Website Planet‘s Marko Velimirovic had the unique opportunity to interview Vincenzo Rana, CEO and Co-Founder of KNOBS. We touched basis on how the company came into being, how it evolved, and what differentiates it from similar companies.
What is KNOBS?
KNOBS is an Italian tech company with a leading role in the field of blockchain and cutting-edge technologies, partner in national and international projects which involve players from all over the world.
It founds its strength and success on a team of expert developers, consultants and researchers, always up-to-date on the latest technologies and constantly engaged in high-level training and specializing workshops, also provided on request to the company’s customers.
Please, describe the story behind the company. What sparked the idea, and how has it evolved so far?
KNOBS was born in 2014, by the intuition of three engineers, who have been working side by side for a long time as professors and researchers at the Department of Engineering, Informatics, and Bioengineering of Politecnico di Milano.
Since the beginning, the mission of the company has been developing pioneering and disruptive projects based on technologies at the forefront of innovation, with special attention to blockchain.
KNOBS was originally created as a software house specialized in rapid prototyping and in designing and developing complex software and hardware projects, with full-stack expertise in the integration of advanced technologies and programming languages.
Beginning in 2015, the emergence and spread of Ethereum has allowed it to progressively focus on blockchain technology and carry out the first practical use cases.
Since 2019, KNOBS has started building NFT-based systems – that is systems involving the use of Non Fungible Tokens, one of the several interesting tools that blockchain technology makes available. It holds an absolute record in Italy, as the first tech company to develop and release a platform for the distribution of NFTs, based on the scanning of a QR-Code, realized in partnership with the Blockchain & DLT Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano.
Through the years, the company has continued to constantly grow and expand its team and its expertise, rapidly turning from a role of pioneer in the development of blockchain-based projects to that of a leader and reference corporation in the sector at a national level.
What services do you offer?
As a software house and tech advisory firm, KNOBS is specialized in the design and implementation of complex technological systems and bespoke solutions focused on blockchain, IoT, home automation, mobile applications, and web platforms, with the aim to support the technological and digital transformation of companies, businesses, and professionals in any sector.
Its team is an expert in the development of all the different phases of full stack projects, from concept to market launch, as well as in the optimization of IT systems and the creation of customized platforms and applications, tailored to the specific needs of clients and partners.
What is the mission of KNOBS?
KNOBS is fully engaged in promoting the innovation and the technological upgrade and growth of large companies, SMEs, and start-ups as well as the adoption of blockchain technology as a pivotal driver for the development of many sectors and as a revolutionary paradigm, globally growing since 2014.
What separates you from other similar companies?
Two peculiar features make KNOBS different from any other company working in the same field.
Since the very beginning, of the company’s life and almost two years in advance in respect to the current market trends, the founders, the associates, and the whole team have been aware of the crucial role that blockchain technology is playing and is destined to play in the near future.
As such, KNOBS has always owned a crystal-clear mission and vision and played a pioneering role in the development of blockchain-based projects.
Besides this and even more important, in any single moment of its growth, the company has been able to count on an extraordinary crew, with uncommon skills in terms of team spirit and sharing of interests, intents, values, and passion.
Through the years, KNOBS has been able to shape a perfectly balanced smart model of work and attract, thanks to it, some of the most talented professionals in the field, wherever they are from and wherever they are based.
What are the plans for the company for the near future?
Shaping the future is part of our own mission. How do we imagine ours?
KNOBS started as a dream, shared by three prominent scholars, passionate about blockchain and advanced technologies.
Initially, every step forward was made possible by reinvesting any income, training the team, and carrying on multiple research activities, so as to always stay in step with the ever-so-rapid technological evolution.
Currently, KNOBS has grown enough to get the chance to change perspective and approach.
It is ready to move its mission one step forward toward its most important goal.
The company already takes part in holdings that fund start-ups and small companies focused on the development and the spread of blockchain technology.
At the same time, it is involved in several projects as an advisory, capital, or technological partner and supports the foundation and growth of spin-offs aimed at developing ready-to-use products and making blockchain suitable for all.
This strong, solid base has allowed KNOBS to start exploring a supranational context and establishing partnerships with institutions and firms all over the world, especially in Singapore and USA.
