Bear Machines - an innovation gets rolling

At the heart of Bear Machines is the sale of Bear-Cut machines. This enables customers – ranging from haulage contractors and bus companies to tyre service providers – to carry out the retreading process directly in their own workshops. The machine has a modular design, can process tyres with or without rims, and features a digital depth-measuring system as well as a clever clamping system – making it efficient and safe to use.

There is also a mobile version, which enables the company to re-cut tyres directly at the customer’s premises. Ultimately, however, the aim is to empower businesses to use tyres in a way that extends their service life and boosts profitability.

From the first prototype to series production, Mark Berendsen put an enormous amount of work into the project. He initially started it alongside his full-time job - often working late into the night, alongside his family and house building. "Champagne or seltzer - it was all or nothing," he recalls of the decision to finally take the plunge into self-employment in 2023.

This was made possible by the support of the maakwi Campus in Heek, which not only provided rooms and machines, but also capital and contacts. This was complemented by funding and awards such as the Federal Innovation Prize, the Münsterland Innovation Prize, the Innovation Prize for Crafts and the NRW Start-up Scholarship. Josef Warmeling, who joined as a shareholder and sales partner in 2024, also provided an important boost.

Courage and effort have paid off: a growing start-up has emerged from a garage idea that is now changing the tyre market for good.

“We want our machine to be in as many garages as possible,” says Mark Berendsen. The aims: to drastically reduce tyre waste, cut fuel consumption and, at the same time, boost the industry’s profitability. The next step is already underway: Bear Machines is preparing to expand internationally, initially focusing on Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and France.

What Mark and his team would like to pass on to other founders: have the courage to put your idea out there early on, seek feedback and remain open to criticism. And look for partners who bring more than just money to the table.

This start-up story shows how a technically clever idea from the Münsterland region has evolved into a business model for the transport industry – with the aim of extending the useful life of tyres and further developing operational processes in a cost-effective manner.