Solomon Nadar, a recent graduate of the master degree programme Digital Business Innovation and Transformation, has always been passionate about digitalisation and new technologies. Recently, he and his start-up DokuPass secured a spot at the Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in California.
Story
From IMC Krems to the heart of Silicon Valley
DokuPass: Start-up meets EU regulation
From 2024, following the regulations introduced by the European Union, every product must have a Digital Product Passport (DPP) to enhance transparency across product value chains by providing comprehensive information about each product.
Solomon and his start-up DokuPass, are developing a solution that ensures compliance with the DPP regulations while protecting trade secrets. His process not only ensures a high level of confidentiality but also promotes sustainability.
Where digitalisation and innovation go hand in hand: Solomon’s journey
Solomon’s idea for DokuPass comes from experiences he made at one of his workplaces. He was in charge of IT related inventory and purchases and saw how inefficient these systems work. In this kind of business, it is very complicated and time consuming to get all the required approvals and to manage the balance between stocks and lead time. As he tried a small import business the student faced similar problems such as missing paperwork, missing goods or long delivery times.
When Solomon became a team leader, he decided to pursue a master degree because he wanted to learn more about project and team management. “The experience in the programme was great. Apart from the IT-related topics, everything was new to me,” he said.
Creative Pre-Incubator: From dreams to plans to reality
He also took part in the Creative Pre-Incubator Programme at our university. Since 2014, this initiative has supported students, graduates and staff from universities of applied sciences in Lower Austria in turning their innovative business ideas into real companies.
The programme combines individual coaching, professional workshops, networking opportunities with experts from the industry and access to funding bodies. In short, it offers everything that is needed to launch a successful start-up.
Life is no piece of cake: The challenges of a start-up
"If I hadn't attended the programme at IMC Krems, I probably wouldn't have come up with the idea of founding a start-up," says Solomon. The first steps on his path to becoming an entrepreneur were exchanging ideas with people who faced similar challenges and learning from their solutions.
Although he is already in the middle of the process, Solomon still has to deal with a lot of challenges, especially bureaucratic obstacles.
Next stop: Silicon Valley
Currently, Solomon is thrilled to have secured his ticket for the Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp. This summer school offers students the chance to experience the international start-up scene and connect with leading minds in entrepreneurship.
“Regarding Berkeley: I want to present our developed software there, gather feedback, and find potential business customers or referrals. Also — even though it might be a bit early — I’d like to explore whether there are investors who might be interested,” Solomon says confidently.
We are excited to see what comes next for Solomon and his start-up.
Digital Business Innovation and Transformation master degree programme