Cybarete is a pioneering venture established in 2019 and is led by Dr. Dale Sparrow. The Company is making waves in the fields of mining, manufacturing, and agriculture by integrating diverse equipment, processes, and machinery to enhance decision-making, safety, and productivity.
Since its early days, Cybarete’s primary goal was clear: find the best way of getting the technology out into the world as it will need to replace a lot of old and entrenched technologies critical to the heavy industry. “Finding early adopters and industry partners was our priority. We did not want to be dependent on investment to get it into the field. We wanted partners that would help us to trial it as fast as possible so it can be tested and improved on, because the best way to know if you’ve got something worthwhile is if someone wants to pay for it,” explains Dr. Sparrow.
On how the idea came to life Dr. Sparrow shares: “I have always loved the symphony of execution when a well-designed complex system adapts and forms to complete a task. Humanity’s most brilliant technological feats and progress require us to re-think decades-old automation and industrial control techniques. I wanted to help humanity’s quest to be a space-faring species but with the amount of brilliant engineers already working in rocketry, energy storage and habitation I realised nobody is working on the technology that brings all these individual systems together.”
One of Cybarete’s proudest achievements is the creation of a ground-breaking system that challenges conventional perceptions of how technology interacts. Their innovation places them roughly 15 years ahead in the field of automation, and they’ve devised solutions for critical industry problems stemming from legacy automation systems.
The business philosophies driving Cybarete are rooted in gearing humanity to support population growth, elevated living standards, improved work conditions, and innovation-driven exploration. “To do this we need to provide a platform where individual innovations and technologies automatically work with other technologies and humans to fulfil the goals of the people around them. Less tedious manual and repetitive labour means more time for creativity and quality of life,” explains Dr. Sparrow.
“We work in the heavy industry with a deep technology which means we should be able to solve many different problems, but it’s difficult to formulate our value offering and we therefore have to work closely with clients to build their solution. Eventually, clients will be able to use our technology directly to build their systems like Lego, but for now, we are still very involved in the process,” says Dr. Sparrow.
Cybarete’s journey has been punctuated by positive feedback from industries recognising the value of their innovative approach. With an eye on industries acknowledging the limitations of their existing technologies, Cybarete is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future technological landscape. Through Cybarete’s journey, Dr. Sparrow has learned the invaluable lesson that ideas are only the beginning; execution is where the real challenge lies and scaling execution adds another layer of complexity.
The contributions of Stellenbosch University and their Innovation and Commercialisation (Innovus) Division have been instrumental in Cybarete’s entrepreneurial journey. Beyond providing opportunities and connections, they’ve offered invaluable advice garnered from years of experience and skills. Additionally, the administrative guidance and support have steered Cybarete away from potential obstacles that could have hindered their progress.
To find out more about Cybarete, click here.