We are spotlighting this year's incredible cohort through the means of fun & quick interviews to gain further insight into their startup journeys, unveil their driving forces and expose what it REALLY takes to be an entrepreneur in 2022...
Name: Marc-Christian Hodapp
Title: Co-Founder
Company: Urbanistic
Kickstart Cohort: 2022
How was Urbanistic born? 💡
I used to develop big quarters as an architect for a large housing company. The work was analog and repetitive - defining a new little quarter of the city to increase living space, but with little to less impact on the existing neighborhood. The process would also take an incredibly long time, convening stakeholders and different parties with varying requirements and inputs. I thankfully met my co-founders, who were working on a 3D city model research project at the Technical University of Munich. I found this innovation incredible in terms of optimizing the planning process and providing additional layers of crucial information. From March 2020 we all committed to urbanistic and since then we haven’t looked back!
What are the risks planners and architects face when planning? ⚠️
Planners and architects aren't aware of the urban microclimate at the beginning. Due to climate change, this is a very important aspect to be aware of, particularly the risk of overheating in summer. The risk of producing misunderstandings is huge and it grows the more stakeholders are involved.
How can Urbanistic eliminate these risks? ✅
Using our solution, companies can benefit from accelerated decision time with instant environmental as well as building code checks. Direct feedback on the impact of cooperation to assess environmentally large area building policies (such as max. allowable density or street parking features) can be simulated and several scenarios assessed and communicated to the public before the decision. Redensification potential can also be checked across various designs and compared instantly.
How did you build your team? ⏩
We put a lot of effort into the hiring process to make sure we have the right people that fit the culture and the work. We also invest in internal events to build trust and morale, and also find that coaxing people outside of their comfort zone has a really positive response, as at the end of the day it is always a great learning experience and our employees are proud of the hard work they do for the company. I’m also a big believer in 360-degree feedback and continuous improvement which strengthens the pillars of the team.
How has being involved in Kickstart helped your scaleup journey? 🚀
Kickstart’s network and access to leading Swiss companies is such a benefit to get a step into Switzerland and access the right people from the get-go. I know how hard it is and how many calls or emails need to be done. The numerous events and networking opportunities are also a huge bonus, take the CEO Dinners for example, as everybody is a multiplier and can help connect you to people you didn’t even know you needed, and explore additional avenues that weren’t on the initial roadmap.
About Urbanistic: Urbanistic is developing the next-generation 3D digital twin platform with intuitive modeling tools and real-time environmental simulations, enabling planners and architects to easily identify the risks and potentials of their site and planning variants. Urbanistic has helped to sustainably redensify over 70,000 sqm across 20+ projects with private project development companies. We have also worked with town planning administrators to assess the risk of overheating and possible greening-based interventions that may be planned.
