Founder of the month: n.able
25.03.2020
Gründerschmiede
Founder of the month
Our founder of the month n.able has developed a printer for the particularly flexible generation of molecular micro- and nanostructures. The printer can be expanded with numerous additional features and also offers printer-specific consumables, as well as consulting and print-on-demand. We interviewed the founders about the idea, the founding period and future prospects.
What does your company stand for?
n.able stands for new impulses in research.
Where and how did you come up with the idea to found the company?
n.able is a spin-off that originated at the Institute of Nanotechnology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. n.able has applied its 10 years of experience in surface functionalization on nano- and microscales to develop an innovative Molecular Desktop Printer. The printers are designed as a modular and fast tool for surface and device functionalization and is compatible with a wide range of inks. With our customers in mind, we have made our printer fully customizable with a flexible selection of modules.
How did the founding team come together?
We have been working together for many years when we were doing research in the Dip-Pen Nanolithography (DPN) group at the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). As the idea to develop the printer grew, we decided to leave our scientific positions and bring our passions and interests into the start-up.
What do you see as the advantages of being your own boss?
The main advantage is that we do what we really enjoy and what we find interesting.
What qualities do you think a founder should have?
You should be determined to be able to manage the company well. You have to be a problem solver and have enough resilience to go through difficult times.
Also, one should be open to learning new skills that may be quite different from your original background (like finance, basic law). You have to become quite a jack of all trades.
What do you see as the hurdles to becoming a successful business? Where did you go for support?
The biggest challenge with a startup is financial stability. Since orders from customers come in irregularly, you have to be prepared for financial uncertainties. Our startup had a slightly easier entry into the business because we received support from the Helmholtz Association in 2018. This funding helped us to successfully complete our product development and bring it to market right after the startup.
How did you deal with the increased workload during the startup phase?
We shared the workload and distributed it according to our competencies. This helped a lot in moving things forward in a timely manner.
Do you have any tips for other young startups?
Our main advice is to validate your idea with people outside your comfort zone. This will validate it and make you explain it in a different way – which often opens your eyes to other aspects of your idea.
Info:
Company: n.able Ltd.
Founders: Dr. Sylwia Sekula-Neuner, Dr. Uwe Bog
Foundation: 05.2019
Homepage: www.n-able-innovation.com
E-mail contact: info@n-able-innovation.com
Industry: Electronics, Precision Mechanics & Potics
