Oreltech
Why did you found your start-up, what problem are you addressing and how do you solve it?
We have developed a new technology to deposit metallic layers on surfaces. Electrodes are a fundamental component of electronics, but the methods used to manufacture them, especially printed electronics, are no longer up to date. 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?
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 the inkjet process 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 the 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 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 greater 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 advice would you give 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 as part of 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 move to Berlin was definitely the right thing to do, since there is no market for our products in Israel.
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 have grown our team and developed a pilot series.
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 a 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 super brain in your team and what is his or her super power?
Our Commercial Director Marie is definitely our superbrain. Her superpower is that she is super focused and super organized.
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