The Munich-based SaaS startup has developed an innovation for the construction industry Caala This innovative software calculates and visualizes the energy and ecological footprint, as well as the life cycle costs of a building design, in seconds. This enables architects to plan more ecologically and economically sustainable buildings.
Founder and Managing Director Sebastian Dominguez answered our 7 questions.
1. Who are you and what do you do?
Our founding team consists of eight members, some of whom have known each other for over ten years, dating back to our student days. Our co-founder Alexander, an architect and civil engineer, has been working on the innovative method PLCA, or parametric life cycle analysis, on which Caala is based, since 2012.
The software enables energy balances, ecological life cycle analyses and life cycle cost calculations of building designs to be carried out early in the planning process and in real time.
This allows architects to quickly compare different Varians and find the optimal solution for their building design—within a tenth of the input and computing time of alternative software. With our prototype, we have already achieved GHG emission savings of 66% and life cycle cost reductions of 30% in studies.
Caala calculates in real time
2. But that's been around for a long time!
Really? We disagree! Caala is the first software that allows you to calculate and visualize the energy balance, environmental impact assessment, and life cycle costs of a building design in real time.
For the first time, we link all relevant parameters and calculate within seconds, already in the crucial early planning phase, how buildings can be optimized with regard to ecological and economic criteria over their entire life cycle.
Team, tips and partners
3. What are the three main ingredients for your recipe for success?
Our strong team is the most important ingredient for our success! We stick together through thick and thin. At least as important are our industry partners, who have collaborated with us since the beginning. And last but not least, our mentors, who support us with advice and support.
Award-winning innovation
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
Our software is very well received! We've received several awards in recent months.
As winners of the 2016 StartGreen Award, we were able to attract a lot of attention and find additional partners. Other highlights include the recognition as one of Hello Tomorrow's 'Top 500 early-stage science startups', the DGNB Sustainability Award, and third prize in the 'Built on IT' open more doors for us.
In March, we were one of the top 3 finalists in the “Future Production & Manufacturing” category of the international Energy Transition Awards It was also a great honor for us to be awarded the “Start-up competition – Digital innovations“ To receive the prize. March wasn't a bad month!
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich is in Germany the A B2B innovation center. Here you can find talent, capital, industry partners, and mentors—and also enjoy the mountains and lakes on weekends. Unique, right?
Fast and sustainable unicorn
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
Unicorn or epic fail? It's not exactly a fine line! We definitely want rapid, yet sustainable development for our company. But what we want most of all is to use technology to make the world's largest industry—the construction sector—more sustainable. If that works, that'll be epic!
7. Isar or English Garden?
We're truly spoiled by everything Munich has to offer. If only we had time for everything! As students, we often went to the English Garden and have very fond memories of it.
