Munich Startup: Who are you and what does Saysom do? Please introduce yourselves!
Antonia Pervanidis, Saysom: We at Saysom are a young team with the vision to make all kinds of online events as flexible and user-friendly as possible. Together with my two co-founders, Cornelius Carl (25, architecture) and Jan Dihlmann (25, computer science), we work every day so users can have a unique event experience. From company events to round table discussions or even class reunions.
The corona pandemic kept people apart in different ways – both in professional and private life. Saysom wants to bring
people back together. We also want to offer new options for meeting up digitally: with a user experience and features that simply aren’t offered by ‘Zoom,’ ‘Microsoft Teams’ or ‘Google Hangout.’
The three of us have known each other since our school days. Cornelius and Jan were in the same grade and I was a year younger. Over the years and despite taking different educational routes, we kept in contact. And in the end, we were all seized by the entrepreneurial spirit and now here we are.
Saysom creates dynamic communication and interaction
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Antonia Pervanidis: Everyone has experienced awkward situations in video calls often enough – half the people have their cameras off, and you can see the other half is distracted just by looking at their faces. It’s the standardized platforms that are the problem, because they don’t offer enough flexibility for the participants or hosts.
This is exactly where Saysom comes in: a virtual space where participants can move on their own, come together with others, create private spaces and share media. We create dynamic options for communication and interaction that finally make it possible to network in a digital space thanks to the ability to freely form groups.
Speed dating, whiteboards and more
Munich Startup: But that’s nothing out of the box!
Antonia Pervanidis: It’s true, there are lots of video platforms in the market. Saysom differs from other video platforms by offering the advantages of a live event, such as the ability to move freely and form groups dynamically. Instead of ten tiles with videos featuring blank-looking faces, I as a participant can decide who to talk to. With Saysom, we’d like to demonstrate that digital events offer just as much as real events – if not more. They can be an open system of communication where everyone can talk to each other. With highlights like the speed dating feature where all participants can get to know each other, or the integrated whiteboard feature, Saysom can be used in different settings, regardless of whether for homeschooling, networking or company events.
For homeschooling, networking or company events
Munich Startup: What have been your three biggest challenges so far?
Antonia Pervanidis: There have already been several and we will certainly face some more in the future. One would be the ability to toss good ideas when they have no market relevance. For example, we started with little Sims as avatars, and it was with a heavy heart that we had to let that go.
A definite challenge in the beginning was also time. Because all three of us were involved in other projects at that time, be it studies or work, we were often working at our limit. And then we obviously had the current market relevance. The biggest challenge that we and certainly all other founders face is not getting discouraged by all the little and also big setbacks.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, and where in five years?
Antonia Pervanidis: For this year, the focus is on product development and feature implementation to offer a holistic event to as many customers as possible. When we look even further in the future, our vision is of a platform where every kind of digital event can be held and hosted.
Munich Startup: What do you think about Munich as a startup location?
Antonia Pervanidis: Saysom knows no geographic boundaries, which is why our team is located across Germany. One-third of our team is still in Munich. But that can also change at any time.
Munich Startup: Isar River or English Garden?
Antonia Pervanidis: Combining the two is the best!