Why did you found your start-up, what problem are you addressing and how are you solving it?

We have developed a new technology to deposit metallic layers on surfaces. Electrodes are a fundamental part of electronics, but the methods of manufacturing them, especially printed electronics, are outdated. Processes at high temperatures destroy a large number of the possible substrates, which severely limits the choice of substrates. In addition, the price of materials is a major problem, as the price of electrodes often takes up to 80% of the total price of electronics. Our technology addresses both of these problems and provides a more cost-effective way to produce electronics. Unlike other conductive inks, OrelTech's inks are not based on nanoparticles, but are ionic solutions. This allows much thinner layers to be produced, resulting in higher conductivity, flexibility, transparency and less material consumption. Our printed layers are then cured with cold plasma, which guarantees that there are no temperatures above 70°C throughout the process.

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

© Oreltech, 2020

Our product is fundamentally different from existing products. With our inks, we achieve that production costs are significantly reduced. Our inks also provide long-term energy savings and less waste, as no liquid or solid waste is generated during the plasma curing process. Our products are therefore much more environmentally friendly.

Our inks are compatible with all known printing techniques, such as inkjet or aerospray, and can be applied to almost any surface, from glass to paper and plastics such as PET to textiles.

Of course, each surface is a little different from others, so we offer customized inks to our customers.

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

The biggest challenges were, on the one hand, to establish a company from academic research out into the industry. And on the other hand to do this establishment in a foreign country.

What has been your biggest success so far?

Our biggest success so far is to develop a successful start-up from an idea. We are also proud to have built an international team in a foreign culture.

What is the next challenge for you?

Our next goal is to successfully enter the market. On the one hand, it is important that we increase the presence of our company and achieve a higher level of awareness for our company. On the other hand, we are currently working on scaling up our production so that it is suitable for mass production.

What would you recommend to other founders?

If you are happy with your product, invest time and effort into a well-functioning marketing and sales team.

Where did you meet as a team?

The co-founders, Natalia and Konstantin met at the Weizmann Institute in Israel during their PhD. The rest of the team we met at various chemistry events and in the Berlin startup scene.

If you could start all over again, would you do it the same way?

All in all, definitely. Especially the step to Berlin was definitely the right one, because in Israel there is no market for our products.

Where do you see yourselves in 3 years?

In 3 years, we want to have entered some niche markets, such as the gold ink market. In addition, we also want to participate in larger markets. We also want to continue to grow our team and have developed a pilot series.

© Oreltech, 2020

Do you have a role model and if so, who is it?

We don't have a specific role model. However, since we developed a disruptive product with OrelTech, we mainly admire people and companies who are not afraid to integrate new technologies into their companies.

If an investor gave you €500,000, what would you do with the money?

500.000€ is only a small investment for a young StartUp with technical orientation. We would use it to automate and digitalize internal processes, e.g. CRM. In addition, we would expand our team to further advance our company.

Who is the superbrain in your team and what is his or her superpower?

Our Commercial Director Marie is definitely our superbrain. Her superpower is that she is super focused and super organized.


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