At a trade fair four years ago, Markus Brehler found himself in an enviable position for someone contemplating the launch of a company. To investigate demand for a sensor that can generate its own power, Brehler pretended he already had a company. "We were curious to test the response, so we just created a virtual company," says the founder and CEO of EnOcean GmbH. "But the response was overwhelming, and suddenly we had customers and had to form the company."
Tough break. EnOcean's technology is creating a lot of buzz among people in diverse industries, from automation to automobiles. It's a spin-off...