career

• After completing my studies in July 2015, I had to move house for the fourth time in six years. I keep encountering the same problem: furniture no longer fits into the new living environment and/or is defective after disassembly and reassembly. There must be a better solution? But it didn't exist, so I wanted to create it: the idea of creating a truly modular furniture system with a magnetic connection system was born.

• The first step after coming up with the idea was to set up a limited liability company in order to be able to protect our interests right from the start.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• Founding of a GmbH including partnership agreement
• Formulating and sketching an idea

• Development of the connection system with the help of 3D printing and on the basis of countless different prototypes.

• Technical testing of the connector at the Institute for Timber Construction at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. (download test report)

• Creation of a modular furniture design (Pazls One) that can be expanded and rearranged both horizontally and vertically at any time without having to be dismantled beforehand. (download company presentation)

• Development of injection molds for connector production - cooperation with Ikusto GmbH begins.

• Registration of the first patent specifications on a European basis.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• 3D development of a technical product in the tolerance range +- 0.01mm including professional laboratory tests
• Product design of a B2C capable and e-commerce capable product
• Search for key partners in the production area; Negotiation of cooperation conditions and framework agreements, in particular with Ikusto GmbH
• Patenting an idea including building up internal IP know-how and communicating with a renowned patent law firm (Charrier Rapp & Liebau)
• Discussions and organization with banks and investors for corporate financing
• Organization and implementation of crowd investing

• The first piece of furniture is sold. The production still takes place at a local joinery in individual production. Further sales follow and the furniture system is continuously adapted to the experiences of production and the first customers.

• Participated in the TV show The Lion's Den. Dagmar Wöhrl and Frank Thelen each offer €400,000 for 25% of the company. We choose Frank Thelen because we sell B2C online and want to build a pure e-commerce company. The deal does not come about after the show, but the broadcast brings in significant traffic (> 200,000 users) and the first relevant sales (> 100,000 €).

• The production still takes place at the regional joinery. The semi-finished parts are picked up by me personally, provided with the fittings in a specially rented storage space, packed by hand and taken to the post office. The fittings were previously pressed by hand by me and friends.

• The first European patent is granted: download patent

• We win the German Innovation Award and the German Design Award for our furniture connectors and furniture design.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• Design of an e-commerce website including 3D configurator
• Development of an initial supply chain with regional partners in order to be able to manage an initial turnover of €100k
• Preparation and execution of the TV show The Lion's Den
• Negotiations with investors
• Development of the social media channels parallel to the TV broadcast

• In the course of the TV show, numerous companies from the industry approached us and were interested in licensing and/or buying the patent rights. Due to a non-existent, scalable production and logistics chain, we allow ourselves to be tempted into these negotiations, which, however, are ultimately unsuccessful because the companies demand exclusivity without wanting to offer anything in return.

• The medium-sized family business Hammerbacher GmbH (office furniture manufacturer from Bavaria / mid eight-digit annual turnover) contacted us for the first time and offered their production and logistics for scaling ready for series production. We have many discussions with the Hammerbacher family to define a common path that will deliver sustainable added value for both parties.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• Conducting a large number of discussions on licensing and/or the sale of intellectual property rights
• Discussion of a future-oriented cooperation between a start-up and a medium-sized family business

• Cooperation with Hammerbacher GmbH begins. The first piece of furniture from this production will be sold and delivered in June 2020. From now on we have all modules in stock and can ship every individual customer order within 7 working days.

• At the end of the year, Hammerbacher GmbH took a final stake in Pazls GmbH in order to provide it with the necessary liquidity and to be able to actively invest in marketing. Ikusto GmbH also participates in Pazls GmbH as a producer of furniture connectors. From now on, we founders still hold 60% of our company.

• Start of a 50% job at Ikusto GmbH as a project manager in the area of process management in order to put a small financial burden on Pazls GmbH at the beginning of the restart and at the same time to establish new processes and digitization tools in Ikusto GmbH.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• Redesign of the furniture modules so that they can be manufactured fully automatically in large quantities
• Optimization of the injection molding tools in order to be able to manufacture the furniture connectors in an optimized and scalable manner
• Negotiation of a participation agreement for investors in Pazls GmbH, combined with refinancing and dissolving dependency on banks

Ikusto GmbH:

• Analysis, evaluation, creation and implementation of the production processes
• Creation of in-house software for production planning and monitoring of production processes

• We start hesitantly with SEA and continuously increase the invested budget until the end of the year. In Q4 2021 we are investing almost €50,000 in Facebook, Google and others in order to generate sales of around €150,000 net via our own online shop in the same quarter. The best month is November with a turnover of €70,000 (net) with an invested marketing budget of €15,000 => ROA of 4.7

• The average growth per quarter is approx. 50% and provides the basis for further budget increases in 2022.

• Development of a new furniture system (Pazls Two) with the aim of achieving a lower sales price in order to increase the target group.

• Termination of temporary employment at Ikusto GmbH -> Software is implemented and handed over & allows full concentration on Pazls GmbH.

• Another European patent with 2 main claims (valuable, rare) is granted: download patent

• Bild (high-circulation German newspaper) voted us one of the 5 most sustainable online shops in Germany.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• SEA & SEO measures including continuous monitoring and adjustment
• Development of a customer service structure in combination with direct and uncomplicated complaint management B2C
• Continuous comparison of quality and processes with production and logistics at Hammerbacher GmbH
• Development of internal tools to simplify the ordering process and customer communication
• Development of a cheaper furniture system with minimally limited benefits (corresponding to the brand promise)
• Development of a comprehensive strategy to generate maximum patent protection from original applications

Ikusto GmbH:

• Implementation and optimization of the internally developed software for production planning and monitoring of the production processes

• Q1 starts phenomenally and we expect an increase in sales for the full year in the amount of 100%.

• We are turning over our millionth euro. (Return rate overall: 1%, Trusted Shops: 4.95/5 stars)

• With the beginning of the war in the Ukraine and the direct consequences of it (general uncertainty, increase in inflation, fear of high energy costs, ...) sales collapsed dramatically.

• In order to limit the losses, we abruptly reduce the marketing budget and try to sit out the spring and summer.

• In autumn we increase our investments again and these seem to be successful at first. We achieve the best ROA ratios in the months of August and September.

• We increase the budget again in October and November, but without success. The sales figures are even falling again, so that our liquidity is being used up.

• The first furniture companies are filing for bankruptcy, we recognize these signs and decide at the end of 2022 not to continue the company as planned. Marketing investments are discontinued. The patents are to be sold.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• Development of sustainable processes in order to be able to manage a 100% increase in sales
• Continuous adjustment of liquidity and investment plans in order to be able to cope with fluctuating income and earnings

• The shareholders officially decide to dissolve the GmbH. The goal is currently still to sell the stock of the Hammerbacher company. The patent rights are also sold.

• A long and exciting journey comes to an end - for the first time I realize that this can also be the beginning of something new.

• As a customer order for a furniture company, I design the SHIFT SHELF within a few weeks, construct production plans, build a first website including shop as well as AR function and organize the production. I quickly notice the significant difference in speed compared to Pazls.

• That's exactly what I want to do in my life in the future: create new things that have real added value and represent a change in the status quo. The positioning in the living environment (civil engineering <-> interior) speaks to my talents and skills. The positioning between technology and business (engineer <-> entrepreneur) corresponds to my experience.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• Dissolution of a GmbH
• Sale of company assets
• Creation of new concepts and ideas

• Responsibility for new living space models and building solutions.

• Life is dynamic and versatile, yet living often remains static and uniform. In the future, I want to make a significant contribution to testing and demonstrating alternatives to prevailing solutions. 

• In my role as innovation and product manager at Rhomberg Building Holding, I am dedicated to developing new living space models and construction solutions as products. I am convinced that in the future, living spaces will adapt to us, rather than the other way around. 

• My approach combines creative innovation with practical implementation, to create sustainable and inspiring living concepts that both preserve the environment and meet modern requirements.

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Relevant fields of activity:

• Reorganisation of the innovation process
• Trend management
• Creation of new habitat models and building solutions