Andreas Brenner: Can you briefly summarize the history of SUN_D again? How and when did you come up with the idea?
Jonas Burki: The idea of SUN_D was born at the beginning of my diploma year in late 2006 being a graduating student at Institute HyperWerk at the Academy of Art and Design of the University of Applied Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). Each student had to phrase his core question about what he/she will research for the degree. Thus my question was: how can we display information utilizing light and shade by means of mechanical manipulation.
After I had phrased three concrete Ideas and built a functioning prototype for each, I applied for the NEXT IDEA Art and Technology Grant of ARS Electronica and luckily I won the tendered 4 months scholarship at Ars Electronica Futurelab. Futurelab provided human and financial resources as well as their knowledge to implement my concept and develop a system which then was presented at the international Ars Electronica Festival in Linz in September 2007.

A.B.: When was the first time that you realized the economic potential of your “arts project”?
J.B.: During my time at the institute I have always dreamed to come up with a diploma idea which will have enough commercial potential in order to be continued after finishing studies. But it was at the Ars Electronica Festival when I first realized that there may be a real economic potential. Although I’m still doubting from time to time, the feedback from coaches and partners has been way better than I expected so far. So I keep meeting people and one thing follows the other.

A.B.: What are the most important headlines we are going to read about SUN_D in the near and mid-run future?
J.B.: I don’t think my project will generate huge headlines, but I hope to give people an input and to change their way of thinking. The combination of existing things bears a lot of potential, that you don’t have to re-invent the wheel to create something new. Just take two existing things and combine them to one.

A.B.: Looking back, did the participation in the Synetgies event create any value for you?
J.B.: I enjoy meeting creative people in general. I definitely met them in my first Synetgies visit. I was surprised about how open and uncomplicated the group was. After my presentation some came up with new ideas and their feedback was very useful. It’s always great to talk with competent people which are new to my project.

A.B.: Thank you very much for briefly answering the questions. Anything you’d like to add?
J.B.: I would like to thank Synetgies for the valuable contacts I was able to get through this network. But let me add one thing: An idea is an idea only if other people know about it. Until then you have no plan whether it’s worth to invest your time. Don’t be afraid that your idea might be stolen by mean people. Just spread your message and you’ll find what you have been searching for.

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Damping unwanted noise is a request that has arose from many sides. For families to rest easy, musicians to play in quiet rooms, scientist to have a vibration free laboratory and also for applications were stealth is crucial.

While for long time this need has been answered by passive isolation, now the door to active and intelligent countermeasures is opening. Anocsys, a mid sized swiss enterprise founded in 2004 is thereby leading the way.

Read more…

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With the rising hype of Web 2.0 and it’s exponents like Facebook, Youtube et alia, the rumored valuation of those companies has also risen sharply. It is currently rumored that Facebook has reached a valuation of 10 - 15 bio USD with only 150 mio $ yearly revenues - not profit.

Facebook has only 300 employee’s and is not making a lot of revenue. If you compare to the also very hyped Google, making about 17 bio $ revenues a year and worth 200 bio USD, you find that with 100 times it’s revenue it’s worth just 15-20 times as much as Facebook. How can this huge valuation of 15 bio USD of Facebook be explained?

It is obvious that Facebook has gained a huge amount of traction, reaching almost everyone who is on the web. In a recent evaluation it was found that 22% of Canada’s population is currently on Facebook. These are more people for example than any Canadian political party has members.

A part of the valuation is certainly justified by the huge leverage you can create by having a fifth of a population in the same network. Think about polls, advertising, recruiting, government communication etc. You can now reach more people through facebook than through a newspaper or Television. Imagine Government sending out official documents to everyone that is in its country’s network.

All those opportunities create great revenue sources - and if combined with a potential of 200 to 300 mio users worldwide - can make one understand how much value could lie in this company.

A comparison with other US internet companies shows that facebook is already the 5th largest considering market cap, only surpassed by Google, Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay, all of them making 100 of millions if not billions in profit every year. Facebook’s 2007 net income is said to be around 30 mio USD, amounting to a P/E Ratio of 500 (Google’s P/E ratio is 50).

Facebook has been able to reach this valuation because of two main factors:

1. The idea that there is the need for only one social operating system and that facebook is the one

2. The bidding war between Google and Microsoft

The first factor, if true, allows to draw many conclusions on the potential of facebook. If it is going to be the Microsoft of the internet, the start page of every user and where every other company is going to build their application on top of facebook instead of creating their on website then yes, a valuation of this size does make sense.

Now I would suggest that the second factor has an almost greater importance. Google has made the right move against Microsoft many times: Search Engine, Gmail, Google Docs. Myspace ad deal, Youtube and others. The people in Redmond wanted to make sure that times they were the ones getting the right deal. And even if it would turn out to have been the wrong decision, 240 mio USD is likely to hurt Microsoft when they’re also getting the advertising deal with facebook that should generate substantial revenue over the next few years. It is also smart in terms of recruiter marketing, proving that Microsoft is serious about Web 2.0.

Certainly Microsoft has been willing to pay more for a stake in facebook than a traditional investor - that was not getting any extra deal with his investment - would have been. There have been rumors that two hedge funds have invested in facebook at the same valuation, though.

It will be interesting to see what happens when facebook goes public. Will the public enter the hype and drive the stock price into valuations even more exorbitant than the current?

Flavio Rump is currently an entrepreneur at bluepixel and a student of mechanical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ). In his personal blog he writes about social networks, politics and business issues mostly focussing on Switzerland. Flavio has also been a candidate in the election for the national council of Switzerland.

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