Interview with Julian from Locca!
What was it like for you after winning/participating in the hy! Startup Competition?
The moment when you are up on the stage waiting for the jury’s final decision and then suddenly can hear your own name – that was just overwhelming. Back in June we were already working on the Locca Trackers for almost 2 years. No doubt, this time was very challenging for our team. We invested a lot of our time and money. But eventually when standing there on the stage, and people like what you do, you realize that it was all worth it!
What did you do after?
At that time we were not really prepared to get this massive feedback and news coverage – when pitching Locca, our website has just been online for about an hour or so. Within the first weeks we got several thousand emails and newsletter subscribers – it was amazing. You can imagine, we were pretty busy with talking to people and getting in touch with prospective clients and business partners.
After this first „shock“ was over, we really started to push things forward. We set ourselves a new deadline for the product launch and gave the go-ahead to our software developers and engineers. Quickly after we held the first prototypes in our hands. Again, an incredible feeling, when the product that you envisioned, is not just a computer rendering anymore but an actual thing that you can touch.
What’s the current status on your ventures? What’s working? What’s challenging?
Things are going very fast right now. We’ve got a new website and webshop, which are almost ready to go online. Our software developers and designers are working like crazy on finishing the smartphone- and web applications. Creating a sound and working concept for the software is tough, since there are so many use cases for our product. The real-life testing phase is therefore a very important stage for us. But we have good news: so far everything looks good and we expect to ship the first LoccaMinis before Christmas!
We are also busy with getting enough funds to finance our first batch of LoccaMinis. For a startup that is launching its first product, this first production is of course a challenge because you can not fall back on your cash flow. During the last weeks, we have been working on a crowdfunding campaign, which is now live on indiegogo.com!
Goals for the future?
Everything is now focused on the product launch of the LoccaMini. Our goal is a successful launch, not only in our core markets Germany, Austria and Switzerland but also in all other european countries. Our second product, the LoccaPhone, still needs some time for developing, but we are pretty confident that it will be ready by the beginning of next year. The next step is then to offer our service overseas.
What advice would you give other startups when growing their team/product from the early stage you were in at the time of the competition?
You definitely need a long breath for such ventures. At the time of hy! we have been working on the product for about 2 years already and then suddenly it took of. So always be prepared for things to change very quickly.
Anything else you want to share?
The hy! Berlin was a big turning point for Locca. It gave as a big boost for the whole development process of the business. And now we are just within a stone’s throw of selling the first products! Thanks guys for supporting us in making the Locca claim become true: „stop searching – start living“.











