How PANTOhealth Came to Life
The First Spark
Every big idea starts somewhere. For us, it was a cellphone strapped onto a pantograph and a baby monitor camera taped to an old train. It was simple, rough, and kind of hilarious — but it showed us that we could change the way railways think about monitoring.
Our First Lifeline
Long before venture capital or big deals, the City of Berlin believed in us. We won our first public grant during one of the most challenging times for startups. That grant kept the lights on — and the dream alive.
Tough Talks and Big Steps
In June 2020, before we officially launched, we encountered our first real roadblock: a genuine disagreement between the founders. It was one of those moments where you either split apart or come out stronger. We chose stronger.
PANTOhealth Is Born
In the middle of a pandemic, with masks on and papers shuffled across long tables, we made it official. Our notary read our founding documents aloud — from four meters away! — And just like that, PANTOhealth became real.
Building Our First Real Prototype
We got our hands dirty — literally. We didn’t just design a system; we built it ourselves. A vibration-based monitoring solution, complete with a homemade sensor wiper. That prototype wasn’t perfect, but it was ours — and it worked.
Our First Customer Takes a Leap With Us
A visionary private rail operator provided us with our first opportunity by allowing us to install our technology on one of their old locomotives. That trust meant the world to us — it was proof that our work had value beyond our self-assurance.
Our First Surprise Abroad
Soon after, we spotted our technology being referenced in an international tender. Someone out there had found us — even before we found them. It was both surreal and thrilling at the same time.
A Place to Call Home
When we finally moved into our own office — not a coworking space, not a rented desk, but our office — it felt like a new beginning. Receiving a special academic discount made it even sweeter, a reminder that hard work — and a little bit of research — pays off.
Our First Salaries
Nothing says “this is real” like seeing your first payslip from your own company. In January 2022, we began paying real salaries — a move that made us feel both proud and responsible simultaneously.
The First Investor Who Believed
At a railway exhibition in Poland, we met someone who would become much more than an investor — a mentor, a believer. Their private loan gave us the fuel we needed to move faster and dream bigger.
Our First Award
In the summer of 2022, we proudly received our first industry recognition. (We’ll share the official title here soon!) It was more than just a trophy — it was a message: “Keep going. You’re onto something.”
Growing Our Family
We welcomed a bright and passionate working student from Türkiye — our very first team member outside the founding group. Watching the team grow, even by one person, felt like watching our roots dig deeper into the ground.
Our First International Exhibition
InnoTrans 2022: what an experience! We squeezed into a shared booth, placed a giant pantograph on display, and braced ourselves. The feedback was overwhelming — in the best way. We left that event knowing we had something the industry needed.
Signing on the Dotted Line
The day we sat at the notary’s office again, this time to formalize an investment deal, was unforgettable. It wasn’t glamorous — no balloons, no champagne. But it was the moment loans turned into shares, and ideas turned into recognized value.
Welcoming Our First Full-Time Employee
Hiring our first full-time permanent employee was a significant milestone for us. It meant we were no longer just a startup trying to survive — we were a company ready to grow sustainably.
A Bold New Direction
Listening to the market and learning from the field led us to rethink our core. We pivoted from pure vibration monitoring to a broader, AI-powered health monitoring platform for railway infrastructure: same mission, bigger vision.
Our First Milion-Dollor Deal
And then, it happened: we signed our first million-dollar contract with one of the largest railway networks in the world — in a country with over a billion people. It was the dream we had chased since mounting that cellphone back in 2018.
