Founder of the month: jovoco
12.12.2025
Emma Schmitt
Founder of the month
With “Simplify IT,” the startup Jovoco helps medium-sized companies make complex IT processes understandable and directly usable. Founded by KIT alumni Matthias and Marcel, the idea for Jovoco came about during a conversation about digitalization in medium-sized businesses. Their goal: digital solutions that create real added value—without unnecessary complexity.
jovoco stands for simple, understandable, and value-adding digitalization. Their approach is to “simplify” complex IT processes so that they are understandable and directly usable for everyone. They break down the often difficult and complex world of IT in such a way that companies—especially medium-sized ones—can benefit from it without getting lost in the technical details. Digitalization should not be intimidating, but rather a real added value for every company.
In conversation with host Daniela, founder Matthias Koppenborg explains how he came up with the idea and how he went from idea to successful start-up. You can find the entire interview on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Where and how did you come up with the idea to start the company?
The brilliant idea came during a barbecue with friends when we were talking about digitalization in small and medium-sized enterprises. Many small and medium-sized companies in Germany are struggling to digitalize or automate their processes. They are successful in their traditional core business, such as the mechanical engineering industry, but digitalization is often considered a secondary issue. We realized that this is where there is huge potential. Digitalization is no longer a dream for the future; it must become an integral part of corporate strategy.
The next day, I (Matthias) called Marcel and suggested that we tackle this challenge together as a company and jointly develop solutions that support small and medium-sized businesses in their digital transformation. That’s how jovoco came into being.
How did the founding team come together?
The founding team consists of Marcel and Matthias. We have known each other since our student days at KIT, where we worked together in the student consulting firm Delta. We carried out various projects together during that time and realized that we both had a similar vision and way of working. Our collaboration continued over the years, and at some point it was only logical to found the company together.
What is your grand vision?
Our vision is to lead small and medium-sized businesses into a digital, networked future. We want to help companies optimize their business processes through digital tools and automation. Our focus is on our basic principle of “Simplify IT,” which means that we make complex IT understandable and directly implementable.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in particular is becoming an increasingly important part of our work, as it has the potential to make small and medium-sized businesses even more efficient. Our grand vision is to become a central point of contact for the digitalization of German small and medium-sized businesses.
Where do you see significant hurdles in the start-up process?
The start-up process involved a lot of bureaucratic hurdles, especially at the beginning. It’s amazing how little start-up processes are still digitized. As a company that focuses on digitization, we found that the administrative side of starting a business is still very paper-intensive and complicated. This was one of the first hurdles we had to overcome in order to be able to concentrate fully on our actual work.
Where did you get support?
Since I had already worked with institutions such as the KIT Start-up Incubator and the CyberForum on two previous start-ups, we were able to draw on valuable contacts and experience from these projects. In particular, the exchange with mentors and experts helped us to make the right decisions. When founding and developing jovoco GmbH, we are always happy to draw on the KIT Gründerschmiede network, which continuously supports us with valuable resources and contacts. This allows us to take many steps independently while benefiting from the expertise and opportunities offered by the Gründerschmiede.
What were the biggest challenges during your start-up phase?
In the initial phase, we had two main challenges: First, the question of how to attract the right employees. At the beginning, we didn’t have enough resources and had to find the right talent who not only had the necessary skills but also fit our corporate culture. Second, the bureaucratic side of setting up a company was a major hurdle. Tax offices and other authorities often pose more of a challenge than a support for founders.
Has anything changed for you since the formal establishment?
Not much has changed for us since the formal establishment, apart from the fact that we now officially operate as a company. The challenge for us remains to attract the right customers and continue to expand the team. However, the greater freedom to operate as an official company has enabled us to focus even more on our growth and the optimization of internal processes.
How did you solve the problem of (follow-up) financing?
From the very beginning, we have focused heavily on measurable added value for our customers. We have designed our services in such a way that the benefits for companies are immediately tangible, which has enabled us to get paid quickly. This allowed us to develop beyond the start-up phase without external financing. Instead of relying on investors, we focused on growing through performance.
Are current global crises affecting your startup?
The global economic situation, including the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical tensions, has certainly affected us. However, we are not directly affected by global supply chains or material shortages, as our work primarily involves digital solutions. However, economic uncertainty is also affecting the willingness of many companies to invest, which has made it more difficult for us to acquire new customers. The fundamental question remains: How can we help companies remain competitive in a difficult environment?
What are your next major milestones in the coming 12 months?
Over the next 12 months, we want to continue scaling our company and tailor our services even more specifically to the needs of IT managers. Our goal is to familiarize every IT manager in Germany with jovoco and to be perceived as the first point of contact for digital solutions in small and medium-sized businesses. We also want to continue expanding our team and integrate new technologies such as AI more strongly into our solutions.
In your opinion, what qualities should a founder have?
The most important quality a founder should have is problem-solving skills. As a founder, you have to be able to respond quickly to challenges and find pragmatic solutions. It’s not just about technical skills, but above all about recognizing and implementing the right solution even in difficult moments. Perseverance is also crucial—success doesn’t come overnight.
Do you have any practical tips for other young entrepreneurs?
Our tip: Work closely with your customers and always ask them directly where the added value lies for them. It’s not just about selling a product or service, but understanding what business problems the customer has and how you can specifically help them. If you deliver real added value for the customer, success will follow.
Looking back, what would you do differently today?
Looking back on the early stages, we would enforce our basic principles—such as focusing on added value and simplicity—even more stringently and earlier on. These principles are at the core of our company and would have given us even more clarity and direction from the outset.
