Koorvi, known before the rebranding as Numi, is a SaaS solution for consumer goods brands that provides an intelligent and user-friendly Return of used products Koorvi helps brands track and manage return flows and automates currently manual processes such as shipping label creation, pre-sorting, and customer payouts. The startup's plugin can be integrated into all existing shop systems and customized. Product return enables brands to be more sustainable and generate revenue through recommerce and parts refurbishment. In this way, the impact startup aims to make a significant contribution to the circular economy.
Munich Startup: What prompted your rebranding? Why are you now Koorvi and no longer Numi?
Andrea Schneller, Koorvi: There were a few reasons for this. We chose the name Numi at a very early stage, when we were just having the initial idea. Back then, we looked at what we thought was exciting as a brand name and which domains still existed. In the circular economy, we faced the big challenge that everyone already had "circle" in their name and in the end, nobody knew who actually did what. So we wanted to use something that was a proper name. That's how we came up with Numi and the domain numi.circular. But then we learned that we hadn't just done ourselves a favor with the name and domain. There are many other companies with the same name: yoga studios, a cosmetics brand, everything you can imagine. This made it difficult to find us on Google, also because we had Numi as a brand name but numi.circular as the domain.
Coincidence: A second startup called Numi was founded at the same time in Munich
At this early stage, we were already aware that we would have to revisit the topic. After the first proof, we wanted to go further and protect the brand. Initially, however, it was also an economic consideration for us: It makes no sense to protect a brand right away if we don't even know what the final product will look like. During this time, chance struck, because at the same time, another startup was founded in Munich, also called Numi: They had acquired the domain numi.digital secured. The other team had trademarked the name, and we knew it would probably be difficult to protect it in parallel.
But that was okay for us because we knew from the start that we might have to find a new name. That's why we gave our company a name that was independent of the brand: Circular Systems.
Munich Startup: What are the first steps in a rebranding?
Andrea Schneller: The really big issue, and one we were also very apprehensive about, was, of course, the question of what an alternative would be. At first, we couldn't imagine finding another name that suited us as well as Numi. So, brainstorming was one of the first steps. And that kept us busy for quite some time. We went through many rounds of thinking, combining terms based on what we do, trying out compound words, and thinking in other languages.
“We have been assisted by a trademark lawyer”
At the same time, we naturally also made sure that we didn't choose a trademark that would either be protected by someone else or that was already protected in some form. We sought the support of a trademark attorney. He reviewed Numi again and finally told us that the name was no longer viable. The firm also reviewed our options from the brainstorming sessions, even before we decided on a new name.
In retrospect, though, I have to say we could have done the research ourselves. The lawyers did nothing other than use the free search function in the trademark register at the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA). Sure, you do have to do a bit of research into word marks, figurative marks, and so on. But you can do that kind of initial research for a first overview yourself. They really made a good profit from us.
Munich Startup: And what happened next once you found your new name?
Andrea Schneller: Once it became clear that Koorvi would be our new name and that we'd also get a domain, we started preparing for the rebranding itself. For us, this went hand in hand with a complete overhaul of the website. This isn't a must, of course, but it's a good time. We then played around with teasing the upcoming changes on LinkedIn, because we also wanted to prepare our followers a bit.
With a six-week plan, Koorvi organized the rebranding
This was followed by the rebranding period: We created a six-week plan that included specific rebranding activities for each week. During this time, we launched information, had podcasts and articles in the pipeline, sent emails, informed contacts, and did much more. Our goal was for everyone in our network to see the new name at least six times in these six weeks. So that it sticks in people's minds.
It's easy to underestimate some things: Because of the rebranding and the new domain, all of our email addresses also changed. So we had to adjust all accounts accordingly and inform all contacts that we have a new email address.
Munich Startup: Are you satisfied with how it went?
Andrea Schneller: Yes, we're really, really happy, especially with the new name. At first, we were worried about whether we could even say goodbye to the old one, and it took a while to get used to it. But we've received a lot of positive feedback, saying the logo is cool, the name is well-received, and the new website was a successful step. And, of course, the advantage of having no competition with the name Koorvi. If you type Koorvi into Google, we're the only ones that come up.
Long periods of time and small surprises
Munich Startup: How long did the rebranding take for you, from the decision to the final go-live of the new brand?
Andrea Schneller: The process itself, in which we actively engaged with it, took about half a year. We started to focus on it in September 2023. It started with brainstorming sessions and register information. The actual trademark applications followed in October. These always take a few months; we received feedback from the European Registry in January. However, after the initial registration, there's a three-month opposition period, during which a similar trademark could come forward. We started our communications plan in mid-January and finally redesigned the website in February. So, all in all, it took about half a year, but as I said, we had already considered a possible rebranding when we founded the company.
Munich Startup: Has anything happened to you in the last six months that you didn't expect?
Andrea Schneller: What definitely surprised us was how many places we actually appear—where a startup is listed without any effort on its own. The rebranding forced us to address this, and now we have a reasonable overview. And of course, we also claimed the accounts and cleaned up their content.
6 concrete tips for rebranding
Munich Startup: Based on your experience, what specific tips can you give other founders for rebranding?
Andrea Schneller: 1. While we were searching for a new name, we applied directly for funding. The European Union, through EUIPO, is offering a Funding for SMEs to register trademarks both in the German and European registers. You can get up to 1,000 euros reimbursed. You must apply in advance, and once you've received approval, you can initiate the trademark registration process.
2. Another big learning beforehand was that it can be a disadvantage if the domain name doesn't match the brand name. We had Numi as our brand name and numi.circular as our domain. And that makes it much more difficult to be found in search engines, especially if there are other companies with a similar name.
3. Consistency is very important in a rebranding. You should think carefully in advance about where and in what order you'll make changes. For example, we experienced a slight delay after we had already launched the official rebranding and wanted to launch the new website right afterward. However, the relaunch was postponed by a week, which caused some confusion, as we had already communicated the rebranding, but the website was still the old one. We resolved this with a note at the top of the page.
Communication and repetition are key
4. We emailed our direct contacts in advance that we were changing our name. This wasn't just about "we want to tell you first," but also about using them as multipliers. We told them the date we would be launching the rebranding and asked for their support on social media. We also shared our new email addresses and asked them to save them and use only those. This is also important to prevent them from ending up in spam. However, this also has something to do with the new domain, and you have to pay attention to a few settings here.
5. Plan for transition periods. We will continue to use the old email addresses in parallel for a while, at least a year, for anyone who hasn't noticed the rebranding. The same applies to the old domain. Currently, if you enter numi.circle, you will be redirected to Koorvi – and it will remain that way for some time. It will certainly take at least a year for that, too.
6. And of course, you have to place the rebranding as often as possible so that people hear it not just once, but often. On LinkedIn, for example, we currently operate as Koorvi, but still have "former Numi.circular" in parentheses in the name. We also keep it in the header of our website so we don't lose anyone.
This is what happens after the rebranding for Koorvi
Munich Startup: What’s next for you after the rebranding?
Andrea Schneller: The topic of the circular economy is currently receiving a lot of attention, and more and more companies are slowly feeling the pressure of regulation, for example, in the textile sector, also due to decisions at the EU level. We're noticing that this is leading to completely different kinds of conversations than perhaps was the case a year or two ago. In this respect, this year is all about implementing the first customers and simultaneously expanding our outreach to move from the early pioneers to a broader customer target group.
At the same time, we're continuing to expand our partner network. We have our own software solution, which is why we rely on a network of partners in our core industries—consumer goods, textiles, outdoor, sports, and children's—who resell, refurbish, recycle, and offer other circular services for us. We plan to launch a financing round in the fall, and I'm currently in the early stages of preparation for that. And of course, we're still developing it in parallel; a product like this is never finished.
Munich Startup: And finally, the question: What is behind your new name “Koorvi”?
Andrea Schneller: We said that with the new name we wanted to have a proper name again, but one that also contains the core of what we do. And we achieved that, which is why we are so happy with the name. "Koorvi" is actually a portmanteau, containing "kör", which means circle in Hungarian. So we really do have "Circle" in our name, without having anything with "Circle". And the second syllable, "vi", stands for life. Our name thus reflects the product life cycle, which we are extending with our solution. We came up with the idea of using Hungarian thanks to a tip from someone close to us. Using other languages for a brand name is not unusual, and we were suggested to take a look at Hungarian, as there are many beautiful words that only exist there.