Covid-19 Did Not Stop Innovation for Edge Cloud Company, Says Mats Eriksson

We talked to Mats Eriksson of Arctos Labs about optimization technology, and he had the following to say:-

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Mats Eriksson: We have done alright so far. Obviously, a lot of unusual activities to stay safe. We have old parents that need extra protection, so that has taken a lot of effort.

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded Arctos Labs.

Mats Eriksson: I have a long background in telecoms, from various companies and research organizations. We founded the company as a result of that we wanted to focus more on high-end R&D and saw a market for that. In recent years, we are focusing entirely on a new solution for edge compute and running that as a startup venture.

How does Arctos Labs innovate? 

Mats Eriksson: We have a background in innovation, with all persons in the team having multiple patents. So this is kind of our DNA. Then we also participate in several research projects with multi-national consortia to get the needed input and validation. 

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your business finances?

Mats Eriksson: We are running in startup mode, so it makes it very difficult to create new contacts. On the other hand, this is the situation for everyone, so people do not expect f2f meetings thereby it saves us travel costs and time. But the quality of meetings suffers.

Did you have to make difficult choices regarding human resources, and what are the lessons learned?

Mats Eriksson: We have had to downsize for a period, which obviously is a setback on our development speed. It is OK for now, as our anticipated market is also kind of slower. 

How did your customer relationship management evolve? Do you use any specific tools to be efficient?

Mats Eriksson: See above. We use the usual web meeting tools.

Did you benefit from any government grants, and did that help keep your business afloat?

Mats Eriksson: Yes, there are grants for compensating downsizing. These cover salaries, so it helps. 

Your final thoughts?

Mats Eriksson: The Covid pandemic imposes a huge restriction on our daily life and businesses. But there are also some positive things that we as mankind will adapt to and hopefully continue to do. We have noticed that people have more time, it is relatively easy to arrange meetings (although on the web). Hopefully, some of that is here to stay. 

Your website?

https://www.arctoslabs.com/