What is the concept of VanHier?
“We have developed a production method and binder recipe to process local, natural waste flows – which are largely burned or composted – into 100% natural and recyclable panel material (FytoPanel) for applications in interior design and construction. The possibilities of this method are endless: we can process agricultural, horticultural and natural waste, but also fast-growing crops and wet crops. All biobased raw materials. In this way, we clean up CO2 and capture it in a healthy, natural product.”
How did you come up with this idea?
My background as a product designer means I always have an eye for products and materials. With all the junk we get from China, I increasingly asked myself critical questions. Do we really need all that? How is it made? And how much transport is needed? When I delved into local green residual flows for the circular economy as a CIRCO trainer in 2018 and 2019, I discovered, strangely enough, that we do little or nothing with them anymore. The fiber processing industry has almost completely disappeared. I saw a great opportunity in reed cuttings in particular. A fraction of it does end up on roofs, but the majority is a waste stream. When I noticed that I prefer material development to consulting, I founded VanHier in 2021 to make panels from that cuttings.”
How important are biobased materials for construction?
“In construction in particular, there is a world to be won with biobased materials. The use of materials in that sector alone accounts for approximately 11% of global CO2 emissions; the construction sector as a whole 38%. Every year, no less than 700 million kilos of sheet material ends up on the waste mountain in the Netherlands because we can hardly recycle it; an enormous waste in terms of money and as a raw material. Biobased materials are also healthier because they do not contain chemicals. That last point is also increasingly important in construction.”
Why did you decide to participate in the ATB?
“As a startup, we were desperately looking for funding when entrepreneur and business developer Jorn Eiting van Liempt came to us ROM InWest our company in the picture. He recognized our situation and the phase we were in: precisely because of our beautiful product with many possibilities, we were still broadly oriented to the market. Jorn pointed us to the ATB to critically examine our business case and to get more focus on our ideal target group(s) and product-market combination. Searching for a sense of direction, the program came at exactly the right time for us.”
How did you like the guidance during the program?
“That was really great. Together with his colleague Birgitta Kramer, Jorn asked us very sharp questions and the other supervisors were also very on top of it. Their critical looks forced us to think more deeply about our ideas. It turned out that we were thinking a lot in assumptions instead of in validated conclusions. It is not always easy to be confronted like that and to have to look at things again, but it is incredibly useful. For us, that led to the choice to choose decoration and furniture manufacturers as a customer group. That is where the greatest potential lies for us in terms of repeat orders and purchases – retention and reference, as they call it.”
What other lessons did the program provide?
“Our storytelling turned out to be out of order. Health was barely in our story, while it is a major theme in the construction sector. Architects want to design 'healthy', builders want to build with healthy materials and project developers want to deliver healthy buildings. Companies want a healthy office environment for their employees. An expert helped us to align our story more with this. Our motto is now 'Healthy building, healthy living', in line with our 100% use of natural resources.” Klaske also learned better what is needed to convince investors. “Storytelling contributes to this, but financial forecasts are at least as important. Another expert therefore helped us, among other things, to calculate our turnover figures for various scaling-up scenarios.”
Where do you stand now with VanHier?
“Repeating orders from interior builders and furniture manufacturers are starting to flow in. In response to this growing demand, we are building a demonstration factory. We have the necessary machines and the production principle is clear, but too much is still done manually. Automation is therefore receiving a lot of attention. In addition to the demonstration factory, we are working towards a commercial production facility where we want to produce 15,000 m2 of panels next year. In the years after that, we want to continue to scale up with multiple facilities. Ultimately, it would be great to even go international according to a decentralized model with local facilities and fibers – in line with our philosophy.”
Why would you also recommend ATB to other entrepreneurs?
“Experts with a fresh perspective on your concept are the best people to give your startup direction and to arrive at a (better) feasible and scalable business model. The downside of the program being intensive is that you have few distractions. This way, you gain a lot of new insights and tools in a relatively short time, with the conclusion that you are better prepared for the market and with investors. I would therefore heartily recommend ATB to any entrepreneur in a similar phase as us.”
Contact Us
Have you become curious about the ATB, but are you still unsure whether the program fits your company and/or growth phase? Contact our business developers Birgitta or Jorn via the buttons below.
