You hear more and more about start-ups and entrepreneurship in Germany. This is happening for a good reason, says Sven Häuser. He is one of the brave ones who threw himself headlong into a new start-up and is now successfully managing a company that continues to expand every year. Together with Kim Eisenmann, his business and life partner, the team founded Twinvay UG in 2016. This was subsequently converted into a GmbH. Two years later, the first office was opened in Waldbronn and additional employees were hired. Today the company operates worldwide and has long since outgrown the initial start-up environment. For this reason, Sven can give a realistic insight into real start-up life and may see some things differently in Germany.
"Germany promotes start-ups and entrepreneurship far more than it did ten years ago. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that start-ups are more of a fad. "
He feels that this: "Oh, I'll found my own start-up" has haunted almost everyone's mind. The mistake is usually not due to the idea, but to the founder's motivation. Sven has been observing the start-up scene for years and is very skeptical about it. "Many start-ups only in the hope of earning a lot of money later. Just this founding, scaling, ramping up and selling again is very artificial and has no higher purpose." In his opinion, the majority lack this intrinsic motivation to do something better in the world.
Founding is general in Germany Easier these days, as more programs and organizations exist to help start-ups. In terms of financing, Germany has also picked up compared to the USA. With the help of start-up loans from KfW or "Startfinanzierung 80" from L-Bank, a lot can be supported initially. However, these benefits are hard to come by and highly competitive. In general, Germans still lack an affinity for risk, according to Sven. If you compare this with the USA again, we come off significantly worse. Investors are also more hesitant when it comes to financing, which is why start-ups often have problems with financial enforcement, especially in the crucial development and growth phase. Your own contacts are very helpful in such situations.
"Building a solid network is essential."
Sven Häuser, co-founder of Xantus Drinkcheck & Twinvay GmbH
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