Elon Musk's Boring Company set a clear challenge to applicants worldwide: Who can drill a 30-meter-long tunnel with a diameter of 50 centimeters, as accurately as possible, through which a remote-controlled car can drive? 400 teams applied to participate, and 12 were invited to the finals in Las Vegas, including TUM Boring from Munich. The student team received support from sponsors and was able to obtain additional funding through a Crowdfunding campaign Erik Mahler is part of the 60-person project and told us about the challenge, his role, and his plans for the future. The 24-year-old is studying business administration at LMU and technology management at CDTM.
Munich Startup: How did you join the TUM Boring team? What motivated you?
Erik Mahler: I've been interested in urban planning, architecture, and project development for several years. I'm always looking for ways to delve deeper into all the topics that fascinate me but have little connection to my main studies at LMU. For me, the clear motivation for TUM Boring was to better understand: What makes tunnel construction so expensive? Why do we currently need several years to build short tunnel sections in Munich? Can this be rethought? I finally became aware of TUM Boring through LinkedIn. After returning from my semester abroad, I ended up joining the team.
“Interdisciplinary work fulfills me”
Munich Startup: What role do you play within the team?
Erik Mahler: TUM Boring is divided into the sub-areas of Tech and Operations. My colleagues in the Operations team and I were primarily concerned with how to finance our machine. For a 22-ton machine, this involves high six-figure sums. The main goal of the sponsorship team was to enable our engineers to maximize their potential. Together, we managed to convince over 80 competent partner companies of our vision. This is an incredible achievement by the entire team. Especially during the critical phase of the machine's construction, starting in June 2021, roles became increasingly fluid – even as an Operations team member, you could support the construction of the machine.
Munich Startup: How would you personally like to benefit from your collaboration?
Erik Mahler: Interdisciplinary work fulfills me. I particularly benefit from collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds and learning from them. Others' unfiltered enthusiasm for a topic often makes me want to learn more—no matter how unrelated it may have been to me before. The benefits of this interaction often come unexpectedly and after some time—we'll see what awaits me!
Munich Startup: Before your trip to the Not-a-Boring Competition in Las Vegas, you successful We raised money through crowdfunding. What was the mood like before the departure? Did you expect such a success?
Erik Mahler: Crowdfunding was a successful milestone for us – we were able to reach our target amount within a very short time. In addition to our sponsorship partnerships, we were also able to reach friends, relatives, acquaintances, and enthusiasts through crowdfunding. This allowed us to enable those who don't work at one of our partner companies to become part of the project. With the help of Max Emrich's creative hand, we were also able to offer great designs for shirts, crewnecks, and similar items. A true success for everyone!
TUM Boring celebrated his victory at the Hofbräuhaus – in Las Vegas
Munich Startup: Please tell us how the competition went on site.
Erik Mahler: On the day of the competition, we realized how valuable our rigorous preparation had been. As some articles have mentioned, a tough selection process took place before drilling began. The sheer challenge facing the teams—to complete the machines, transport them to Las Vegas, and set them up there—was enormous. The subsequent safety checks meant that some teams weren't even allowed to start. It was a huge help to us in this process that we were able to test our machine several weeks before the competition. After we had already drilled close to the 30-meter mark, it was clear that other teams wouldn't be able to overtake us. We would have liked to finish drilling, but unfortunately, we weren't allowed to.
Munich Startup: How did you celebrate winning the competition?
Erik Mahler: To fulfill all the Las Vegas clichés at the Hofbräuhaus there. Afterwards, some of us enjoyed the opportunity to be in the USA and extended our stay for private travel and road trips.
Munich Startup: What are your next projects with TUM Boring?
Erik Mahler: First, we want to see what steps the Boring Company takes. Is there a follow-up competition? If so, what does it look like? Otherwise, so soon after this year's event, we need to reflect and explore what might be possible as a team. There are, of course, many individual ideas here—for example, I would be delighted if the city of Munich would approach us with exciting, more local ideas. Elon's plans are partly more focused on individual transport—there are other priorities in Europe, such as subway construction. Now we need to gather all of our team's ideas and develop them further.
Munich Startup: Two years ago, the TUM Hyperloop team also took part in a competition run by Elon Musk and won all four editionsWhat is the secret of success of the student teams at the Technical University of Munich?
Erik Mahler: I think this has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. By this, I mean: The TU's openness and support for such projects are a breeding ground for talented individuals to come together. This is evident in our team: Many of us are from Munich University of Applied Sciences or, like me, from LMU. Since TUM has consistently succeeded in spawning strong initiatives, new founders are naturally encouraged to pursue their ideas and realize that they can do the same. This will likely continue to close the circle in the future.
