Kiel Start-up Spotlight: Kopexa brings structure to ISO and compliance processes

Kiel boasts a very close-knit and well-connected start-up scene. The lines of communication with decision-makers are short, and the proximity to the academic world and institutions such as KiWi and KITZ creates an ideal environment for deep-tech ventures. We also appreciate the high quality of life on the fjord, which is a real bonus when it comes to attracting talent.

We are based at the Kiel Innovation and Technology Centre (KITZ) on Schauenburgerstraße. The facilities there and the opportunity to network with other technology-focused start-ups under one roof are extremely valuable to us.

In addition to the infrastructure provided by KITZ, we benefit enormously from the in-depth advisory support. The close-knit brainstorming sessions with Roman Charkoi are particularly worth highlighting. This direct, expert exchange helps us to continually review our strategy and gain operational momentum

We are based at the Kiel Innovation and Technology Centre (KITZ) on Schauenburgerstraße. The facilities there and the opportunity to network with other technology-focused start-ups under one roof are extremely valuable to us.

In addition to the infrastructure provided by KITZ, we benefit enormously from the in-depth advisory support. The close-knit brainstorming sessions with Roman Charkoi are particularly worth highlighting. This direct, expert exchange helps us to continually review our strategy and gain operational momentum.

Our main motivation was a frank self-assessment: we wanted to identify the gaps in our start-up and address them not on our own, but with professional external support. Our desired outcome is a ‘watertight’ business model and a network that will support us as we expand into the wider German economy.

Mentors were important sounding boards for us, helping us to avoid becoming too entrenched in our ways.

Mentors were important sounding boards for us, helping us to avoid becoming too entrenched in our own ways of doing things.

We are 100% self-funded. Choosing this path is paying off: we are on track to reach the €1 million ARR mark in our very first year of operation. 

Philosophy: Bootstrapping is tough and leaves little room for error. But it is precisely this pressure that is our greatest advantage: it forces us to maintain an uncompromising focus on real value and measurable outcomes for our customers. Without external capital to fall back on, you have to build a product that is so good that the market immediately validates it through purchases.

Tip: Don’t get swept up in the “funding wave” before you’ve proven your product-market fit. The best investor is a satisfied customer who pays for your solution. Use programmes such as KielRegion.Accelerates to have your internal processes and strategies objectively reviewed; sparring (e.g. with Roman Charkoi) helps maintain the discipline required to stay on this path.

By far our biggest challenge lies in scaling our sales operations and acquiring new customers.

The GRC market in the SME sector is very much a reality and highly dynamic due to NIS2, DORA and cyber security requirements, but it is also consultation-heavy, requires a great deal of explanation and is characterised by long decision-making cycles. A product like Kopexa is not sold through performance marketing, but through trust, references and effective partnership work with ISO and ISMS consultants.

This gives rise to several specific challenges. We must simultaneously build up direct sales, partner channels and credible content and thought leadership work. We must structure consultant partnerships in such a way that they work for both sides and are not just another tool in their stack. And we must continue to educate the market, because many SMEs are still unable to grasp what is coming their way.

On the funding side, the biggest challenge was to develop a clear picture of when and for what purposes external funding actually makes sense. For niche B2B SaaS in German-speaking countries, traditional VC logic isn’t always a good fit, whilst grants and specialist investors in the fields of cybersecurity and compliance are often hard to come by. This is precisely where we hope the Accelerates network will provide targeted guidance.

Understanding customers’ day-to-day lives: Talk to your target audience straight away. Kopexa’s best features were developed through dialogue with consultants and IT managers, not on a whiteboard.

Sales and development in parallel: Don’t separate product development and sales. If you put sales on hold, you lose valuable market validation; if you scale without a product, you lose customers.

Focus beats breadth: Master one topic perfectly, rather than tackling many topics simultaneously but only half-heartedly. Depth wins out over breadth.

Radical honesty: Seek out partners and programmes like KielRegion.Accelerates that expose your weaknesses, rather than just patting you on the back. An environment that gives honest feedback is worth its weight in gold.