Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Enna: Ultimately, we wanted to solve a problem that many of us share. Grandma and grandpa aren't digital and are therefore automatically excluded from many areas (e.g., FaceTime, family WhatsApp groups, etc.). We wanted to create a gateway to the digital world where you can't go wrong. That's why we developed a custom dock that allows you to control our Enna app on a standard tablet using clear and, above all, haptic command cards (Enna Cards).
Our second app, which allows family members to send photos to grandma and grandpa, make video calls, and, most importantly, create and order new Enna Cards, runs on their smartphones. Enna is essentially a solution for the whole family.
With Enna, we want to contribute to greater digital participation in our society. Nearly 10 million people in Germany still don't use the internet at all or only sporadically in their daily lives – in most cases because digital devices, apps, and the like are too complicated for them. This particularly affects elderly people, those with illnesses, or disabilities. With Enna, we have developed a solution that allows even people without any digital skills to easily and independently access digital services such as video communication, entertainment, or support.
Enna: “We combine maximum ease of use with an unlimited variety of digital offerings.”
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Enna: To our knowledge, such a haptic operating concept does not yet exist for the target group. There are indeed providers who, like us, pursue the goal of bringing people into the digital world. In most cases, however, they merely simplify common operating patterns, for example by enlarging icons or simplifying menu navigation. In doing so, however, they always limit the possibilities that digitalization could bring to a few applications. Voice-controlled solutions also claim to bridge the digital divide, but are not yet mature enough for use with target groups for whom conversation with a machine seems abstract and often intimidating. Ultimately, all existing solutions require a minimum level of digital competence and intelligence that should not be underestimated. With Enna, things are different. We combine maximum simplicity of use with an unlimited variety of digital offerings.
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Enna: The first Enna prototype was built in 2016 by our founder Jakob for his grandmother Liselotte. She had previously complained to him that she was excluded from the family groups on WhatsApp and therefore never got to see the great photos Jakob shared from his travels. With the system developed by Jakob, Liselotte was then able to independently access photos and videos of the entire family with just a few buttons. Word spread among friends, and everyone wanted a "Grandma PC" for their grandparents. Demand quickly grew so great that Jakob could no longer keep up with production and decided to quit his full-time job and focus entirely on the topic of "digital participation." Together with his co-founders Moritz and Tim, he developed the haptic operating concept and founded our company in August 2020.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Enna: The pandemic was a challenge for us in the sense that, in many cases, we were denied access to our (often health-vulnerable) target group. At the same time, we were not spared from supply chain delays in the area of electronic components (keyword: chip crisis), so we had to postpone our market launch several times. Thanks to great partners, a fundamental optimism within the team, and complete confidence in our product and our market, we were able to overcome all hurdles and are now looking forward to the coming months with confidence.
Munich Startup: How are things going?
Enna: Our official market launch is still pending, so we're keeping our communication a bit private at the moment. However, demand is already very high, and we've received a large number of pre-orders and inquiries.
To achieve the widest possible reach with Enna, we will be focusing heavily on our own content in the future, and the initial tests have already worked really well. On TikTok, for example, we went viral right away with our first video. This shows how many people are experiencing a similar problem with their grandparents.
We have also been testing Enna for several months in various facilities for the elderly and disabled, which have also expressed interest in purchasing Enna for their clients.
“We have discovered Munich as a very good startup location”
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Enna: We are all Munich natives, so we know the city and its opportunities very well and are well connected. Our office is located in the heart of the Praterinsel, which is also a good starting point for enjoying the city's attractions. For us as a startup, it was also very helpful to have access to the expertise and support of two Munich accelerator programs: Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship the Munich University of Applied Sciences and the Master Accelerator, the startup program from German Entrepreneurship. We found Munich to be a very good startup location, which we can only recommend to other founders.
Munich Startup: Risk or security?
Enna: A healthy mix of both. We don't want to compromise on the quality of our product and always prefer to play it safe rather than, for example, launching too early with an unfinished product. To achieve this, we always boldly and openly dive into areas that are completely new to all of us. These include, for example, the areas of care and disability assistance, but also collaborations with major content houses and other partners for whom Enna can provide access to digitally disadvantaged target groups.
