Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Enée Bussac, Greencent: Greencent is a loyalty system, which rewards environmental friendliness. Individuals receive loyalty points through our app. We reward according to the principle "1 kg of CO2 saved2 = 1 Greencent”. We measure and report the savings of CO2-Emissions of our users for the benefit of our customers who are public or private organizations (e.g. a city).
We then acquire partner stores that add value to the Greencent by creating offers on our marketplace. Our users can then spend their Greencents there. For these stores, we act as a marketing tool based solely on environmental friendliness. This helps our customers meet their own goals as well as the requirements of European environmental regulations.
The less CO2 the more loyalty points
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Greencent: Many apps reward individuals for moving or CO2 We differ from these companies in that our reward is based exclusively on the most relevant and well-known measure of environmental pollution: CO2. This gives our system three key advantages. The system...:
- is scientific because it is based on reference figures and measurements of CO2-Footprint based
- is educational as users receive rewards that are directly linked to their CO2-emission savings are linked
- can act as a kind of “compliance tool”: Greencents can be used to comply with the European regulation on corporate emissions.
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Greencent: At the beginning of 2020, I won an ideas competition on payment methods at the DLD in Munich. That set me on the path to entrepreneurship. A few months later, I met Dénes through an online event for entrepreneurs organized by Zero21. We then participated in a few incubation programs in 2021 and won a few prizes. Dénes and I are also participating in the Future City Accelerator until the end of April. I recruited Victor through the Cofounders Lab in mid-2021. He built our app and backend. We are currently founding the company as a trio.
Market test with pilot customers
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Greencent: Like many entrepreneurs, we faced the chicken-and-egg problem several times: Our first challenge was finding a developer. We convinced Victor, as I had already attracted interest from companies in 2021, primarily German insurance groups and savings banks. We then had the app developed by Victor tested by as many people as possible and simultaneously found a pilot customer. With our pilot customer in Austria, we now have to prove that our concept works both technically and commercially before approaching other customers or investors.
Munich Startup: How are things going?
Greencent: We currently have triple-digit user numbers and around a dozen stores that accept our loyalty points – Greencents – as payment. We are currently implementing our product in the Liezen district in Styria: Starting in May, the district's 80,000 residents will be able to purchase Greencents via the Limo (Liezen Mobil) mobility app and redeem them at our local partners. Among others, we are working with the national park, a castle, and various restaurants.
Greencents can currently only be earned through environmentally friendly mobility: Since Liezen is a rural area, we started with ridesharing. Starting this summer, users of the Limo app will also be able to collect Greencents for bus and train rides, as well as for cycling. Stimulating the local economy is an important aspect of regional management. Our green metering and reward system can also be adapted to cities and their mobility apps. We are currently in discussions with a major German city and the Hungarian capital.
Greencent: Support from Munich’s ecosystem is crucial
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Greencent: The support of various players in Munich's startup ecosystem was crucial from the very beginning! Through the Ebridge Alliance, now 'Start for Future', of the SCE of the Munich University of Applied Sciences, we significantly improved our business model and our presentations. We also found our first co-founders through this. We subsequently benefited from the support of the Munich Information and Communications Center (MGIS). At the end of 2022, I was able to present Greencent at the Munich University of Applied Sciences and establish contacts with the Munich city administration. I will continue to develop Greencent from Munich and hope for future collaborations with the city and the Munich Transport and Communications Corporation (MVG).
Munich Startup: Outsource or do it yourself?
Greencent: It depends on the topic, of course. We had to build the app ourselves, so I contacted hundreds of developers through Cofounders Lab and LinkedIn until we found Victor. A graphic designer worked with us in 2022, so we also developed our design in-house after hiring a few freelancers abroad. I also like to hire specialists in other areas: a notary and a tax advisor, of course, but also a data protection consultant.
The basic rule is: either spend money or expect a lot of work and challenges.
