Interview Prep Docs
HelioVision/2. Company Research

Company Research: HelioVision

Overview

HelioVision is a fast-growing, Belgium-based scale-up specializing in Machine Vision and Computer Vision solutions for the European market. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, they provide customized, state-of-the-art vision systems that help major brands automate quality control and enhance operational efficiency.

Core Business & Services

HelioVision acts as an end-to-end integrator and developer. They blend hardware innovation (selecting and integrating smart cameras, lenses, edge devices, and lighting) with advanced software (AI, Deep Learning, 3D Imaging, and Custom Web Dashboards).

Their solutions cover:

  • Quality Inspection: Catching product defects on manufacturing lines.
  • Object Localization & Presence Verification: Verifying if components are correctly assembled.
  • 3D Robot Control: Guiding robotic arms using vision to pick up objects (Bin Picking).
  • Measuring & Metrology: High-precision automated measuring in pharmaceuticals and automotive.
  • Pattern Recognition & Code Reading: Smart checkout systems and barcode/QR scanning.

Notable Clients & Projects

They deploy tailor-made systems for world-class clients across automotive, consumer goods, medical, and packaging industries.

  • Estée Lauder: Automated quality control catching the tiniest lipstick defects.
  • Colruyt: Smart checkout cameras recognizing products in real-time.
  • Atlas Copco, Dell, ICI PARIS XL: Vision-driven automation and quality assurance.

Technology Stack & Engineering Culture

HelioVision operates at the intersection of heavy industrial hardware and modern web technology.

  • Hardware Focus: They heavily utilize edge computing platforms like Raspberry Pi and Arduino distributed across factory floors, alongside industrial cameras and serial protocols (UART, SPI, I2C).
  • Software Focus: They prioritize React/Next.js/TypeScript for operator dashboards and configuration portals, allowing operators to monitor real-time AI inferences via WebSockets.
  • AI & Cloud: They leverage OpenCV and PyTorch for inference on the edge, pushing telemetry and logs to cloud infrastructure (GCP, AWS, PostgreSQL, Supabase) via Node.js or FastAPI.
  • Deployment: Strong reliance on Docker for edge containerization to ensure reliable updates and isolation.

What They Look For in Engineers

As a young, hardware-meets-software scale-up (founded in 2019), they are looking for "Builders" and "Sorcerers". They value:

  1. Full-Stack Competency: The ability to write a sleek React UI and simultaneously debug a Node.js REST API or Python WebSocket server.
  2. Hardware Empathy: A strong curiosity for embedded systems. They don't just want cloud developers; they want engineers comfortable with an oscilloscope, a serial monitor, and stepping onto a physical factory floor for calibration.
  3. Ownership: The drive to take an idea from a Jupyter Notebook or a breadboard all the way to a robust Docker container deployed at a client's facility.

Key Interview Talking Points

  • Location Symmetry: Highlight that you are based in or familiar with the European/hybrid working environment (Leuven is a major tech hub in Belgium).
  • The "Scale-up" Mindset: Emphasize your ability to wear multiple hats, transitioning from low-level AUTOSAR embedded code (Marelli/EEINS) to high-level Next.js dashboards (Prezent).
  • Their Clients: Mentioning Estée Lauder or Colruyt shows you understand they build B2B enterprise systems where reliability (Zero Defects) is absolutely critical.