Bernhard Winter

CEO of Scewo

(Forbes 30 Under 30)

26 September 2019 6 Min Read

Bernhard Winter: Revolutionizing Medical Devices with Innovation

Let me introduce you to Bernhard Winter, CEO and co-founder of Scewo, a company working on its first marketable model of a stair-climbing wheelchair, bringing accessibility to those with limited mobility. Thanks to his innovation and creativity, Bernhard earned a place on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Europe 2019: Science & Healthcare list.

Bernhard earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich. He has been working as a Research and Teaching assistant at ETH Zürich since he finished his Bachelor’s degree, and now is the CEO and co-founder of Scewo.

He is one of the individuals I consider a true hero, selflessly working and investing to make the world a better place. It was a true honor to hear his story firsthand – the idea and people that brought the company to life, the challenges of working in a team, and his goals for the company’s future. Join me in learning more about him!

The Logician

Hi Bernhard, and welcome to this interview! Before anything else, I would like to thank you for being a part of this mission! Do you mind introducing yourself? Who is Bernhard Winter? What was the reason for choosing your current career?

Bernhard Winter

I already experimented and developed small robots in my childhood.

During my studies, my interest turned into a passion and so I developed a measuring device for a company together with a colleague.

Later I’ve tried to build my own quadrocopter from the ground up — and it worked!

But as a child, I never thought that I would bring a stair-climbing wheelchair onto the market one day.

The Logician

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate you for being among Forbes 30 under 30! Was this a dream come true? What do you believe contributed the most to this success?

Bernhard Winter

Well, thank you. To be honest, I knew Forbes before the award, but I hadn’t been aware of what kind of impact such an award would have.

I think that this award was, above all, a reward for our courage. The courage to break new ground in an established market and to question the status quo in all aspects.

The Logician

Now, I would like to talk more about Scewo. What exactly is Scewo? How did you and the other co-founders come up with the business idea? What makes your company different from any other company in the field?

Bernhard Winter

Scewo is a team of highly motivated people with different skills who want to develop probably the coolest wheelchair in the world.

For my graduation, I wanted to build a robot that could balance itself independently when riding on two wheels and additionally could climb stairs.

My professor said that I should put a seat on it so that the device could be used. This is how the idea of the semi-autonomous and stair-climbing wheelchair arose. In a team of ETH and ZhdK students, we then developed the first prototype.

We received many purchase inquiries from all over the world after a video publication on YouTube. This made us aware of the potential of our device, so we founded the company in 2017.

Today, two years later, we are on the verge of series production and market entry in Switzerland. Germany and Austria will follow in 2020. Expansion into other countries will follow step by step according to demand.

We are mixing up the wheelchair market anew by acting completely different in various aspects. We create a device that makes previously inaccessible places accessible, thanks to an agile driving mode and stair climbing function.

We create a device that meets today’s demands in point of modern design. We present ourselves fresh, transparent and accessible and create new experiences for interested parties.

The Logician

According to you, what are the best and worst parts about having a successful business at a relatively young age? Please explain.

Bernhard Winter

Look, when you’re young, you lack experience and you act a little naive in certain situations.

That’s good because otherwise, you wouldn’t try things that you think are too difficult to solve.

You’re not biased by previous experiences, but take one challenge at a time. That is fun.

The Logician

How hard is it to run a company along with two other people? How important is it for the co-founders of one company to know each other for a long time before they start a business together? What are the most important principles in Co-Founders' relationships?

Bernhard Winter

Well, three people bring much more ideas around for discussion. This is also a challenge because, in the end, you have to go one way together.

I’m not sure whether it’s very important to know each other for a long time beforehand. Of course, there are advantages: You know how the other one works and whether it matches your own style.

But I think that it is the puzzle of different characters that makes you successful.

The most important thing is that you have to be completely honest so that you can trust each other. If there is a problem between the co-founders the company will have a problem as well.

The Logician

How would you describe a healthy working environment and why? When working in a team, what are the five most important things that everyone should consider?

Bernhard Winter

We all work hard. People who work hard also need enough free time to recover. That’s why it’s important to me that our employees can take time outs, for example, to go to sports.

But our employees are responsible for knowing when they are productive and when they should take a break.

I think it’s great when you can come up with ideas. No matter if you work in the software and present the hardware team an idea “out of the box”.

Even if it may not be a feasible solution, you can inspire your colleagues and get them ahead in the thinking process. It is also part of appreciation to support others with one’s own resources.

Then communication certainly also constitutes good cooperation; listening well and giving honest and fair feedback.

The Logician

What hard thing are you not doing enough? What easy thing are you doing too much?

Bernhard Winter

I should rather take care of the team growth, look for new superpowers and hire them.

Instead, I keep programming for the device to improve it. Well, it’s just my ‘baby’ that I want to push forward.

The Logician

How do you spend the first few hours of every day? Which habits are important to develop? Why?

Bernhard Winter

I’m usually the first one in the office. That is when I enjoy the silence to program something for the wheelchair by myself.

When the entire software team is on-site, I’m part of their sprint meeting, asking critical questions to get the team moving. I observe that setting up meetings becomes a habit — that should be improved.

Too often, you discuss issues that would actually be resolved very quickly. I would appreciate it if someone sends me a mail with the problem and an initial solution proposal. If the challenge is more complex than expected, the best solution can still be worked out in a short discussion.

The Logician

Where do you see yourself and your company ten years from now? Are there any milestones you want to reach by then?

Bernhard Winter

In ten years our wheelchair has established itself worldwide and can hopefully offer even more than today.

Of course, we are thinking about a wheelchair that drives autonomously.

Maybe there will be more Scewo products until then; we got many ideas, but we still leave that open.

The Logician

Last but not least, what is your advice for people who struggle to enter the business world?

Bernhard Winter

Believe in yourselves and in your vision. If you really want to achieve something – then you can do it!

The Logician

Thank you, Bernhard, for sharing your inspiring story. What you have accomplished with the wheelchair that can climb stairs will change the lives of so many people. It’s rare to see such a helpful innovation for the broader mass, so I salute you. Moreover, your advice to believe in yourself, take time to recover, and be honest with your team members are all precious lessons for us to take home with us. I wish you good luck to you and the future of Scewo!

The Logician

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Bernhard Winter: Revolutionizing Medical Devices with Innovation

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