Some things are best handled face-to-face. Large companies, in particular, therefore constantly send their employees on trips to meetings with colleagues and clients. Convien's software automatically determines the appropriate meeting point and the best travel route. This is designed to save companies time, money, and CO2. Convien founder Christian Hieronimi explains the background to us.
Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please briefly introduce yourself and your product!
Christian Hieronimi: I'm Christian Hieronimi, 48, and I studied business administration in Augsburg. I had the idea for Convien during my previous management position at a medical technology company, when I felt like I was spending more time at the airport than with my family.
We are a Munich-based startup that manages, optimizes, and secures an effective platform for managing meetings, events, and travel.
Our innovation is a meeting place finder software that analyzes millions of travel connections based on the participants' places of origin to facilitate the selection of the optimal meeting point in terms of CO2 emissions, ticket costs, and working time.
“DAX companies benefit maximally from Convien”
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Christian Hieronimi: Using proprietary algorithms, Convien enables cost comparisons of any meeting location from millions of different alternatives. This takes into account travel, hotel, and labor costs, as well as the participants' CO2 emissions when traveling to the meeting. By intelligently selecting the meeting location, companies and organizations can save up to 30 percent in costs and CO2 emissions.
Munich Startup: What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Christian Hieronimi: Finding the right sponsors in DAX-listed companies—which benefit the most from Convien. Because our tool is the link between meetings and travel, it's not easy to find the right contacts within companies.
Munich Startup: Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
Christian Hieronimi: Especially due to the current focus on sustainability in business travel, we are pleased with the increased demand, especially for carbon footprint optimization. With our tool, companies can save up to 30 percent of direct travel costs—while fully complying with travel guidelines and without sacrificing comfort.
“Munich is increasingly becoming a startup stronghold”
Munich Startup: What does Munich mean to you?
Christian HieronimiThe Bavarian capital boasts two top universities, diverse research institutes, the highest purchasing power of any German city, and many large companies and global corporations have their headquarters here. This diversity and the relaxed atmosphere naturally attract many young, highly qualified workers.
Munich is increasingly becoming a startup hotspot, as the desire for the perfect work-life balance is fulfilled here by the mountains in winter and the lakes in summer.
Munich Startup: How does your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
Christian HieronimiFace-to-face meetings are too important for business—they can't always be replaced by online meetings. Therefore, intelligent solutions are needed. With the attention and the trend toward sustainability, we are confident that we will prevail. With our revolutionary, forward-thinking, and intelligent approach, we believe we stand out from the crowd and are very optimistic about the future!
Munich Startup: Train or plane?
Christian Hieronimi: That’s exactly the question our Meeting Place Finder can answer for you.
