Munich Startup: Fabian, what exactly is Planetics?
Fabian Hörst, Planetics: Planetics is the online marketplace for fair and sustainable Sporting goods. In addition to sportswear, we also offer sports equipment and nutritional supplements. We select all products based on specific criteria such as safe production sites and fair working conditions, recycled or renewable and biodegradable materials, and the smallest possible carbon footprint. We want to make it as easy as possible for customers to choose sustainable and fair sports alternatives.
Transparency before certification
Munich Startup: Do all brands that can be found on Planetics have to present certifications that you specify?
Fabian Hörst, PlaneticsCertifications can always be helpful when selecting brands. However, they are not the deciding factor. The reason for this is that such certifications are quite expensive and therefore still unaffordable, especially for many smaller brands.
That's why 100% transparency is our main criterion – all brands give us insight into their supply chain. Here, we follow the principle of "minimal footprint, maximum social impact," for example, through fair working conditions. Based on this information about production, the products themselves also play a role. Factors such as quality, functionality, and the materials themselves are important. When it comes to the materials we use, it's important to us that they are either recycled or made from renewable, easily degradable raw materials. However, the innovative power in these areas is enormous. Therefore, we make the decision individually, as each brand pursues different approaches.
Munich Startup: What distinguishes you from existing platforms such as Avocadostore.de or Glore.de, which both focus on sustainable fashion?
Fabian Hörst, Planetics: Our clear focus on sports. We see two clear advantages in this: Firstly, our customers don't have to search for their sports equipment among leisure and fashion items. Secondly, we can tailor our user experience precisely to the needs of athletes.
Munich Startup: You haven’t been live with the site for long – how has the response been so far?
Fabian Hörst, Planetics: So far, we have absolutely nothing to complain about: We've had our first satisfied customers and received a bit of media attention. We've exceeded our self-imposed goals. But feel free to ask us again in a few months.
Necessary change is driven by small players
Munich Startup: How do you assess it when big players sustainable sports shoe release? Is this a step in the right direction, or is it just greenwashing that's easy to market?
Fabian Hörst, Planetics: In principle, it's a good sign that so-called big players are now increasingly thinking in this direction. However, we view these isolated initiatives as very small, first steps.
Upon closer inspection, one quickly realizes that these are often individual, limited-edition products made solely from recycled materials. We currently fail to detect a genuine desire for socio-ecological transformation. We firmly believe that this necessary change is, and must be, primarily driven by small to medium-sized players.
It is precisely this ambition and strength of small and medium-sized players that we want to unite and drive forward together at Planetics!
Munich Startup: How satisfied are you with your choice of location?
Fabian Hörst, Planetics: Munich is proving to be an excellent location, especially for Planetics: On the one hand, several partner brands are also based nearby, and on the other hand, with the Munich area, we have the symbol of why we founded Planetics right on our doorstep.
Added to this is the fact that since November we have been working on the current winter batch of the LMU EC Accelerators and this alone makes us even more deeply rooted in the Munich startup ecosystem. Planetics and Munich – it's a match.
Zebra instead of Unicorn
Munich Startup: Let’s take a look into the future – is a quick exit on the agenda?
Fabian Hörst, Planetics: Our goal is clearly to build a sustainable company with healthy growth. zebra Instead of a unicorn, that's our motto! We see ourselves not as a mere entity that maximizes growth and profits, but also as a service provider to society. We focus on sustainability – in our products, but also in the way we do business.
