Founder Gesa Biermann has been active in the sustainability sector for around ten years, earned her PhD from LMU in environmental sciences, and completed a Master’s in Sustainable Resource Management at TU München. Before founding Pina Earth, Biermann was part of the leadership of the Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM), a joint research and educational institution of LMU and TU München. It was here that she met co-founder and CTO Florian Fincke. Before Pina Earth, the founder was already entrepreneurially active: during her Bachelor’s degree, she co-founded and sold a fashion brand and co-founded 180 Degrees Consulting Munich.
Munich Startup: What motivated you to start a company?
Gesa Biermann: After my PhD, I wanted to start a company to fight climate change. Startups offer an unbureaucratic way to implement innovative solutions and create real impact – and quickly. It was important to me that the 80,000 hours I’ll invest in my career over my lifetime actually accomplish something. For that reason, I founded Pina Earth.
Reaching out to others
Munich Startup: What would you have liked to know before your first startup?
Gesa Biermann: That everyone else is just doing their best too. Many founders suffer from so-called “imposter syndrome,” the feeling that everyone around you knows what they’re doing, just not you. I especially observe these self-doubts among women who are considering starting a company.
My take on it: you’ll never feel completely ready to start a company, or actually be ready. I think that’s an unrealistic expectation. But the good news is that you don’t have to know everything yourself. My experience is that many people in your immediate or wider circle are very helpful when you ask them for support. Only the first step has to come from you: reaching out to others.
Access to a large network
Munich Startup: How has your company been financed so far?
Gesa Biermann: We closed our first funding round in 2022, a major milestone in our development. Y Combinator was our first investor. Joining the US accelerator Y Combinator in early 2022 not only gave us access to a large network of investors, but also continues to offer us many benefits, including mentorship from YC partners. The funding round enabled us to continue investing in our product development and build our team, which now has 15 employees.
Munich Startup: When and where do you get your best ideas?
Gesa Biermann: While walking in the English Garden, during brainstorming sessions with my co-founder Florian, and – the classic – in the shower.
Munich Startup: What are your 3 favorite work tools?
Gesa Biermann: By far, Notion is number one. I can build custom tools for everything from to-do management to CRMs to websites in no time. I recently switched to Arc as my browser and have better focus thanks to the design. Besides that, I use a few tools together in my calendar setup: Arc, Cal.com, and Reclaim, among others.
Munich Startup: Your top tip on “pitching”?
Gesa Biermann: I find it helpful to look at yourself from an “outside perspective.” If I were the investor across from me, would I invest in this startup? Before you can convince others, you have to convince yourself first. Paul Graham, the co-founder of Y Combinator, also wrote an essay on this that I highly recommend.
Gesa Biermann: No time to wait for “better times”
Munich Startup: Does it seem like a good time to start a company right now? Why?
Gesa Biermann: In general, it’s never a bad time to start a company. I firmly believe that startups offer a way to find innovative solutions even in, or especially during, turbulent times. That said, the current economic situation is difficult in that less financial resources are available. But when it comes to climate change, we don’t have time to wait for “better times” – with less than six years to reach our 1.5-degree target, every initiative counts!
Munich Startup: What technology or industry would you focus on for your next startup?
Gesa Biermann: For now, I’m not expecting a new startup alongside Pina Earth anytime soon. I would continue to stay in the climate-tech sector because climate change is far from solved. New technologies and business models will continue to open up innovative opportunities to find new solutions here.
More diversity for the Munich ecosystem
Munich Startup: What could be improved at the startup location of Munich from your perspective?
Gesa Biermann: More diversity! In funding rounds, over 80 percent is still raised by male teams. I’m convinced that diverse teams benefit from different perspectives, whether it comes to their ability to innovate or their empathy. The same applies to the circle of investors.
