Idiap Researcher Wins Double Grant to Launch AI-Powered Fleet Management Startup

Oskar Wysocki, a postdoctoral researcher at Idiap, has been awarded a BRIDGE Proof of Concept grant and secured support from The Ark. These funds will enable the creation of his startup, which aims to revolutionize fleet management using AI.

Oskar's journey to Idiap began at the University of Manchester. There, he connected with André Freitas, research scientist and head of the Reasoning & Explainable AI group at Idiap. This connection ultimately drew Oskar to Switzerland, at Idiap, where he found fertile ground for both his research and entrepreneurial ambitions.

The BRIDGE Proof of Concept grant is a competitive initiative that supports researchers in bringing innovative academic ideas into the real world. Thanks to this funding, Oskar can now fully dedicate himself to his entrepreneurial ambitions. He has also secured support from The Ark, which helps entrepreneurs transform their research into viable businesses and establish startups in the Valais region of Switzerland. The combination of these two funding sources allows him to merge AI with practical solutions for vehicle fleet management.

Oskar’s project harnesses the power of large language models (LLMs) to build a system capable of reasoning and responding to operational queries in real time. This system will enable machines to make informed decisions, merging mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence. The idea is rooted in his academic background and aligns with the research focus of his team at Idiap.

To bring his vision to life, Oskar is collaborating with two industrial players: Zoeller Kipper, a German manufacturer of specialized truck equipment, and Xtrack, a Polish company specializing in telematics and vehicle data integration.

“With the support from Idiap and The Ark, I can focus on building an AI platform specifically for heavy machinery and fleet management – an area that’s still far behind sectors like fintech and biotech when it comes to using AI”, shares Oskar. “By applying AI to this field, we can deliver real benefits – saving operators time and money, cutting fuel and CO₂ emissions, and reducing unnecessary machine wear and resource use”.

This is an exciting opportunity for him to take his research beyond the lab and apply it to the industry.

We look forward to following his project!