Observatory / Green Entrepreneurship Training

Observatory

Observatory of Green Businesses

Naturtrip.org

Naturtrip.org makes the excursion planning with public transport very easy. Often you know what you want to do, but you do not know where you want to go. For example paddling or swimming in a thermal. The place does not really matter. The main thing is that the way there is reached very easily and the place is beautiful. To find out where the beautiful destinations are, you have to google for a long time or ask friends and family. Moreover, if you do not have a car you have to research how to get there. These 2 hours google.com become 10 seconds naturtrip.org. With us you do not search from A to B but you search in a large circle for reachability. And if there is no bus to the bathing place x, naturtrip.org simply triggers you to the bathing place y, where there is a bus to. A service that combines road maps and leisure content, where you do not need to know the destination and only shows the destinations that are reached very easily is completely new. Furthermore, we use an innovative routing technology that takes the first and last mile on foot. With us Germany can be the first travel country which thinks and implements sustainable / networked travel and mobility on site.

Founder: Hermann Weiß, Judith Kammerer

Μέγεθος επιχείρησης

4 employees

Supports

National Climate Protection Initiative (NKI) of the BMUB - https://www.klimaschutz.de/
DB Accelerator DB mindbox - https://dbmindbox.com/
First big costumer because of Instragram campaign: Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus - http://www.germany.travel/de/index.html
Until now no investors

Ευκαιρίες και σχέδια για το μέλλον

In 10 years we see us as the great player for climate-friendly railway tourism in Europe and perhaps somewhere else, where you can find some public transport.

Πα γίδες και προκλήσεις

1. How did the project come to life?
I have no car. Because of this reason it is very circuitously to find out which destination is reachable without many changes. I thougt about this problem. It has to be possible to see such destinations which are reachable easily by bus and train. At naturtrip.org you do not search for the destintion. You search for example "canoe rental in a maximum of 40 minutes travel time from here to the canoe rental." Then you see all canoe rental stations which can be reached in this time including the last mile.
2. If you found the company again, what would you do exactly in the same way and what would you do differently?
Differently: Finding the product faster. It does not help if everyone likes your idea and your prototype but you do not have a product. Now we have a product: White Label for tourism regions and transport associations.
Again: Continuing with a long breath and tenaciousness. Even if you need 8 times longer as you thougt before.
3. Are there any difficulties regarding the foundation?
I do not really know what the green sector is. By the way our product and service protects the climate. But this in not why the service is used and the product is not bought, but because it is convenient and makes life easier.
4. What are the biggest challenges in regard of the foundation?
Defining product, finding out who is willing to spend money.
Do not be fritter, trying to say no, focus. You can not do everything. Even if you would like to do it.
5. Did you have positive or negative incidences which motivated you?
Firstly everyone found the idea conclusive. The majority said that naturtrip.org is a great idea. Only a few people said, that this service/product needs nobody.

Pictures by courtesy of naturtrip.org.