Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Emma Grün: With Emma Grün, we sell specialized cleaning and care products like in grandma’s day, without the frills. Our aim is to use natural ingredients such as sugar surfactants, essential oils and beeswax to offer effective, sustainable and affordable alternatives that are in no way inferior to the effectiveness of “modern” chemicals. For this, we work with family-run manufacturers in Germany and Greece, where our products are made using tried and tested formulas.
“Radical when it comes to ingredients and the selection of production partners”
With this idea, we solve everyday problems such as stubborn stains, cracked leather or bad odors. Conversely, it means that we extend the life of your favorite sofa, shoes or leather bag, save resources and expose you to far fewer chemicals every time you reach for a household cleaner. With Emma Green, you can declutter your household cupboard, simplify the tedious choice on the drugstore shelf and opt for sustainable products that are made close to home.
Munich Startup: But that’s nothing out of the box!
Emma Grün: Yes, in part. But to our knowledge, there is no other brand that is so radical when it comes to ingredients and the selection of production partners. We focus on German and European production partners and sustainability from the ingredients to the packaging. The minimum requirement for our production partners is that they are family businesses that use tried-and-tested recipes that they have developed themselves or with us. In some cases, these are recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. In the case of our essential oils, room sprays and sauna oils, our production partner even runs its own organic farm and extracts the oils in its own distillery on the Greek Mediterranean coast. We have also just finished developing a product line that we will be launching on the market towards the end of the year and which is not available in this form in Germany.
Munich Startup: What’s your founding story?
Emma Grün: Louis came up with the idea for Emma Grün in his student room at Stanford in 2021. While looking for an exciting niche in e-commerce, he noticed that when it comes to cleaning tips, you always come across the same household remedies that have been around for decades. Everyone knows everyday helpers such as vinegar essence, beeswax, gall soap or baking soda, which are recommended by parents, grandparents or videos. Having majored in chemistry and management, it was clear to him that this logic must also be applicable to other household products. Jannik then joined Emma Grün a year later in 2022 and used his experience as a freelance e-commerce consultant to drive growth.
Challenge: Launch new products at high speed
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Emma Grün: One of the biggest challenges is certainly launching new products at a high rate as a bootstrapped startup without outside capital. In some cases, we have launched six to eight new products per month within a product category, which is a major challenge both financially and in terms of time. Our compact team size can also pose a challenge in certain phases, as we have to prioritize heavily. In addition, we have a much smaller margin for error than larger competitors when it comes to selecting the right partners – be it in production, logistics, advertising, tools, etc.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where would you like to be in five years?
Emma Grün: In one year, we want to generate mid-seven-figure sales with Emma Grün and reach a higher level of maturity in terms of our portfolio and channels. In concrete terms, this means reducing our dependence on Amazon as an important sales channel by selectively tapping into other marketplaces and bricks-and-mortar retail. And secondly, by strengthening the role of our store with individual products that we increasingly advertise via paid social. In addition, we want to pool the expertise of our production partners in the coming year and use this to create completely new, innovative products in order to build deeper moats around our brand.
In five years, we want to be much closer to our vision of offering everyone in the DACH region an affordable alternative for clean, well-maintained and fragrant households, in the spirit of the former corner store. By 2029, Emma Grün should be a Love Brand that is the preferred choice when looking for reliable and harmless solutions against upholstery stains, dry leather and bad odors. In quantitative terms, this means mid-eight-figure sales and an expansion of our product portfolio. In terms of quality, it will be essential for this that we continue to find the best production partners for each new product category who share our passion and high standards. In addition, we want to achieve retail listings in all relevant drugstores, food retailers and DIY stores over the next five years, as well as internationalization on Amazon and in the store.
Munich as a startup location as the foundation for a strong network
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Emma Grün: Our network around our alma mater at the Technical University of Munich is an important factor without which the success of Emma Grün would not have been possible in this form. During his studies, Louis was part of the Entrepreneurship Program Manage & More at UnternehmerTUM while Jannik participated in the Academic Program for Entrepreneurship at SCE. In addition, Jannik learned his tools of the trade around online marketing, brand building and Amazon at Happybrush in Munich. That’s why Munich as a startup location is still the foundation for a strong network for us today. Whether it’s about intros, growing pains or new channels, we believe that Munich offers the right sparring partners for every industry and every growth phase, if you are open to it. We are also regular guests with Emma Grün at Werk1 in the beautiful Werksviertel district, where we collaborate with fellow startups and get inspired.
Munich Startup: Hidden Champion or Shooting Star?
Emma Grün: Definitely a hidden champion. All our production partners are hidden champions in their respective niches, be it leather care, leather repair, upholstery cleaning or essential oils. It is precisely this spirit that we want to convey in our products: Highly specialized, without unnecessary chemicals, made with love and expertise. It is not our aim to shine with large financing rounds or a maximum team size. Our central KPI is profit and profit per team member. This means that we naturally fly under the radar, which is perfectly fine with us.
