This is how we did it – Episode 6 with Maximilian Webers, Co-Founder & CEO of COLIPI

COLIPI is developing an industrial biotechnological process to convert climate-damaging CO2 and carbon-containing industrial waste into climate-neutral oil. The product is a sustainable and climate-neutral alternative to palm oil and petroleum and has the potential to become the world’s fastest and thus most cost-effective CO2-transforming bioprocess.

In our interview, Maximilian Webers, Co-Founder & CEO of COLIPI, talks about the climate crisis as an opportunity for new solutions, about taking the plunge or being thrown in at the deep end, and about enjoying the founding experience despite the challenges and the great personal responsibility.

What opportunities has the crisis opened up for you as a young company?
Global warming is the biggest strategic crisis. It will determine people’s lives for generations and force industries to completely rethink. Oil in particular needs to be phased out, with demand for hydrocarbons still in the hundreds of millions of tonnes. The huge gap that will open in the future between oil supply and demand will have to be covered by alternative sources. This is where Power-to-Liquid (PtL) solutions such as ours come into question. When it comes to such important issues as security of supply, both public and private funding potential is correspondingly high. More tactical crises, such as bottlenecks in plant and oil supply caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine, give local PtL solutions importance in the short term, even well before the 2050 climate catastrophe scenarios. Due to the raising of the key interest rate between 2022 and 2024, it has become more difficult for start-ups to raise capital as an alternative asset class. We also needed some time for the seed phase. This helped us to think entrepreneurially, because we looked for optional funding methods and found them in the revenue, which amounted to €250,000 in 2023.

What was your biggest learning from that time?
Everything takes time, especially for high-tech non-software-based start-ups. There is always a way and there are always paying customers if you can sell.

What perhaps unexpected developments or challenges did you experience in the early days, and how did you respond as a team?
Our EXIST funding will continue through November 2024. Initially, we were determined to stay at the TU Hamburg and use its resources until then. But when the COLIPI project grew faster than expected and we ran out of space, we were asked to move. So, we were thrown in at the deep end earlier than expected when it came to finding a space and setting up a laboratory. But what can you do? We rolled up our sleeves as a team, accepted the new reality and have been sitting in our own offices and laboratories since the beginning of 2024. It was a great team effort. We are very proud of that.

What should founders pay particular attention to when they start a start-up now?
There is so much to pay attention to, and it is so dependent on the situation. But perhaps I can say that you should be prepared for it to be hard work and a big part of your life. Joy and frustration are close together and there is little in between. Complaining about everything won’t help, as the founders are responsible for success. Whether it’s a supplier delivering late or someone unexpectedly quitting or something similar, no one out there cares about that. The only thing that is seen and that counts is financial success. Investors must make more money with start-ups than with other financial investments to justify the comparatively high risk.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Enjoy the start-up phase. It will be the time of your life. Be grateful for every experience, whether it feels good or bad, it will always help you grow.