Munich Startup: Who are you and what does Pläin do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Julia Deuter, Pläin: Hello, we are Julia, Mischa and Jonathan and together we are the founders of Pläin – the first regional and sustainable produced plant milk in the returnable glass bottle.
Jonathan is 31 and holds a master's degree in food and biochemistry from TUM. He's our "Berliner Schnauze" and the soul of product development. Mischa is 33, studied industrial engineering and environmental technology, and is the treasurer and our strategic man. I'm 32, studied food technology at Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences, and am the powerhouse and heart of the team.
We met at a party. After Mischa came up with the idea for a sustainable, regional plant-based milk, Jonathan and I enthusiastically jumped on board.
Regional and suitable for everyday use
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Julia Deuter: The fact that the dairy industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change is no longer niche knowledge. Yet milk remains a much-loved food – worldwide. We're making plant-based milk suitable for everyday use and sending cows into well-deserved retirement. Milk doesn't have to come from animals for a cappuccino to have foam and taste delicious. The power lies just as much in plants.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Julia Deuter: That's right! And that's a good thing, because it just shows how great people's need is for plant-based milk substitutes.
And yet, our Pläin milk still has a certain unique selling point. Because with Pläin, we've recreated cow's milk using plant-based ingredients, which means we have a unique blend of raw materials and thus a very high-quality nutritional profile. We also produce locally in Freising and bottle it in returnable glass bottles to defy the 'Tetra Pak' craze.
“Talent for improvisation and genius in finding solutions”
Munich Startup: What have been your three biggest challenges so far?
Julia Deuter: As a startup, it feels like you face new challenges every day. And you become a true improvisational talent and a genius at finding solutions. One of the biggest challenges for us so far? COVID! When everything seems to change overnight and production can no longer proceed as planned. We launched on March 13th – one week before the first major lockdown. Phew, that was challenging!
Pläin: “From Munich to the world!”
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Julia Deuter: The big goal for 2021 is Pläin's nationwide expansion. Out of Munich and into the world. And the stars are aligned for us. Despite the coronavirus, we were able to implement everything quite well and are planning for the next step. In five years? We want Pläin to be in every refrigerator. No matter where you are in the world.
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Julia Deuter: Very good – the people of Munich are great connoisseurs and appreciate high-quality Food.
Munich Startup: Tea or coffee?
Julia Deuter: Tea, of course! There's always a large pot of it on my desk. Black tea with a dash of Pläin – fantastic!
