DIVELIT system is a Czech technology company specialising in the development of bespoke electronics and software, particularly in the field of so-called industrial embedded systems. It was founded by Matěj Očenášek, a graduate of the Institute of Microelectronics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Technologies, Brno University of Technology. He describes his company as a sort of product development firm offering ‘turnkey’ solutions.
Although the company consists of a team of professional developers – of whom there are countless on the market – DIVELIT has a significant advantage over other firms. “Some people would describe our company as a design house. Our added value lies in the fact that we handle complete product development. This means that we handle the entire electronics development process for our clients, from prototyping through certification and technical documentation right through to software development and launch into production. It’s not as though we develop something only as a semi-finished product. We deliver products to customers that they can take and bring to market,” explains the company’s CEO, Matěj Očenášek.
In addition to development, the company can provide a project plan, a budget and a risk analysis. It also has its own laboratory, so its services include the actual manufacturing process, including the preparation of samples. “For pre-certification testing, we collaborate with partners who can carry out such testing in their own laboratories. These include Brno University of Technology and the Technical University of Liberec,” says the Brno University of Technology graduate, adding that it is precisely the comprehensiveness of the service as a whole that customers value most.
The technologies the company works with include, in particular, semiconductor chips. Specifically, microcontrollers and microprocessors with ARM cores, with M-Cortex and A-Cortex cores being the most commonly used. The first type is used for real-time operations, as it can respond immediately and has low power consumption; the second, by contrast, is designed for more powerful applications running full-fledged operating systems.
In addition to bespoke products, the company also has several proprietary devices in the automotive, energy and access systems sectors. One such example is the M–KIT, an all-in-one debugger that enables electronics developers to easily connect, debug and test development boards, microcontrollers and sensors. Among other things, they have also been granted an international patent for keyless car access technology, which enhances vehicle security.
Clients who have collaborated with DIVELIT include major companies such as Rieter and Linet, for whom they have developed solutions for the servicing of hospital beds and their accessories, as well as a crash sensor for hospital beds.
The idea was born whilst waiting for a bus
Matěj Očenášek was inspired to set up his own company by his grandfather. “I had a huge desire to achieve something more, and my grandad worked on lots of complex projects all over the world during his lifetime. I thought to myself that I might have it in my genes too,” he recalls with a smile. Whilst thinking about what he actually wanted to do, it occurred to him that it would be a good idea to link car safety more closely to mobile phones. And so DIVELIT was born. In his third year of secondary school, at a bus stop on the way back from training. “We had nothing. Just an abundance of ambition and a lot of naivety,” he says with a chuckle.
There were two of them at the company’s inception. “I was the less technically-minded one, and my colleague was the more technically-minded one. But we realised we needed someone else who understood the business side of things, so we brought in another friend and his brother,” explains Očenášek. Gradually, they began working on their first electronic devices, until they took one of their ideas to ŠKODA Auto. “We basically went there with a piece of paper, an idea and some small electronic components. At the time, we knew next to nothing about cars and thought that would be enough. We quickly realised just how complicated the automotive industry is,” he recalls.
Although the project wasn’t successful with the car manufacturer, it attracted attention and opened the door for the company to develop other technologies. DIVELIT was officially founded in 2017 and, rather than trying to break into the market directly with car manufacturers, the founders began to focus on supplier companies that needed electronics development for various industrial applications. “Our first major client was Jablotron; that was a real game-changer for us, even though the collaboration didn’t turn out entirely successfully,” explains Očenášek. DIVELIT currently has 25 employees and two branches – in Brno and Olomouc.
The biggest challenge is people management
Although Matěj Očenášek founded the company whilst still at secondary school, it had to evolve into the form in which it operates today. “When we started out, we knew virtually nothing. We struggled with project management; we struggled with sales. We learnt everything as we went along, as they say,” he explains, adding that it was only later that they realised the need to base their approach on clients’ real needs. Today, when devising a new service or product, they automatically begin by talking to potential customers and partners, which helps them uncover what companies really need. This makes it much easier to break into the market with a new offering.
Although the company’s primary focus is on the market, it also pays attention to innovation and new technologies. It was the first Czech firm to join the FiRa consortium, which specialises in UWB technology. “We’re constantly experimenting with this technology because we believe that one day it will be able to compete with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, for example,” says Očenášek.
The company also actively collaborates with Brno University of Technology (VUT), where its founders studied. They take part in lectures, offer students professional work placements and support the idea that the university should act as an incubator for innovation. “Studying at VUT gave me key knowledge that you definitely can’t find on the internet. On top of that, it also gave me great contacts, because I met the most important people at DIVELIT whilst I was studying,” explains the graduate, admitting that juggling university studies with running the company was challenging for him. “The year I took my final exams was probably the hardest of my life.”
According to Očenášek, the biggest challenge the company’s founders have had to tackle since its inception has not been in the business or technological spheres, but rather engaging people and keeping them motivated. “The hardest thing is to discover why they do this work. Because we don’t want them to see it merely as a job, but to feel good about it and be fully immersed in it. External motivation only works up to a certain breaking point, which is why we constantly strive to tap into our employees’ intrinsic motivation,” he explains.
A company with added value
And what are DIVELIT’s visions for the future? To become a company that is successful on the global market. “If I had to put a figure on it, it would be a billion crowns, which is of course a long way off and we’re really only just starting out. But it’s a target we’re able to aim for and work towards. So the aim is to find a global product or solution that will get us there,” says Očenášek.
“At the moment, we’re very interested in the field of smart farming and are gradually identifying the problems that need to be addressed in the agricultural sector. We’re thinking about what ‘that’ product should be,” he says, adding that it is important to him to support development and production on the Czech market. At the same time, however, they also have their first overseas clients, so he does not rule out the possibility that another DIVELIT branch could be established outside the Czech Republic. “It would, however, be more of a business office than a development or production laboratory. We want the equipment to be manufactured domestically,” explains Očenášek.
Although the company is constantly developing and expanding, its aim is not to grow indefinitely. According to the CEO, the size of the company must reflect the real added value it brings to the market.
Written by Lenka Hubáčková (News at BUT magazine)
Photos: Václav Koníček
