Munich Startup: What does your startup InGemeinschaft do? What problem do you solve?
InGemeinschaft: With InGemeinschaft, we are creating affordable housing by bringing people closer together.
The housing shortage in major German cities is greater than ever. At the same time, per capita living space has been increasing for years. Affordable living space in particular is becoming increasingly scarce. While older people often live in an above-average amount of space and have unused rooms in their apartments and houses.
We help senior citizens to sublet individual rooms with a full-service package. The entry hurdle is lower than ever. We take care of everything involved in subletting, from finding a flatmate to furnishing, contracts, insurance and mediation. This not only creates more affordable living space, but also makes better use of existing space. Living together also promotes intergenerational exchange and reduces loneliness. Senior citizens have additional income and students have an affordable shared room.
Munich Startup: But that’s nothing out of the box!
InGemeinschaft: Yes, and very successfully in other countries. In Germany, there is only one similar concept so far, “Living for help”, where students live with senior citizens very cheaply or free of charge and take on household tasks such as shopping or laundry for this.
Both founders are familiar with multi-generational residential communities
Munich Startup: What’s your founding story?
InGemeinschaft: Darius (23) and Philipp (39) met by chance via LinkedIn. We both then met and realized that we had been working on the same idea for about the same period of time. As we are very complementary with different professional backgrounds and at the same time share the same values and goals, we decided to start InGemeinschaft together.
Darius previously built up the startup Spreadly and worked in various startups and scaleups before that. Philipp works for an Uber startup and various scaleups in the mobility sector, among others.
Both are very familiar with the model of multi-generational shared flats. Darius has been living with an 82-year-old in a multi-generational shared flat for over three years and Philipp’s parents have been renting out a room in their house to students for years.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
InGemeinschaft: The biggest challenge is reaching pensioners and telling them about the project. This is the biggest bottleneck, especially at the beginning, but it is gradually being overcome and more and more senior citizens are finding out about InGemeinschaft.
InGemeinschaft wants to make it “normal for people of different ages to live together”
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in a year, where would you like to be in five years?
InGemeinschaft: In one year, we want to have achieved a high profile for the housing model in society and gradually make it normal for people of different ages to live together. In the next five years, we want to have created several 10,000 multi-generational shared flats and much additional living space.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
InGemeinschaft: Munich is the best location in Germany to found a startup. We receive support from all sides, both in the startup ecosystem and in politics and society. Social startups like InGemeinschaft have an ideal foundation here.
Munich Startup: Quick exit or staying power?
InGemeinschaft: (Very much) staying power… it will take some time to establish our concept in society, especially at the beginning. At the same time, we see a high individual and social added value and are approaching the matter patiently and with a long-term view.
