based in Paris, offers tailored supply-chain solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry. As a CODE_n finalist, the company will present their predictive data analytics solutions at CeBIT.

Adrien Sandrini, the CEO of Precogs, tells us a bit more about how it uses big data to foresee critical aspects of supply and demand. He also talks about the company’s expectations for participating at CeBIT as one of the 50 most innovative big data startups.

How can predictive analytics tools help the electronics supply chain?

Predictive technologies offers a new way for electronic manufacturers to broaden their scope of what is possible to create visibility within the supply chain. The integration of big data principles is very new to the industry, but can truly change the playing field for those who integrate such solutions. The amount of data that is integrated to predict the electronics manufacturing supply chain has and will continue to substantially save companies the costs of supply disruptions.

How was the startup founded and what do Precogs’ unique solutions offer?

Precogs was founded in 2011, after my many years of working in the automotive and electronics manufacturing industry.

In terms of supply chain, both industries are quite different. The difference was the volatility of the supply chain in electronics manufacturing, and this equated to unpredictability of lead times and the imbalances in supply and demand.

These challenges illustrated the need to create our solution, CogWatch, which identifies the critical component risk of shortages and overages in supply. Our competitors have chosen to create products that either improve communications between the networks that house the data for the supply chain, or they try to forecast the demand, which is virtually impossible.  CogWatch addresses supply and demand imbalance by predicting the risk of component disruption to the supply chain by applying algorithms to uncover the historical data of every component used by a manufacturer. CogWatch then analyzes the components to measure its potential to disrupt productivity, and thereby prescribe a component resolution action-list.

What are the biggest challenges Precogs faces?

We are currently in the manufacturing sector, but many companies have asked for our solutions in other industries. At present, we are 5 people, so to begin working in other industries we would need to expand our team and our office space, which will be possible when additional funding is received.

How does the startup scene in France compare to that of other European cities?

In France, I believe we have a truly great startup community. There are many opportunities for new innovative startups to get funding and receive certain benefits for starting a business in France. Young and innovative tech startups, for instance, can receive funding for the research they conduct that gives back by helping to develop the technology industry. Other young startups that do not conduct research can still take advantage of general financial benefits including: decreased or no corporate tax, low-cost office rentals, and interest-free loans.

Outside of the financial assistance, France has some of the top talent for software development and technology research in all of Europe, which is a huge advantage for our startup community.

What are your expectations for CODE_n and how do you think it will impact the future of Precogs?

We hope to gain more visibility for Precogs and our solutions, as well as to network with other startups to determine their challenges and find potential partners. CODE_n has the potential to truly enhance Precogs’ international presence as a leader in business analytics for the electronics manufacturing industry. In doing so, this will open the door to new funding by investors, while also putting Precogs front and center with new potential clients.