The start-up VisualMINT wants to raise school experiments in the STEM field to a new level with an intelligent learning platform and augmented reality. The founders Tom Rothe and Tobias Brentrup recently received InnoFounder funding for this project.
Old and boring teaching materials no longer appeal to today’s students. Especially in the MINT sector (MINT stands for mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology), it is a challenge to develop and promote enthusiasm on the part of the students. The founders Tom Rothe and Tobias Brentrup of VisualMINT want to change exactly that and promote understanding and support individual learning paths with modern teaching materials. VisualMINT sees itself as a link between digital and analogue learning. With an intelligent learning platform and augmented reality, the start-up wants to take school-based experimentation in the STEM field to a new level: By combining digital visualisations and an experimental kit, physical phenomena are illustrated and made more tangible.
Met at TU Hamburg and docked at Startup Port
Tobias and Tom met as TU Hamburg students at the mechanical engineering student council’s first-year barbecue, did their Bachelor’s degrees together and took part in many extracurricular activities. Tobias switched to industrial engineering after his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and Tom went to RWTH Aachen University for his master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Since February 2023, they have docked with their business idea at the Startup Port or Startupport @TUHH: Since the two studied at TU Hamburg, this was the logical first port of call for them. “Our start-up advisor Konstantin Kollar was always there to help and advise us. No matter whether it was about the strategic approach or feedback on financial plans or project applications. In addition, the Startup Port is the ideal place to go when you are at a loss or have to make simple decisions like: Where is the best place to order my own VisualMINT jumpers?”, the entrepreneurs report. Their start-up advisor also recommended InnoFounder to them and accompanied them through the successful application process.
MVP and further funding are needed
The founders use the 18-month term of InnoFounder to develop a Minimum Viable Product (literally a “minimally useful or viable product” – MVP for short), to acquire customers and to take care of follow-up financing: “We plan to obtain financing as a mixture of equity and debt capital. In concrete terms, this means that as a socially relevant start-up, we still hope for one or the other public funding and, in parallel, seek business angels and VCs,” Tom concludes.
