32. Shivani Shah’s journey of building Samp: Revamping Industrial Maintenance
Special edition newsletter for the Indo-French Launchpad event, an exciting opportunity for startups to fast-track their growth with the help of industry-leading mentors, networks, and resources
Hello Kula Community 👋
Today we bring you the inspiring story of Shivani Shah, co-founder and CTO of Samp. Learn about her entrepreneurial spirit, journey in building Samp, insights about the future, and advice to future international entrepreneurs in France.
Thanks to
for the great content!Key Highlights
🌟 Shivani’s journey: from multiple entrepreneurial attempts to launching Samp - a deep tech startup that connects 3D reality captures of industrial sites with their engineering data continuously, enabling them to spot inconsistencies.
🇫🇷 Why France: Beautiful mountains in Grenoble and the strong mathematical foundation in AI made her fall in love with France. Learn more about the 9 new clusters dedicated to AI research.
🚀 Samp’s Trajectory: The journey is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. From joining the Entrepreneur First Cohort to COVID days to raising € 6 Million in their Series A round.
🤖 The Future of Work: Change is constant and the need to help people to adapt is important. Learn more about addressing discomfort about AI and the right mindset for what the future has in store for us.
💡 Opportunities for International Entrepreneurs: 3 big challenges - language, administration & network. Learn more about the IndoFrench LaunchPad that could help you elevate your business to the next level.
Shivani's Journey: from Delhi to being the CTO of Samp
Growing up in Gujarat, India, Shivani found herself at an interesting crossroads: a deep love for science and an entrepreneurial spirit nurtured by her business-oriented community in India.
She pursued her passion for technology, completing her bachelor's in Computer Science from The LNM Institute of Information Technology in Jaipur.
During her undergraduate years in 2013, she made her first entrepreneurial attempt, developing an NFC-based ordering system for food courts. Though this venture didn't take off as her teammates moved on to pursue MBAs, it marked the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey.
Why did Shivani chose France? 🇫🇷
A collaboration between Shivani's university and Grenoble INP brought her to France, though her initial plan was to use it as a stepping stone to the United States. However, Grenoble's breathtaking mountainous landscape and the opportunity for hiking adventures captured her heart.
More significantly, she discovered France's strong mathematical foundation in AI research, which aligned perfectly with her growing interest in the field.
To learn more about this, Clara Chappaz mentions in her recent post the 9 new research clusters dedicated to AI research.
During her master's program, she took up AI and machine learning internships. Her interest in this space grew with time, eventually leading to her pursuing a PhD at Université de Tours and working as a Researcher at CEA(Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives), where she focused on applying AI to metagenomics and NGS data analysis.
Experience at Entrepreneur First and the Process
After completing her PhD, while exploring career options, including potential blockchain ventures, Shivani's office mate Andrey Besedin introduced her to Entrepreneur First (EF).
The UK-based accelerator, known for building deep tech companies, provided exactly what Shivani had been looking for - a way to combine her technical expertise with her entrepreneurial ambitions.
EF's unique approach focuses on bringing together solo founders with complementary skills. They prefer individual applications over pre-formed teams, believing that the right co-founder match comes from alignment in vision and complementary capabilities rather than pre-existing relationships.
The Inception of Samp 🌱
During their at EF in 2019, the idea emerged from a critical observation by Laurent Bourgouin, co-founder & CEO of Samp, during his time at Dassault Systems.
Working in the energy sector, he identified a significant problem: nearly 30% of field data in industrial facilities are often not accurately updated in digital systems, leading to significant delays in transformation and also posing serious security risks.
Shivani recognized that AI technologies used in autonomous vehicles for processing LIDAR data could be adapted to create digital twins of industrial facilities.
This insight led to SAMP's innovative solution:
Using AI and 3D streaming technology to create digital twins of industrial facilities, enabling real-time monitoring and maintenance of assets while improving safety, efficiency, and sustainability of operations.
The company's name has deep cultural significance, derived from the Gujarati word "samp” meaning unity or togetherness. The name embodies the company's core philosophy of creating a collaborative platform where various industrial stakeholders can collaborate seamlessly.
Milestones and Trajectory 🚀
Samp's journey hasn't been without challenges.
Founded in 2020, Samp faced its first major hurdle when COVID-19 hit just before their EF demo day, disrupting client engagements and data access.
However, the pandemic ultimately reinforced the need for remote site access through digital twins. Their first significant milestone came when their largest site, containing more than 10,000 objects, went live at Storengy, a subsidiary of Engie. Around the same time, Engie became their corporate investor through Engie New Ventures.
The company has grown organically from 3-4 people to a team of 30 over five years, carefully timing each hire with specific needs rather than pursuing aggressive expansion.
Latest Funding Round of € 6 Million
The recent € 6 Million fundraising led by American VC investor Promus Ventures marks a new chapter in Samp's growth story.
The funding is focused on building a robust sales team to expand across Europe. Already established in France with a team and promising prospects in the UK, Samp is actively pursuing opportunities in the rest of Europe..
Their approach involves not just selling software but becoming a central platform that connects with clients' existing systems through APIs, making SAMP an essential hub for accessing real-time data and documentation.
Prior to this, they had raised € 4 million in 2022 led by French VC investor Innovacom
Future of Work & Society 🤖
Shivani observes that AI technology has evolved from focusing on technology development to practical problem-solving. She believes we're entering a phase where the challenge isn't just about making AI work, but about implementing it effectively to solve real-world problems. This transition requires not only technological innovation but also careful consideration of how to help people adapt to new, more efficient ways of working.
Navigating challenges in AI adaption
When addressing concerns about AI's impact on society, Shivani draws an interesting parallel with historical technological innovations. She emphasizes that change is constant and resistance is only temporary.
Her advice is twofold: maintain confidence in your ability to adapt and stay observant of innovations in your field.
Rather than approaching technological change with fear, she encourages people to engage with it actively, looking for ways to benefit from new developments while remaining true to human values.
Advice for Newcomers - Building your Startup in France💡
Shivani’s Key recommendations for international entrepreneurs in France:
Learn French Early
It is crucial for accessing opportunities and navigating administration
Invest time in language learning before challenges arise
Legal & Administrative
Work with professionals well-versed in business practices of France.
Choose lawyers and CFOs with specific French regulatory expertise
Build Strategic Networks & Community
Join startup ecosystems like Station F
Connect with both local and international residents
Balance professional and personal networking
Participate in events aligned with your interests
Be patient with the adaptation process
In the past 6 months, we have spoken to many international founders in France and their pain points are mainly - the language barrier, legal & administrative maze and a lack of network.
👉🏽 This is exactly why applying to IndoFrench Launch Pad could be the opportunity to reach the next level - an exciting opportunity for startups to fast-track their growth with the help of industry-leading mentors, networks, and resources connecting the emerging opportunities between India and France.
The Indo-French Launchpad, a partnership-driven initiative from Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Franco Indienne, Indian Business Club, Link Innovations, La French Tech India, and Choose Paris Region aims to discover and nurture innovative start-ups that want to take advantage of customized mentorship experience and elevate their businesses to the next level.
Applications close on 31st December 2024. Hurry Up!
Wrapping up!
We had a great time talking to Shivani as she recounted her story. The most remarkable thing about the conversation was her mindset—the optimism and the way she figured out as she plunged into starting Samp!
She has been in France for over a decade and knows all the awesome cafés serving Matcha lattes. She claims to make the best Matcha latte! :D
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