Source: Forbes
Das Linzer Startup Moldsonics macht mit seiner Ultraschall-Sensortechnologie Produktionsprozesse in der Kunststoffindustrie effizienter. Die Gründer Thomas Mitterlehner, Klaus Straka und Bernhard Praher haben aus zwölf Jahren Forschung eine Anwendung gebaut, die heute vor allem in der Recyclingindustrie zum Einsatz kommt – und wurden dafür von tech2b mit dem Edison Changemaker Award powered by WKO OÖ ausgezeichnet.
In the plastics industry, every second counts: if a recycling plant comes to an unplanned standstill, for example because a wearing part has given up the ghost unnoticed, it costs money. The Linz-based start-up Moldsonics has created a product that solves this problem - with ultrasound. Moldsonics founders Thomas Mitterlehner and Bernhard Praher call it "predictive maintenance" - predictive maintenance that minimizes downtime. Sensors measure the wear condition of machine parts, for example, so that machine operators can recognize early on when a part needs to be replaced or serviced. "Less downtime, more efficiency," summarizes Mitterlehner.
He leads the company as CEO, while Bernhard Praher drives technical development as CTO. Both know each other from the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz, where they worked at the Institute for Polymer Injection Molding Technology. Together with Klaus Straka, who continues to work at the JKU and acts as a scientific advisor, they founded Moldsonics in 2021.
Praher began researching ultrasound in plastics processing back in 2009. As part of his PhD, he researched new applications for ultrasonic sensors and came across the technology that Moldsonics uses today. "Too often, research results disappear in a drawer after a doctorate, while researchers move on to industry," Praher regrets. He stayed in research for around a decade before deciding to become an entrepreneur.
The most important customer is Erema, a recycling plant manufacturer from Ansfelden. Mitterlehner explains that the Moldsonics sensors measure the wear condition of rotating components that melt the plastic. The machines can run for longer, unplanned downtimes are avoided - and the operator knows the condition of his plant at all times.
In addition to Erema, international corporations such as Philips are among the companies using Moldsonics sensors. They are already in use in Denmark, the USA and Portugal. However, the founding team has learned that it is difficult to support customers on several continents with seven employees and is now focusing on the DACH region.
Moldsonics' business model has evolved over the years. Initially, the company financed itself mainly through services, says Mitterlehner: customized measurements for specific customer problems. At the same time, the team developed easy-to-use standard products. Today, Moldsonics sells its sensors as hardware, but also offers service packages and is experimenting with "pay per measurement" models. "We see that companies are looking for simple solutions. The challenge for us is to explain our technology as simply as possible and to offer customers the benefits with as little effort as possible," says Mitterlehner.
To date, the company has been financed from its own sales and funding. Right at the beginning, Moldsonics was the first start-up in Upper Austria to receive a spin-off fellowship from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency. Moldsonics also received funding from Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH through the "Seedfinancing - Deeptech" program.
Anerkennung für ihre Arbeit bekamen Mitterlehner, Praher und Straka im Juli 2025 auch in Form des Edison Changemaker Awards powered by WKO OÖ ausgezeichnet. Für Markus Achleitner, Wirtschaftslandesrat von Oberösterreich, ist Moldsonics ein Paradebeispiel dafür, wie aus universitärer Forschung innovative Unternehmen entstehen können. Die Kunststoffindustrie (also genau die Industrie, die Moldsonics in Angriff nimmt) sei in Oberösterreich die zweitstärkste Industrie, sagt er – 55 % der gesamten österreichischen Kunststoff-Wertschöpfung kämen aus dem Bundesland. Von Produzenten wie Borealis über Spritzgießmaschinenhersteller wie Engel Austria – solche stellen Kunststoffteile aus Kunststoff in Granulat- oder Pulverform her – bis zu Recycling-Unternehmen wie Erema sei die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette im Bundesland vertreten.
The award is more than just an accolade, emphasizes Achleitner: it increases visibility in the industry and opens doors. The seriousness that is documented by such an award helps young technology companies in particular to enter the market.
At the "K" trade fair in Düsseldorf in October - the world's largest trade fair for the plastics industry - the team wants to reap the rewards of its years of development work. Moldsonics will be represented at Engel Austria with three exhibits and will be able to demonstrate its technology on running machines.
In addition, the three existing products - wear measurement and two solutions for injection molding - are to be improved over the next few years. At the same time, the team is working on expanding into the metal casting industry, where initial pilot projects are underway.
Mitterlehner and Praher have proven that years of basic research can lead to good business. Their ultrasound technology makes production processes more transparent, efficient and sustainable. In an industry where every second of downtime costs money and every tonne of plastic that is not recycled represents a missed opportunity for the circular economy, their innovation could become a game changer. Mitterlehner: "Our customers work under strict regulations. The machines' sensor technology simply has to work - around the clock and for several years. We want to be a reliable partner for this."
Photo: Christian Huber
