Giesswerk

Anyone who thinks of solid, heavy, grey buildings when they think of concrete is way off the mark when it comes to Giesswerk products.

Founded in March 2020, the start-up produces the most delicate concrete designer pieces. The two founders, Jan Rebling and Nils Saßmannshausen, are civil engineers who met while working at the Chair of Solid Construction. It was there that they discovered the potential of their material, ultra-high performance concrete. "We work with concrete, which initially consists of water, binder and aggregate in the traditional way. We then add various admixtures and additives, which ultimately gives us a very dense, very strong concrete - around five times stronger than conventional concrete," explains Nils.

This results in a product that can be used innovatively and creatively in new areas of application. It can be used for much more delicate and lighter constructions than conventional concrete. This idea led to the founding of the joint start-up.

The collaboration resulted from the founders' shared interests and goals. The founders work full-time in their company in Kaan-Marienborn. Their activities include developing new products and formwork concepts. In addition to technical tasks, they also develop and implement marketing and sales strategies.

The three-man company manufactures its own products, such as spice mills and lights made of concrete, but also works on commissioned projects, particularly in the fields of architecture and interior design.

How did you come up with the business idea and the associated idea of designing products made from ultra-high performance concrete?

While working together in the building materials laboratory at the University of Siegen, a shared interest in the material ultra-high performance concrete emerged early on. We asked ourselves: "What else can you actually do with this material? For which areas does it offer a practical solution? The material is not yet standardised in civil engineering. This means that you need complex approvals if you want to work with it. It is therefore used relatively rarely, but its properties are nevertheless very interesting and versatile. Funnily enough, Jan had started building loudspeakers out of concrete in his spare time and I was building some out of wood at home at the same time, without either of us knowing about it. The idea of making them out of ultra-high-performance concrete then brought us together in 2018.

What attracted you to setting up your own company?

For me, it was always a goal to be independent. You can work according to your own ideas. Working freely and creatively is rather limited in the construction industry. Everything is standardised and there is little scope for other solutions, which is particularly important in what we do.

When did you decide to set up your own company?

I never expected to start a company straight after completing my studies, but everything just fell into place at the time. The constellation was good, the idea was mature. It was no longer a difficult decision to just go for it. And to be honest, being an entrepreneur eventually leads to founding a company anyway, because it's difficult to do business, make contacts and sell products without a company, i.e. as a private individual. So at the end of 2018, we developed our idea paper for an EXIST start-up grant, which we then received, and from there the ball started rolling.

What is innovative about your company?

The production method of the material is innovative, enabling us to create the most delicate shapes and new creative, practical solutions, especially in the area of interior design. And, of course, our expertise with the material is a unique selling point.

What was the biggest challenge you faced at Giesswerk?

Prioritising tasks correctly was and still is a major challenge. There is so much to do and you always have to ask yourself: What is the most important thing right now? What can be put on the back burner?

Another challenge for us was to find a suitable production facility that offered sufficient capacity and met the high requirements of concrete processing.

To what extent did the university's start-up office support you?

We were able to learn a lot and get our questions answered thanks to the Gründerakademie format and the Gründerbüro seminars. That was very helpful. We were also provided with an office space where we were actively supported in our application for the start-up grant. Last but not least, we were able to build up a large network of partners, supporters and friends during our time at the start-up office.

What is your advice for young founders?

You should simply start and dare to take the risk. Of course, the risk should be manageable. You should think about how far you are prepared to go and then just get started, everything else will work out over time.

Would you set up a company again?

Especially against the current background, with all the learning that has taken place so far, I would even found twice more. Of course, the road has been rocky, but the work is still fun.

This portrait is based on an interview with Nils Saßmanshausen in July 2020 and was written by Janice Gust.

 

Click here for the start-up's homepage.