This interview was originally published in German and has been machine translated.
Developing an idea that originated outside of academic research into a successful business model was a novelty at the university. As a first step, it was therefore necessary to “cast” a suitable team and inspire them with the idea. In early January 2021, implementation began with Tobias Decker and Tarek Hamadeh-Spaniol, both graduates in business administration from the university. In October 2022, IT specialist Christopher Pohl joined the team, while the inventor, Achim Ohlmann, continues to support the start-up as a technical advisor.
Reaching the goal of a viable business model with market-ready products and the right founding personalities required many intermediate steps—from the business plan and financing questions to sales strategy and team composition. But now it has been achieved: the newly founded company Effinigo GmbH, with its solution Innoshine, is contributing to climate protection while offering students an alternative career path far removed from the “classic” corporate career.
A “Small” Lever With a Big Impact
With the adaptive corridor lighting control system developed by Achim Ohlmann, operators of commercial and public buildings can improve their energy efficiency and save money in the long term. Innoshine activates lighting in corridors and stairwells only when it is actually needed.
The technology, which has been submitted for patent protection, is designed for retrofitting corridors and stairwells via centralized installation in the sub-distribution board. No additional sensors are required; operation is app-based via Bluetooth. The solution is cost-effective, quick to implement, and requires no structural modifications. A positive side effect is the extended lifespan of existing lighting fixtures.
In a pilot project with Saarland University, comparative measurements before and after the deployment of the Innoshine system showed potential annual savings of around 2.8 tons of CO₂ on just four optimized corridors. Even in less frequently used areas, savings of over 50 percent were achieved. The greatest optimization potential was observed in a heavily frequented corridor, with annual savings of 2.2 tons of CO₂ alone.
A Leap Into the Cold Water
What sounds so logical and promising in a brief description of Innoshine is the result of two intense and demanding years, strongly supported by the broad range of entrepreneurship and transfer services offered by Triathlon at Saarland University.
“As a founder, you don’t have much time for other things, but the freedom you gain is unmatched in the working world,” summarizes Tarek Hamadeh-Spaniol.
Following the unusual start with a team casting, Tobias and Tarek actively embraced the impulses provided by Triathlon’s start-up advisors and made extensive use of the university’s network and infrastructure. The official starting point was their participation in the three-month intensive Saarland Accelerator program, where they further developed their start-up idea through exchanges with other teams and numerous workshops on key aspects of company building.
In the same year, they also won the business idea competition in the “Sustainability” category. Subsequently, they successfully applied for an EXIST start-up grant, which provided financial security for 12 months and allowed them to work intensively on their business model, business plan, and the Innoshine solution portfolio.
In parallel with these essential “homework” tasks, they focused on sales, expanded their team with an IT specialist, and explored additional financing opportunities.
“Having a network is extremely important in the business world,” explains Tobias Decker when discussing financing. “That’s why we used all contacts from the Saarland founders’ network to approach potential regional investors. This was made possible in particular through our close collaboration with Triathlon and the IT-Inkubator.”
The IT-Inkubator itself—a joint venture of Max Planck Innovation GmbH and Saarland University—is also invested in Effinigo.
January 2023 marked another major milestone: the founding project officially became a “real” start-up with the notarized establishment of Effinigo GmbH. But there is no time to rest. Like in an Ironman race, a demanding marathon follows at the end: securing follow-up financing after the EXIST funding, attracting additional investors, successfully entering the market and building a customer base, further developing the team, and expanding the service portfolio.
Even though the team has successfully completed its first financing round with the Saarländische Wagnisfinanzierungsgesellschaft mbH (SWG) as lead investor, support from the Triathlon team will not end with the formal founding. It will continue in a needs-based manner during the upcoming growth phase, with Triathlon providing ongoing support in marketing, networking, and sharing practical experience.
