21 Feb Collaborate and Adapt: The 32bit Story
Access to quality dental care remains a challenge in many rural areas, with patients often facing long travel distances for treatment. Seeing this gap, Tobias Lippek and Sebastian Geiger founded 32bit, later joined by Caroline Patrick as a team member, to make mobile dentistry a viable and scalable solution. Over the past months, Tobias and Caroline have worked together in the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator program, refining their approach.
Tobias and Caroline, can you share how your partnership began and what complementary skills each of you brought to 32bit from the start? And why mobile dentistry?
Our partnership was born out of a shared vision: improving dental care in rural areas. Tobias brings extensive experience in dentistry and healthcare, while Caroline has a strong background in business models and scaling strategies. This combination allowed us to develop a sustainable and innovative solution. Mobile dentistry was the logical answer to the problem because it reaches patients directly—especially those who would otherwise have no access to dental care.
Were there any pivotal moments where your work with mentors and coaches directly impacted a major pivot or decision?
Yes, one of the most critical moments was realizing that we needed to create not just a mobile dental unit but an entire service ecosystem. Through discussions with mentors in the healthcare and startup sectors, we understood that a platform to coordinate and rent out the mobile units was essential. This insight significantly shaped our strategy.
What were some of the key challenges you faced as a team in the early days, and how did you overcome them?
One of our biggest challenges was securing funding for our pilot regions. We had to convince not only investors but also policymakers and dentists. The key to success was demonstrating the clear economic benefits. By using a fact-based approach, we gained the trust of key stakeholders.
Over time, how have your working dynamics and roles shifted as 32bit has grown? How do you adapt when facing disagreements or differing perspectives?
As 32bit has grown, our roles have evolved: Tobias focuses more on the medical and operational aspects, while Caroline drives strategic partnerships and scaling. When we have differing perspectives, we rely on a structured decision-making process—evaluating data, market feedback, and our long-term vision to find the best path forward
Reflecting on your journey together, what is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned as a team, and how has it influenced your decision-making process?
The most valuable lesson we’ve learned is that a strong vision, combined with pragmatic execution, is key to success. Big ideas alone aren’t enough—they need to be financially viable and operationally feasible. This principle guides our daily decision-making.
Your project is heavily based on collaboration. Are there specific practices or routines that have helped maintain a strong and supportive partnership?
Regular strategy meetings and close alignment with our partners are essential. We prioritize short decision-making processes and transparent communication. Constant engagement with care facilities, dentists, and investors ensures that our solution remains relevant and effective.
You developed a white paper as part of your project. What motivated you to create it, and how did the process influence your strategy or product development? Were there any surprising challenges or insights that emerged during its creation?
Our white paper was created to provide investors and policymakers with solid data to support our concept. The process helped us refine our business model and clearly quantify both the economic and social benefits. One unexpected challenge was that while many stakeholders recognized the problem, they initially underestimated the potential of a mobile solution.
Based on your experiences, what is your best piece of advice for other founding teams?
Think big but stay practical—focus on execution. Even the best ideas will fail if they aren’t financially sustainable. A strong network and the ability to adapt quickly to new insights are crucial for success.
Tobias and Caroline’s experience shows that building a successful venture is as much about personal resilience as it is about strategic innovation. Even though their entrepreneurial journey doesn’t continue together, their story is a reminder to founders everywhere: trust your vision, learn from every challenge, and continuously adapt to create solutions that truly matter.