Munich, September 2024
minimass a London-based company, develops low-carbon, cost-effective 3D-printed beams for the construction industry. By utilizing 3D printing technology, they can precisely place concrete without the need for complex or expensive formwork. Their groundbreaking innovation earned them second place in the 6th Smart Building/Smart Construction Innovation World Cup at BIM World MUNICH.
We had an insightful conversation with the Minimass team. Let’s explore their journey and the steps they took towards this remarkable achievement.
- HOW DID IT ALL START?minimass is a start-up, founded by Andy Coward, that grew out of his ideas for a new way to make low-carbon and low-cost structural elements, like beams and slabs. The business started in August 2021 but the first patent applications were submitted in mid-2020 – the result of some casual doodling during the first COVID lockdown. The name is a portmanteau of the words “minimise” and “mass”, hence minimass.
- WHAT ARE THE KEY MILESTONES YOU HAVE REACHED SO FAR?
We started out with a “Friends and Family” round which allowed the founder to quit his job and focus full-time on the initial R&D and physical load testing. Given the novelty of the approach, there was a lot of technical work that needed to be done before any meaningful approaches could be made to potential customers. The first product was launched in June 2022, although it has been under constant evolution since that date. We have been supported throughout by COBOD International, CCL International and various other manufacturing partners such as Harcourt Technologies Ltd. A critical milestone was the recruitment of a commercial director and co-founder – Sarah Blake – in September 2023. This has more than doubled the capacity of the small team to develop the product, pitch for pilot projects and approach investors.
- WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FACED?
The biggest challenge is definitely the reluctance of the construction industry to try new things, especially if the innovation is coming from a new company that doesn’t have the history of an Arup. Everyone wants to be the second to try something but not the first!
The one thing I would do differently would be to recruit faster – I spent too long as a solo founder. Having a co-founder has been transformational in terms of capacity for work done and outcomes achieved. I would not change the focus on Client outcomes – cost and carbon are what matters, not clever technology or fantastic R&D examples. Technical innovation is important but investors assume that as a matter of course – the recommendation is to learn or focus on the business aspects as soon as possible. Then try to break your assumptions through meetings, conversations and discussion.
- WHAT IS COMING IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
The next steps for minimass are to complete construction on a number of pilot projects in the UK. These vary from the refurbishment of an existing building, the construction of a temporary site access bridge and the installation of a major transfer structure at the base of a large building. Progress with these pilot projects will help us secure the funding we need to grow the business and take the next commercial steps.
5. DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY IN THE SMART BUILDING / SMART CONSTRUCTION INNOVATION WORLD CUP® AND BEING THE TOP INNOVATOR?
We were invited to apply for the IWC, so that must mean our marketing and outreach had managed to spread far enough to interest the organisers. That was a good start and a point to give us confidence when preparing our pitch. I think the focus on a 3-minute pitch was excellent. It means throwing away all previous pitches and starting from the beginning – identifying the key messages and cutting away the rest. This is a lesson for longer pitches as well, once it is successful!
6. YOUR THREE TIPS FOR UP-COMING STARTUPS
Innovation is nice, sustainability is important but business viability and evidence of traction is the most important thing of all for investors.
Thank you for sharing these valuable insights. We look forward to following your future endeavors and the exciting milestones you will achieve moving forward!
Visit Minimass and learn about their low-cost, low-carbon, 3d printed concrete beams for the construction industry.
Submit your solution and join us at the 7th Smart Building / Smart Construction Innovation World Cup®. Start-ups, scale-ups, and innovative SMEs from across the globe are invited to submit their solutions for free, offering you the perfect opportunity to seize the moment and revolutionize BIM World MUNICH 2024!
