Why did you start your start-up, which problem do you address and how do you solve it?

We solve the "crisis of the craftsmen-Thecraftsmen sector in renovation is a highly frequented market with a market volume of more than 140 billion Euros in Germany alone. There is above all a lack of data exchange and inefficient working methods, which can be attributed to smaller companies. It is difficult to book tradesmen's capacities because there is no convenient way to design and order a renovation. This problem is solved by covering the entire customer journey and offering the craftsman service and materials as a package. For craftsmen Myster is THE platform for efficient, more profitable value creation.

How did you come up with the idea of founding your start-up?

It happened by chance. In the summer of 2016, the management consulting team of Perpetuo GmbH took part in a business development workshop of a large lighting manufacturer. Among other things, the workshop dealt with the question of how customers will place craft orders in the future and how the desire for convenience will affect the craft market. Mirco Grübel could not understand why there was still no real solution to the UBERization of the craft market and was driven from the beginning by the mission to "make a renovation job as easy as taking a taxi to the train station".

What is special about your business model, what do you do differently?

SIMPLE ORDER- Mystery means "One contact & one contract". Customers have the opportunity to bundle efforts with a vertical partner, supported by a digital user experience.

LESS COST & HIGHER REVENUE- For craft businesses, Mysters online focus enables economies of scale that they cannot achieve on their own. Technological innovations such as cloud computing, AI solutions and self-service modules allow us to significantly reduce manual effort.

OMNICHANNEL- Most Myster use cases are digital. To round off the offering, two point-of-sales concepts have been implemented. The so called Myster-Box is the own showroom concept, which is running in Dortmund (next to the HQ) and was running for 9 months as proof of concept in Hamburg's Hafencity. Secondly, the so-called Myster-Spot is a shop-in-shop concept that is already running and scaling in the field.

DIRECT LOGISTICS- Myster earns a share of the Mister earns a share of the craftsmen's services as well as, through direct commercial and logistic connections to manufacturers of flooring, wallpaper, etc. Material ordered for renovations is delivered directly from the manufacturer to the building site.

What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome at the beginning?

Certainly one of the biggest challenges was the step into the business. In the beginning, with few personnel, it was a big challenge to efficiently serve the needs of the customer. Today, Myster has reached the critical mass to grow, which is what the company does successfully. As a startup, founded in Dortmund, another challenge was to raise money from the main startup ecosystems in Germany/Europe. Now that our volume and success is becoming more visible, we are beginning to meet this challenge as we have just completed a pre-series A financing.

What was the most valuable advice someone gave you during your start-up phase?

The recommendation of a wholesale manager to get in direct contact with material manufacturers. Direct contact with companies looking for new, more efficient distribution channels became one of the strategic pillars on which Myster's business model is based.

What has been your greatest success so far?

Myster acquired hundreds of drywall, flooring and wall construction partners in a variety of craft businesses throughout Germany, formed seven strategic partnerships with well-known manufacturers and successfully demonstrated the Myster Box concept by opening a pop-up store in Hamburg's HafenCity and operating the concept in the heart of Dortmund.

Why are you on Startbase?

We especially like the network idea of future-oriented entrepreneurs who are interested in exchanging disruptive factors and working together on lasting solutions. The building of valuable relationships is deeply anchored in our market model, so we are especially interested in events that allow us to think outside the box.

What would you recommend to other founders?

A scalable model is one of the basic recipes for success. Addressing and involving the most important market participants is crucial for building an effective market model. Furthermore, cooperations support business models at the start after they have proven their MVP. A clear focus is crucial here.

What is the next challenge for you?

In the coming months Myster will move into the newly founded coworking space in downtown Dortmund called "NoBuzzwords #G3TSH1TD0NE". Within this space, Myster plans, in collaboration with Perpetuo GmbH, to create an ecosystem of forward-thinking startups and SMEs open to discuss disruptive business models in Proptech, exchange ideas and work on the growth of their business. Another major need is to raise capital within the scale phase of Myster as the business grows rapidly.

Let's say you are mayor of Dortmund for one day, what would you change?

Add tax support for founders and provide budgets to increase the entrepreneurial spirit in the community. Furthermore, not only the support of founders in general, but also the support of founder heroes (very successful, promising business models, like Myster ;) ) of a city is important to create stories that motivate potential founders.

Furthermore, Myster wants to create structures to welcome investors in the respective city.


Like it? Please spread the word:

FYI: English edition available

Hello my friend, have you been stranded on the German edition of Startbase? At least your browser tells us, that you do not speak German - so maybe you would like to switch to the English edition instead?

Go to English edition

FYI: Deutsche Edition verfügbar

Hallo mein Freund, du befindest dich auf der Englischen Edition der Startbase und laut deinem Browser sprichst du eigentlich auch Deutsch. Magst du die Sprache wechseln?

Deutsche Edition öffnen

Related companies

Similar posts