Grilling in the city is always a tricky thing—taking a large grill to the Isar is rather difficult, and disposable grills are anything but good for the environment. A Munich resident has now set out to change that. She's seeking support for her Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign until Sunday.
1. Who are you and what do you do?
KNISTER GRILL is a charcoal grill for the city, optimized for bicycle transport. Simply hang it on your bike's handlebars and off you go! Attaching it to your bike takes just a few seconds – no screws required. Once you're ready to grill, the KNISTER GRILL is easily removed from the bike and can be expanded to double its size if desired. This means you can grill with three or even nine friends.
About the founder:
Carolin Kunert (22) is a true Munich native who grew up with the barbecue problem on the Isar River. Many years ago, she came up with the idea of finally tackling all the problems surrounding barbecues in the city and developing a portable barbecue for the city.
In 2015, while studying industrial design in Munich, she built the first prototype. At the time, the grill was still far too heavy and was mounted on the luggage rack.
During a semester abroad in Denmark in 2017, Carolin and a new international team further developed the grill and impressed the judges at the "Startup Weekend" competition so much that the team won first prize. KNISTER GRILL has been around ever since.
After moving back to Germany, the originally international team lost its cohesion. With the help of friends and family, and a lot of perseverance, Carolin is now taking the plunge and launching her own idea, bringing the KNISTER GRILL into production, to Kickstarter, and onto the market.
2. But that's been around for a long time!
Sure, there are plenty of portable grills, but none that's ideal for the city and solves all of your grilling problems. How do I transport the grill, food, and charcoal to the grilling location? How do I light the charcoal super easily? What's the easiest way to clean the grill afterward? What if I'm grilling with a larger group? How do I solve the garbage problem in cities? How do I prevent the bacon or zucchini from falling through the grate? Knister provides the perfect answer to all of these questions.
3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
There is no single big challenge. Starting a business is incredibly strenuous but also (for me) fulfilling. After founding my first company last year, I realized that it simply suits me. But to answer the question anyway: The challenge is to do everything that goes with building a company simultaneously and well. One moment a wholesaler calls, the next RTL calls, then I'm taking care of getting the product into series production, and before that I just registered a patent. You do everything simultaneously and no matter how old or experienced you are, you still have to learn everything first. Sure, I know how to develop good products, but nobody has taught me how to distribute, protect, tax, market, and finance them.
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
Not bad for a start. So far, 120 grills have been sold through Kickstarter (as of May 2018), and we're already in talks with wholesalers and retailers. I'm happy, but I won't be satisfied until the first hundred grills have been shipped and people love the product and recommend it to others. Because that's what I want to achieve: Offer a little added value and counteract the throwaway society with useful, long-lasting products.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich is my hometown. It wasn't until my semester abroad in Denmark that I truly began to appreciate the city. No joke, after a winter in Denmark, the weather is always nice in Munich. The infrastructure, the cultural offerings, and simply the quality of life are incredibly high. The Isar River is one of my favorite places—which is probably why I'm a Knister Grill. The startup culture is satisfactory. There are many events and lots of people to meet. As a launch market, Munich is perfect for I'm a Knister Grill. I know my way around, I know the popular spots, and promoting is very easy here because people can easily relate to the problem.
6. How can your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
We definitely won't see each other at Epic Fail Night. The product is simply too advanced and too popular for that. Unlike the other tech blockchain AI IoT startups, we already have a solid product that doesn't require five years of development and that no one will ultimately want to buy.
We're already generating sales five months after launch, allowing us to test the grill on the market, and this gives us plenty of time to react to the market and make adjustments. I'm also not a fan of nurturing a baby until it's perfect—if you do that, it'll be a grandmother before you know it.
I think it's very bold to enter the space with the statement "we'll be the next unicorn." That requires a lot of experience, good contacts, a really good business model, and a lot of luck at the right time. It simply takes time. It's difficult to grow incredibly quickly with a physical product, simply because of scalability. Digital services are theoretically easier. That's why almost all subsidies and investments are directed toward this area. Nevertheless, it's possible – I'm very ambitious and persistent, but to say now "Knister will become a unicorn" is a bit megalomaniacal.
7. Best place to barbecue in Munich?
Is it allowed to grill in Munich? Okay, just kidding – Isar: the northern part (near Ismaning) or south of the Isar towards Großhesselohe – it's not as crowded there as at the Flaucher – but it also depends on the day. Otherwise, of course, Feringasee.
