Munich Startup: Who are you and what does Govradar do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Sascha Soyk: With Govradar we are developing a Procurement platform for the public sectorto help public authorities procure innovations in a resource-efficient manner – automated and in compliance with public procurement law. I experienced the ins and outs of public procurement firsthand, sometimes very painfully, during my time in the innovation unit of a federal ministry. Afterward, I worked for the American software company Palantir and learned to understand the other side of this market: that of the providers. It's a real challenge for both sides – innovative technology companies and public clients – to work together efficiently. This makes it all the more important for digitalization in German public authorities that we now intelligently connect both sides with Govradar.
I met Daniel Schießl, our CTO, through the Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) Here in Munich. I studied business administration at the University of Mannheim, but my brother, as an alumnus, forwarded Daniel's profile to me. He brings exactly what we'll need in the coming years to build a "Check24 for the public sector": genuine development skills, but also the ability to lead a rapidly growing technical team. Daniel studied electrical engineering and computer engineering and physics here at the Technical University of Munich and at Stanford University. And we're very proud to have him join Govradar as a co-founder.
Explore the market, acquire innovations
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Sascha Soyk: Unfortunately, public procurement remains very expensive, extremely time-consuming, and often results in less than innovative results. Because very few startups and small businesses even participate in the sector. As a market research platform, we bring both sides together, offering anonymity, compliance by design, and automation.
We are currently focusing on IT procurement for schools. Even though there are now many funding programs in this area, such as the "Digital Pact for Schools," municipalities as school authorities are often overwhelmed by the multitude of individual needs and applications. We automate procurement in small-volume areas, allowing district and city staff to focus on more complex issues. With our solutions, we always ensure that procurement law is considered and taken into account from the outset. This gives public sector representatives certainty regarding compliance with requirements.
As consumers, we're all used to "simply shopping online." That's not possible in the public sector – for example, at least three quotes must always be obtained. After all, taxpayers' money is being spent here. Under these conditions, we ensure that IT procurement doesn't take months, but instead, we set the simplicity of online stores as our benchmark. If not "click today, deliver tomorrow," then at least "delivered within a few weeks."
Govradar takes public procurement law into account
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Sascha Soyk: Yes, many people think of Amazon or Check24. However, such platforms don't work for public contracting authorities for various legal reasons. Govradar will be similarly easy to use, but will always take public procurement law requirements into account.
Munich Startup: What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Sascha Soyk: I'm often asked about the current situation. Since we founded the company shortly before the lockdown, we're only familiar with corona or crisis mode. So far, everything's been going quite well. Of course, customer contacts have been delayed. It was certainly a challenge to contact the authorities during the lockdown, as there was naturally a lot of confusion and uncertainty there too. On the other hand, I try to look at it positively and derive an advantage from it: Corona shows that we finally have to do more for digitalization and get not only government offices but also schools, for example, up to scratch. We also hope that investors now perceive it that way.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Sascha Soyk: By the middle of next year, we want to have digitized as many schools in Germany as possible, meaning we've helped ensure they receive new hardware and software quickly. Our current focus is on Bavaria, but we believe we can roll out to other federal states this year as well.
In five years, our vision will slowly become reality: Govradar as the leading European procurement platform for the public sector. We believe that digitalization will be a decisive driver. After all, it's not just German schools that often still look very much like they did in 1980 – public administration in Europe as a whole still has so much catching up to do!
“Administration still has a lot of catching up to do”
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Sascha Soyk: We feel completely at home here! Daniel is even a native of Munich, and I deliberately founded Govradar here last year, having lived in the state capital since 2012. The city has an unbeatable recreational value for us and is also constantly developing as a startup location. We no longer have to hide from Berlin! There's an established ecosystem of excellent universities, accelerators, and coworking communities here, and we've already benefited greatly from all of them. Participation in the Founder Institute and on the batch of LMU Entrepreneurship Centers were just as helpful as the broad recruiting opportunities at the TU, the LMU and the University of the BundeswehrAnd we have Wayra to thank for the best office location, right on Marienplatz!
Munich Startup: Get up early or stay up all night?
Sascha Soyk: Phew, opinions on this are clearly divided among our founding team: Daniel always starts super early – I'm more of a night shift candidate. But that's fine. The main thing is that now, after the coronavirus pandemic, we can finally find time for after-work drinks with the whole team!
