Ensuring that a generation using more and more technology also keeps moving. That is the starting point for Jan-Paul de Beer, CEO of Springlab. We talk to him about the growth money they need to be able to roll this out on a larger scale.
A Dutch translation of this article can be found on Emerce.
Jan-Paul, why does Springlab exist?
“Our goal is to help children get more exercise. We do this by using technology. Children are moving less and less due to digital technology. And the use of that technology is also rapidly increasing in education. It has many advantages, but the amount of physical exercise they get can suffer because of it. We combine digital education with exercise so that children grow up healthy.”
Why are you looking for investors right now?
“We are looking for growth funds very specifically. We are a scale-up and now have momentum in the market. The demand for active learning is proliferating. To meet the growing demand and increase our impact, we are therefore looking for growth funds. To be precise, €1.1 million. The money will be used for marketing, sales, and product range expansion. And for the first phase of internationalization.”
What would be the profile of the ideal investor?
“Ideally, it should be someone connected with or involved in the education/edtech market and children’s health. We call it ‘Healthy Edtech’ ourselves.”
Apart from a financial injection, what knowledge or network can you put to good use?
“We’re looking for two things: 1) someone who can help raise our profile. This can be through marketing experience or as someone who has a large network or is well known. And 2) someone with a real growth mindset, someone who has done the upscaling phase before and can help us with tips and tricks in that phase, who can protect us from certain pitfalls and help us make smart choices.”
Do you have a good tip or advice for a startup entrepreneur based on your experience with Springlab?
“I actually have two tips. Firstly: don’t wait for the world to come to you, but actively step out into the world regarding funding, recruiting staff, and customers. And secondly: work in a team of founders, so with two or three people. That ensures that you have additional characteristics and therefore a better skillset in your team.”
More information:
Want more information on Springlab? You can find them on Fundsup: https://api.fundsup.co/go/QKy9mrERnp