The start-up orderspot from Münster is establishing a marketplace for the immediate purchase of laser parts. At the Digital Hub Accelerator, they have found new contacts and customers to further develop their business model. In this interview portrait, they explain how exactly this has helped them move forward.
In this interview portrait, our managing director Sebastian Köffer spoke with the two founders of orderspot, Martin Lenter and Denis Westermeyer.
How did you come up with the idea for your startup, and what motivated you to pursue it?
We had both wanted to be self-employed for a long time. Long waiting times for quotes are a common problem in industry and trade. So it made sense for us to tackle this problem, quit our jobs (which we still had at the end of 2019) and get started. The fact that many startups are currently being founded in the on-demand manufacturing sector – which is raising awareness of digital innovation in the industry – and that ordering via a genuine marketplace in this form does not yet exist, played into our hands. So we said: Okay, let's change that!
How many members are currently in your team and how did the team come together?
There are currently two founders. We also have a working student and several interns. We are looking for more interns and have advertised positions for bachelor's and master's theses. We have known each other privately for a very long time. We have good chemistry, our skills complement each other well, and we know we can rely on each other, which is important. Martin worked in the wood and furniture industry for 11 years and spent four years at an interior design company. It was during this time that we developed the idea for our start-up through mutual exchange. He is responsible for sales at orderspot. Denis spent 13 years in SAP consulting and is responsible for the technological and commercial side of the business.
The most important thing is definitely the support we receive from other startups that are part of the Digital Hub Accelerator or the Technologiehof. We can exchange ideas based on the motto: “How are you doing this?”
What support have you received so far on your journey?
The most important thing for us to further develop our business model is definitely the support we receive from other startups in the Digital Hub Accelerator or the Technologiehof. We can exchange ideas based on the motto: “How do you do that?” But the expert calls in the Digital Hub Accelerator also help us sharpen our positioning and make our business model a little bit more rounded. We have gained some permanent production partners. In addition, there are firm intentions that also came through the Digital Hub community. What would help you most in the medium term? More contacts. Every contact with a company helps us. The more people we talk to, the more comprehensive our view of what the sector and industry need becomes. And the other thing is that we are planning a financing round in the next few months – although we can't say anything about the amount or whether it will be a business angel or VC at this stage.
What is the vision behind your startup?
Our vision is to make the procurement of individual components and, subsequently, assemblies as simple, automated, digital, and integrated as possible for everyone involved. You shouldn't even have to think about how it all works. In our context, “individual” means that all products designed by customers themselves can be purchased at the touch of a button.
What makes Münster stand out as a location?
The last few months in particular have shown that where you work is not the most important thing for a functioning company – we are digital and our business model is completely digital. And yet, in Münster and the Münsterland region, we have a strong economy with good companies that are very well positioned in our industry and challenge us in a constructive way. There are also strong universities here, including in the technical field, which we believe promotes innovation. We therefore believe that Münster has everything we need to drive our business forward very successfully here in the coming years.
When we talk to companies, we often hear: “That won't work because...” and at the same time we know that we already built the solution for exactly that problem.
What advice can you give other startup teams in the Münsterland region right now?
Network! Seek out conversations with other startups and seek out conversations with your customers! That's how you'll find out how to build an innovative solution that addresses their underlying problems. Customers talk about problems—but you may still need to figure out the underlying need behind them. If Henry Ford had asked people what they wanted, they would have answered “faster horses” but not “cars.” We see the same pattern in our daily work. When we talk to companies, we often hear: “That won't work because...” and in the background, we know that we have already built the solution for exactly that.