Who says that administrations have to be sluggish and dusty? comuneo proves the opposite: the start-up from Münster not only wants to make administrations more digital, but also more impact-orientated and thus create real added value for society. Find out how the two founders Katharina and Silke are realising their vision in their story.
Katharina worked as a strategy consultant for DAX companies, SMEs and start-ups before devoting her doctorate to the topic of state transformation. During this time, she came across the New Zealand Wellbeing Model, which measures the wellbeing of the population using over 100 indicators and aligns the state budget accordingly. This model served as inspiration for comuneo.
Silke has many years of experience in the financial and software industry. She drove digitalisation in banks until she realised: "I want to do more." The two crossed paths at the Reach Euregio Startup Centre in Münster - a perfect match: an idea in search of co-founders meets a founder in search of a meaningful idea.
comuneo is a planning, steering and monitoring platform that makes three things possible:
In this way, resources are utilised in a more targeted manner, progress is made visible and decisions are better justified. Whether sustainability strategy, urban development or organisational modernisation - comuneo helps municipalities to really implement their own concepts. Evidence-based, comprehensible and with the greatest possible impact.
13 local authorities are already using comuneo - from municipalities to districts. Sales are mainly personal, through direct discussions with progressive administrative departments and word of mouth.
The path was not easy. The funding freeze in the federal budget initially jeopardised financing through public funding, and one of the co-founders dropped out. But Katharina and Silke didn't give up and brought Guy, a full-stack developer, into the team as the technical backbone. What Katharina and Silke have learnt above all from their start-up journey so far: A strong, trusting team is the be-all and end-all. "You have to be able to rely on each other blindly," says Silke.
Flexibility and genuine listening are further success factors. The two founders emphasise how important it is to remain open to feedback, to adapt the product to real needs and to be in constant dialogue with the target group. They have clear advice for prospective founders: "Listen to the people for whom you want to develop solutions." And: founding a company is not a sprint, but a long-distance run - but one that is worthwhile. "It takes real conviction and perseverance - then you can really make a difference, especially in the public sector," says Katharina.
The vision is clear: in the long term, comuneo is to be established as a digital management system in European administrations - comparable to an operating system that integrates all relevant management processes.
The comuneo team is currently looking for impact investors who believe in social change - and in the power of a dedicated team of founders who want to make public administration fit for the future with their software.
