The story of SciMatter began in a familiar scenario for publicly funded research institutes: expensive equipment and machines standing around unused after a project has been completed. Dr. Victor Izraylit and his co-founder Dr.-Ing. Muhammad Farhan recognized potential in this problem and developed the idea of using this equipment for scientific services for industrial partners and start-ups.

“In Brandenburg, where we come into contact with the innovative scene a lot, we have seen that many start-ups do not have the financial means to invest in expensive equipment or do not have the necessary expertise to carry out high-precision analysis techniques. Our idea was to rent the necessary equipment from our institute on an hourly basis and support our customers with analyses in material science analytics,” explains Victor.

The value of SciMatter is that they become part of their clients’ team and not just a service provider: “We are two active scientists with over ten years of experience each in this field,” Farhan reports. “We know the difficulties faced by innovation teams in start-ups, industrial companies and universities. You could call our approach research empathy,” he adds with a smile.

Support from Startup Port and challenges

Like many spin-offs, Victor and Farhan also faced major challenges, particularly with regard to legal issues and the founding formalities. This is where the support of the Startup Port came into play, especially through the contact with Dr. Angelika Eichenlaub, who accompanied the founding process.

“The biggest support we needed came from the legal department. We are scientists and engineers and even though we were immersed in the innovation scene, there are things you don’t learn on the side – especially how to set up legal contracts,” Victor recalls. Working with Angelika helped them get an overview of financial planning and learn how to approach the business plan. In practice, we worked with Angelika to develop the plan for how the start-up should grow and how we could develop further.

Another important element was imparting knowledge about how to build a sustainable business model. The company was founded out of its own pocket, without external funding – an unusual step for many start-ups.  “To date, we have not needed any additional funding as our business model is extremely sustainable: we have no costs if we have no orders,” says Farhan.

The vision behind SciMatter and the personal motivation of the founders

Dr. Victor Izraylit and Dr. Muhammad Farhan are not only experts in their field, but also innovators who want to translate their scientific achievements into technologies for everyday life.

Victor puts it like this: “If you ask me who I want to be in the future, I can’t give you an exact answer. But I do know one thing for sure: I want my work to improve the lives of the people around me. In my role at the Helmholtz Center Hereon, I lead innovation projects in which my team and I turn scientific breakthroughs into technologies suitable for everyday use.”

With a PhD in polymer science and a degree in applied mathematics and physics, Victor focuses on the development of medical devices and has already invented a new class of plastics: “I was responsible for every step of the project, from chemical synthesis to analyzing the full spectrum of material properties.”

Dr. Muhammad Farhan adds: “As co-founder and managing partner of SciMatter, I bring together technology, innovation and business to develop breakthrough solutions in the field of polymer processing and materials development. Farhan also leads technology transfer projects at the Helmholtz Centre Hereon and has extensive experience in developing and optimizing materials and managing plastics processing and testing laboratories.

Learning from startups – tips for aspiring founders

SciMatter was not only a successful spin-off, but also a “test balloon” for the institute from which it emerged. The foundation was not only linked to the development of the company, but also helped to further develop the institute’s transfer mechanisms.

Looking back on the foundation, Victor draws some important lessons: “The free economy has completely different values than science. When scientists enter the market, they have to say goodbye to a lot of what they have learned in research. It is also important to find the right partners and not to rely on as many consultants as possible. Another tip: don’t be afraid to do something. It’s better to make mistakes than to do nothing,” says Victor.  The scientist emphasizes that the time invested in the start-up was extremely valuable. Despite the challenges, they have learned a lot and can apply this knowledge to future projects.

Outlook and future developments

SciMatter has been running successfully for about a year now and serves as a side business to support the team’s main project: The development of an intelligent textile for the medical technology industry. This technology is intended to make it easier to put on and take off compression stockings and thus improve patient compliance.

“It would be possible to extend the SciMatter model to other scientific institutions, but that would be a full-time job,” explains Farhan. For the founders, the project is a useful addition to their main work, but at the same time offers valuable sources of income and synergy effects for their research.

Conclusion

The story of SciMatter shows how science and industry can be successfully brought together and how start-ups can benefit from the intelligent use of existing resources. Founders can learn from Victor and Farhan’s experience, especially when it comes to bridging the gap between research and the market.

Scimatter.com