Glance@theCommunity is the platform to meet and engage with the entrepreneurial community of the ECE Campus. Today we continue our weekly interviews by introducing you to one of the most active entrepreneurs in the Rotterdam Startup Scene: Erik Wellen, co-founder and CEO of Parhelion, that after collecting consensus by pitching his way up to the top, he’s now preparing with his partner and team a crowdfunding campaign.

Erik, describe Parhelion in under 50 words.
Parhelion is a Dutch / American scale-up developing and marketing the next generation lighting tech using laser, called Laser Diffraction Grating or in short LDG® technology.

And what were you doing before starting Parhelion?
After completing my Law degree at Erasmus University Rotterdam, I discovered the fashion of ict services and joined Bell ID (part of AND group at the time). In 2004 while doing my OneMBA at RSM, we completed a management buy-out and became independent – establishing my first venture! In January 2016 me and my partners sold the business to Rambus Inc., a Californian company, allowing me to focus on Parhelion.

What made you decide to start working on it?
During my time at Bell ID, Jim Redpath and I got to know each other. We met again in 2014 when Jim and his brother asked me to join Parhelion to strengthen the team as they felt they needed a person with strong marketing skills. The technology immediately grasped me, and I saw the potential of this technology once the right strategy and marketing approach would have been in place.

How did you come up with the name Parhelion?
Our LDG technology is based on diffracting the laser beam. A sundog, or parhelion, is a member of a large family of halos, created by light interacting with ice crystals in the atmosphere. As a parhelion also diffracts light, we found it a great name for our company.

What does a typical day as CEO consist of?
Given my schedule, I don’t have typical days even if I wish I did at times. I tend to travel a lot, mixing business with pleasure but I am never off-grid. Maybe I should be, I do a lot of emails, Skype calls and currently busy preparing our new Business plan. Plus I spend quite some time enrolling our innovations (like our LDG® MR16 lamp) in various award and promotion schemes. We’re currently also getting our first outside investor on board, this obviously has priority as well.

Can you tell us what are your thoughts on the future of your industry?
Given the ban of halogen and LED becoming a commodity now, it is very clear to me that laser is the future of lighting. Luckily we’re not the only ones saying so, but we strongly believe we’re the first to market. Anyone disagreeing, I’d welcome to hear where they have seen a working laser powered white light source in typical household form factor.

Ouch, that sounds like a challenge! 🙂 Where do you see your company in another ten years time?
By then, LDG technology is commonly used in millions of households around the world, bringing more elegant, healthier, smarter and even more energy efficient light to this planet.

What is your favourite app or piece of software that helps you every day?
I use Whatsapp and Skype a lot as it helps me to communicate. I hardly ever make unannounced phone calls, as I feel it disrupts people’s schedule. I’d like to schedule calls ahead so both sides are ready and prepared and focused on that specific call. May not be directed answering this question, but sharing this anyway.

This is food for thought 🙂 What is one mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
In October last year, we thought we had signed up an investor. After three months of negotiations and us spending significant amounts of money, we all shook hands on the deal on a Friday afternoon. Monday morning they backed out, it seemed the guy invested on emotions. Don’t celebrate before paperwork is signed and money is in the bank. Don’t trust people too easily.

I guess that has thought you a lot. In this direction, what one piece of advice would you give to startup founders?
Don’t give up, don’t let investors put you down and don’t budge. Keep going.

Let’s close with the $100.000 question: where is the value of being located at the ECE Campus?
It is a fun place to be, you feel the entrepreneurial energy. Facilities are great and it is good place for innovators as all campus residents and like minded spirits.

And this was all for our latest episode of Glance@theCommunity. Next week meet Joachim and Maarten, partners at WidgetBrain!

Interested in keeping in touch with Erik and join his ambitions? Then look no further than ece.nl/campus. Do you want to join the ECE Campus community? We are expanding! Let us know by contacting the ECE Team at campus@ece.nl.