Uktena is an intelligent industrial assistant capable of seeing, recording, and teaching task execution processes through Mixed Reality. This SaaS (Software as a Service) platform has been adopted by Roca to improve training processes for its personnel, providing real-time, hands-free access to a wide range of resources, including information, data, tutorials, automated reports, and expert guidance. The Uktena assistant allows workers to be trained on the go while performing a specific task, thus optimizing the learning process, and avoiding unnecessary added costs related.

The essence of this Proof of Concept (PoC) lies in validating the viability of employing mixed reality solutions for the training of ROCA personnel, whether in a guided or autonomous manner, by utilizing smart glasses. This training encompasses all aspects related to equipment maintenance and assembly, catering to both technicians and sales representatives. Roca has opted to kickstart this initiative with a thermotactic tap, providing Uktena with the 3D schematics of the various components that constitute the tap. Subsequently, Uktena will leverage this information to create a 3D digital twin replete with usage instructions and specifications.

Uktena’s CEO, Rafael Wanderley, possesses a uniquely diverse background, with expertise spanning telecommunications, gaming, history, and archaeology, along with a track record of successful entrepreneurial and research endeavours across these areas.

Project led by:

Javier Iglesias (Roca Group Corporate After Sales Director)

Juan Manuel Molina (Roca Gorup Corporate After Sales Manager)

Uktena: https://uktena.es/

Roca Group After Sales with Uktena video: https://youtu.be/VyaUhB4aZBM?si=xaE_NkztlwV8eavo

Triditive Additive Manufacturing, founded and led by serial entrepreneur Jose Camero, is an innovative automated 3D printing industrial machine that transitions from prototyping to mass production of fully functional finished products. The company’s cutting-edge patented AMCELL platform is powered by advanced software and enables users to efficiently manage, execute and track work orders either from a central control system or remotely through any device. This unique capability allows organizations to swiftly address urgent orders, minimize machine downtime, and monitor the entire production process remotely.

Jose Camero, Triditive’s founder and Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO), brings with him a wealth of experience in telecommunications and tech-consultancy. Furthermore, he possesses more than 6 years of extensive research expertise in the field of 3D printing.

In 2022, Roca faced the need to develop specific components of machinery to facilitate the automatic uploading of heavy metal pieces in one of their business lines. Leveraging Triditive’s revolutionary technology, the company was able to produce these essential components at an impressive 40% reduced cost compared to other providers. After conducting a successful pilot run with four units in October 2022, Triditive efficiently fulfilled an order of 400 units in February 2023.

Project led by:

David Sánchez (Faucets Process Engineering Manager)

Miquel Barahona (Faucets Manufacturing Director)

Triditive : https://triditive.com/es/

Roca Group Faucets Manufacturing: https://youtu.be/FTRU1Ipxcvc

ActiMirror is a Spanish-Asian start-up that specializes in the Smart Mirror concept connecting it to the internet and other smart home devices. Equipped with a high-definition touchpad screen, a microphone, integrated camera and speakers, the Smart Mirror enables users to control and monitor several devices in the bathroom and rest of the home. In addition to its connectivity with audio and video streaming devices, other advanced features include a skin analysis and the monitoring of vital signs to track user’s health metrics. To enhance its capabilities, the mirror is complemented with an open platform that connects with third-party providers, offering users a range of diverse applications. For instance, a partnership with leading beauty and personal care companies provides users with guidance to apply make-up.

The company’s CEO, Victor Ruiz, is a technology entrepreneur with a vast global background, having lived and work in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. With over 17 years of experience, he has successfully promoted the growth of technology and services for Fortune 500 companies in the US and Europe.  

ActiMirror has built three mirrors according to the specifications requested by Roca while preserving the functionalities of their service. These mirrors were delivered to Roca in late February and were showcased at Roca’s booth at the international ISH fair in Frankfurt. Currently, Roca is evaluating potential clients who might be interested in testing these mirrors.

Project lead by Marc Balcells & Jordi Corral from Corporate Marketing team of Roca Group:  https://rocagroup.com/memoria_roca_2022/en/moving-into-the-future/innovation

ActiMirror: https://www.actimirror.com/

Roca Group Ventures, Roca Group’s venturing fund, has reached an agreement with the innovation platform Plug and Play. This will help Roca Group discovering new technological solutions that will enable to develop new business models and products throughout the supply chain, while collaborating in the investment processes carried out by this platform.

Thanks to the Open Innovation, POCs (Proofs of Concept) will be launched between Roca Group and selected startups, an action that will be driven by the collaboration, ecosystem and methodology of Plug and Play. These collaborations are already underway thanks to Roca Group Ventures’ role as a catalyst and link between the ecosystem and the Roca Group. Its main objective is to accelerate internal and external innovation in a hybrid way, through win-win associations in all geographies and verticals of interest to Roca Group.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley and present in more than 50 countries along the five continents, Plug and Play is a company whose mission is to drive technology forward by bridging the gap between the world’s largest corporations and the most innovative and promising startups in various industries. Currently, the company has an ecosystem of more than 570 multinationals such as Mercedes-Benz, BP, CaixaBank, Vodafone, among others, that rely on its services to be at the forefront of innovation and adapt to a constantly evolving market.

In addition, the company has a venture capital arm that invests in more than 250 startups a year, making it the most active investor in the world. This has enabled Plug and Play to have 31 unicorns in its portfolio, including Dropbox, N26, PayPal and, most recently, Einride.

“We are proud to start this collaboration with Roca Group. Together, we will be able to drive innovation and digitalisation in the bathroom industry, in a context of high-value technological and sustainable challenges”, says Saeed Amidi, CEO of Plug & Play.

In Daniel Valverde’s words, head of Roca Group Ventures: “This association will enhance one of the main characteristics of Roca Group: its innovative character. The synergies generated by joining forces allow us to develop our hybrid model of innovation, combining internal and external talent, on an international scale, and for the 170 markets in which the Group operates”.

About Roca Group and Roca Group Ventures

Roca Group is a world leader in design, production and marketing of bathroom products for architecture, construction and interior design. With the principle of sustainability at the heart and root of all its activities and with the aim of bequeathing a better planet to future generations, the Roca Group implements this culture in the 170 countries in which it operates and in its 76 factories through the daily commitment of its more than 21,000 employees. The family-owned group is the market leader in Europe, Latin America and India. It also has a strong presence in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Africa. As a result, it is a world leader in its activity.

Roca Group Ventures is the Roca Group’s CVC & Open Innovation platform that was created in 2022 with the aim of investing in cutting-edge startups and offering solutions to new challenges in innovation and sustainability that increase productivity and improve the group’s value proposition to its customers. For more information, please visit: https://rocagroupventures.com/.

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we are present in more than 50 locations on 5 continents. We offer business innovation programmes and help our corporate partners in all phases of their innovation journey, from training to execution. We also run startup accelerator programmes and have created an internal venture capital partnership to drive innovation across multiple sectors, through which we have invested in hundreds of successful companies, including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal and Rappi. To learn more, please visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/.

All current shareholders, led by Iberdrola, have participate in the capital increase

ATR is the leading digital platform for home refurbishments in Spain with sustainability at the core of its transformations

Roca Group, world leader in design, production and marketing of bathroom products, has led, through its Roca Group Ventures fund dedicated to the investment in startups and early-stage projects, the €2.5 million capital raising for the leader in home refurbishments in Spain, Aquí Tu Reforma (ATR). With a technological and sustainable approach, this proptech, founded in 2018, bases its strategy on a franchise model that digitises businesses, with the aim of improving the end-user experience.

In words of Francisco Morán, CEO and Co-founder of Aquí tu Reforma: “this agreement with Roca Group Ventures will allow Aquí tu Reforma to become the first global renovation brand to lead the transformation of the sector through technological innovation and with a clear focus on the well-being of people in sustainable cities”.

ATR will use these new funds to strengthen its sales team and to expand its network of franchisees in Spain. It will also boost the development of its technological capabilities and expand its business internationally, although it already has a presence in Italy, Mexico and Colombia.

Aquí tu Reforma has more than 130 renovation companies operating under its brand in Spain and has agreements with large multinationals among the home, renovation materials and banking institutions. Its business is focused on the refurbishment and renovation of homes and buildings, with a consolidated model of brand licences that has a powerful digital platform, which allows the comprehensive management of the refurbishment process for its licensees: from the supply and purchase of materials, to the financing of the final customer, including the management of the works or the refurbishment business itself. In addition, the platform allows the client to be involved in the entire process.

Iberdrola, through its Perseo start-up programme, and Seaya Ventures, among other investors, have also participated in the capital raising.

In words of the head of Roca Group Ventures, Daniel Valverde: “This investment allows Roca Group to strengthen its position in the renovation market, where Roca products have always been an essential element. Thanks to technology, we will increase our knowledge of consumers and their needs when renovating their home or bathroom, always from a sustainable point of view”.

This is the first investment of the 25-million-euro fund announced by Roca Group last year. As its CEO, Albert Magrans, points out: “Roca Group Ventures seeks to generate a hybrid entrepreneurial model that combines the advantages of a large company (resources, scale, knowledge, experience, marketing) with innovation, technology, motivation, agility and talent of a start-up”.

In the upcoming months, new investments are expected from the fund, which expects to close the year with 4-5 startups in its portfolio.

Since March 2022, Roca Group has had Alantra as advisor to its Roca Group Ventures fund. Alantra, through its Venture Capital unit, supports corporations in the launch and management of their corporate funds investing in startups.

About Roca Group and Roca Group Ventures

Roca Group is a world leader in design, production and marketing of bathroom products for architecture, construction and interior design. With the principle of sustainability at the heart and root of all its activities and with the aim of bequeathing a better planet to future generations, the Roca Group implements this culture in the 170 countries in which it operates and in its 76 factories through the daily commitment of its more than 21,000 employees. The family-owned group is the market leader in Europe, Latin America and India. It also has a strong presence in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Africa. As a result, it is a world leader in its activity.

Roca Group Ventures is the Roca Group’s CVC & Open Innovation platform that was created in 2022 with the aim of investing in cutting-edge startups and offering solutions to new challenges in innovation and sustainability that increase productivity and improve the group’s value proposition to its customers. For more information, please visit: https://rocagroupventures.com/.

About Aquí Tu Reforma

Aquí Tu Reforma has established itself as the leading renovation and rehabilitation brand in Spain. A pioneer as the first company of reference in the sector, the brand has the largest network of refurbishment professionals in more than 50 Spanish cities and has started its internationalisation in Mexico, Italy and Colombia. Aquí tu Reforma has revolutionised the sector with a strong commitment to the digitalisation of renovations, with benefits for both the professional and the client. Its mission is to improve people’s wellbeing in sustainable cities, prioritising energy rehabilitation in the projects it undertakes. For more information, visit the website https://www.aquitureforma.com/.

Aquí Tu Reforma

Francisco Moran

francisco.moran@aquitureforma.com

CEO & CO-FOUNDER

+34 676 489 147

C/ del Cobalt, 58

08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona)