The Startup Forum Graubünden 2020 - a little different than usual

Graubünden, Switzerland's largest canton, is bursting with innovative startup founders. Successful entrepreneur Pius Truffer, digital marketing expert Robin Mark and three Graubünden-based startups provided insights into the local startup scene and shared their experiences of success and hurdles.

Benefit from each other at the Startup Forum Graubünden

The organizers of the Startup Forum Graubünden, namely the Office of Economy and Tourism Graubünden, the KMU Center and the IFJ Institute for Young Enterprises initiated the forum already last year in order to fuel new ideas in the startup scene Graubünden, to exchange knowledge and experience with like-minded people and to network. In this sense, the event was perfectly staffed, even if by digital means this year. Established entrepreneurs, startups and people interested in founding a company as well as entrepreneur students from the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden offered an optimal mix to benefit from each other.

The icon from Grisons

Successful entrepreneur Pius Truffer reported on his successes and initial difficulties in the panel interview. Vals quartzite has been used as stone for walls and roofs for hundreds of years. The Vals village image is characterized by the stone roofscape. Today, the stone is used in all kinds of forms all over the world. It has become one of the most sought-after building materials for architecture all over the world. Pius Truffer inspires with his founding story, which started over 36 years ago with Pia Truffer.

Three startups that still have the road ahead of them

From the two founders Dario & Dario of Muntagnard GmbH comes the - according to their own statement - most comfortable T-shirt ever. They develop their products from the selection of the raw material to the end of life to 100% biodegradable and are thus probably the first manufacturers ever, which close the biological cycle in a T-shirt and its raw materials.

Amin Casutt's story is also impressive: he will only finish high school this year, but has already founded his first startup, CASGRE GmbH, with Jan Gredig. With the startup, various projects are being implemented, such as a concept in collaboration with SV Group AG for the direct distribution of office supplies on site at various educational locations with over 21,000 learners. Especially in connection with the spread of the coronavirus, this distribution concept is being elaborated with further offers.

True to the motto "Machä und nid Labrä", Noe Tüfer and Nicolo Angerer have joined forces. The "Bergbuaba" from Davos have an international vision with LifeDrop GmbH. A kind of capsule as a retreat with integrated curved screen, speakers, ventilation with scent function and heating. With the prototype they could inspire the first customers for themselves. Whether as a show case for companies, to promote the mental health of employees or as a treatment for various diseases. LifeDrop convinced the investors and the next milestone is the go-live at the end of 2020.

The digital marketing mastermind from Graubünden

Robin Mark, the founder of the Rob Nicolas GmbH agency, is no stranger to the bunch. Robin Mark founded his agency over nine years ago, which enjoys expert status in the field of digital marketing. On average, everyone looks at their smartphone 150 times a day. The question is not whether companies should rely on digital marketing, but how they should do it. Today, content that is transparent is the order of the day. Companies should also focus on new advertising channels, especially social commerce, which is currently growing strongly. In fact, the e-commerce market in Switzerland was 10.3 billion francs last year. The situation with Corona is another reason to focus on digital marketing.

Source and further information: IfJ Institute for Young Enterprises

(Simon May in a panel interview with Pius Truffer)