How the Business Seniors helped the startup Meerkorn
Setting up a startup is often a labour of love. So there is no shortage of passion, but often a lack of entrepreneurial know-how. Fortunately, there are a number of organisations in Hamburg that offer the necessary advice. The Wirtschaftssenioren (Business Seniors) occupy a special position in this regard, as their members are all seasoned business leaders. The startup Meerkorn has benefited from their experience in crucial situations.
From aviation to Meerkorn
Anyone working at Lufthansa Technik is usually on the move a lot, but thanks to their passion for kitesurfing, Jennifer Wolf and André Postler have also racked up quite a few flights. On one occasion in China, the shower gel in their suitcase leaked, and as we all know, liquids are only permitted in small quantities in hand luggage. So, there is a lot to be said for traditional bar soap as an alternative, but it quickly becomes mushy and unhygienic. Some hotels have fixed soap mills that allow bar soap to be dispensed easily and precisely. A device like that for when you’re on the move – that could be the solution.
At least, that’s what Jennifer and André thought when they founded Meerkorn in 2021. With their background in engineering, they had clear ideas about the functionality of their soap mill. However, another aspect was at least as important during product development: sustainability. Soap is generally considered more environmentally friendly than shower gel because it eliminates the need for plastic packaging. Although plastic is also the ideal material for the mill, Meerkorn found a solution here too: it recycles old fishing nets.
The business idea: from ghost nets to soap mills
As so-called ghost nets, these account for a significant proportion of marine pollution and become death traps for millions of animals. It takes centuries for them to decompose, and even then, as microplastics, they still pose a significant environmental burden. They do, however, have one advantage: when processed appropriately, they can be used to make all sorts of beautiful and practical items. The Hamburg-based startup Bracenet, for example, produces bracelets and key rings from them.
For its soap mill called Mylly, Meerkorn uses nets from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea and has its products manufactured near Münster. The criterion of regionality is therefore met as well. The range also includes soap that is, quite literally, a perfect fit – naturally free from ingredients such as microplastics and palm oil, and suitable for universal use. So, on the product side, everything about Mylly is well-conceived. What the founding couple lacked, however, was business experience. A consultation at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce has set them on the right track.
The Business Seniors have a wide range of services
Hardly any other institution in Hamburg aggregates as much entrepreneurial experience as the WIRTSCHAFTS-SENIOREN-BERATEN association. It was founded in 1983 under the name “Senioren beraten junge Unternehmer” (Seniors advise young entrepreneurs) to support young people in setting up their own businesses. Due to the large number of enquiries from all sections of the population, the organisation was renamed in 2005 to reflect the wide range of advisory services it offers. Startups, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises with an annual turnover of up to 50 million, can therefore seek advice. And anyone looking to escape unemployment by starting a business can also turn to the Business Seniors.
Key requirements for membership are financial independence and a senior position in one’s previous career, ideally as a managing director or founder. Anyone who meets these criteria may apply to the Executive Committee for membership. Suitability is assessed during an interview, although quite a few candidates have come across the Business Seniors through personal recommendations, which makes acceptance more likely. Full membership is granted following a six-month probationary period supervised by a mentor. After that, members are permitted to issue invoices for consultancy services.
Startup-Matching: Two ideal consultants for Meerkorn
Anyone seeking consultancy can make initial contact by phone or email. The association then assesses which of its current 30 members would be the most suitable contact. In terms of sector expertise, the association is well diversified. In other respects, there is still some way to go; at present, only four women are members, though this should change soon as more women in leadership roles retire. At least the four-headed board is gender balanced. It is not an uncommon aim for a consultation to make it clear to the enquirer that their business idea still needs significant revision or is simply not feasible. Fortunately, this was not the case with Meerkorn.
Two Business Seniors took an interest in the startup and its product, each from a different perspective. Michael Erich is an engineer and was fascinated by the technical solution. As a yachtsman, he is also familiar with the problem of ghost nets from his own experience. The second advisor was another stroke of luck for Meerkorn. As managing director of Globetrotter, a retail company specialising in outdoor and travel goods, Andreas Bartmann was not only able to realistically assess Mylly’s market potential but also ensure that it was included in their assortment.
IFB financing supports growth
This has, of course, had a positive impact on turnover, which has risen steadily over the years. Most recently, in 2025, it stood at around 700,000 euros. This enables Meerkorn to manage without additional financing. In any case, the Business Seniors are not permitted to invest in any of the companies they advise. Should they do so nonetheless, they must leave the association for the duration of their involvement. Thus, the 100,000 euro loan that Meerkorn received from IFB Hamburg remains, for the time being, the only external capital.
A crowdfunding campaign in autumn 2021 served more as a test to gauge the product’s reception than as a source of income. The minimum target was set accordingly low and was then significantly exceeded, raising just under 10,000 euros. Meerkorn was then able to begin its growth phase, during which the young founding couple faced many challenges they were naturally encountering for the first time, such as switching production from 3D printing to machine manufacturing. It is precisely in such situations that the experience of the business mentors prevents hasty and wrong decisions and opens the right doors.
Michael and Andreas are always available to Jennifer and André. In urgent cases, they act as a sort of emergency hotline, and they usually work out a solution together on the very same day. Added to this are strategic discussions regarding refining the business model or tapping into new markets. Some consulting relationships last for years, although the points of contact may change when a startup enters a new phase or alters its business model. And help is not limited to purely business matters; when Jennifer had to reduce her workload due to a chronic illness, she was also able to receive expert advice on her personal situation. This is what sets the support provided by the Business Seniors apart: ideally, it fosters a personal relationship that no consultation, however professionally run, can offer.
