The founders of the Pforzheim-based company StartupValley Magazin, who have their offices in the Pforzheim Innotec, have been interested in founders for five years now. Both had spoken at fairs with founders and then established contacts with investors at other events.
“From there, our idea to start our own business has matured. We did not like the existing offer and we wanted to create something new. Although there were many competitors in the online area, but not so many in print. We just saw a chance in that there is a gap we can close, “says the 46-year-old skilled toolmaker Markus Elsässer.
His wife Sabine, 42 years old, is a state-certified economics assistant, had originally worked at the Pforzheim-based company Bader and later in sales at other companies. In the company, she manages both the print and online editorial departments and, accordingly, the publication of the contributions of currently five permanent freelancers.
Thematically, for example, there is the “Founder Talk” on the company’s website. 2666 founder talks and 7279 editorial contributions, ie 9945 contributions on the website, are listed in it at the moment, including a diary, which contains important dates for the start-up scene. Other authors and guest authors who occasionally write a contribution to their core topic; in the current magazine there are 23 authors; complete the team around Sabine and Markus Elsässer.
The entire company is financed by the respective magazine sales, advertorials and advertisements. Nearly 3,500 subscriptions exist in German-speaking countries in print. Around 5,000 copies are on the road, especially when the front pages convince the readers.
Overall, 70 percent of revenue is generated through sales, subscriptions, retail, or at numerous trade shows and events. There are regular media cooperations with major events such as bits & pretzels or Telekom’s “Long Night of Startups” in Berlin, but also with events in London such as FinTech Week and many more. “Our target group is broad-based. We can see that in the corresponding sale.
The startup scene has arrived in the mainstream media. The magazine is designed to be read by a student, a student or a student. But also investors and business angels read it. The average housewife reads it, for example, because a picture of “The Cave of the Lions” adorns the magazine title. She looks at the show in the evening, then she sees the magazine at the kiosk and buys it.
Also topics like food startups and “airbnb” attract people, “says Sabine Elsässer. Accordingly, the readers buy the magazine. Specifically, the 15000 print readers, in the frequency depending on the month, are less in summer and more in winter. More readers can be found at readly.com, at paid reading circles.
Read here and at various paid reading circles. “Advertisements that co-finance the magazine, for example, serve service providers within the startup scene, ie those who want to invest in startups. They use the editorial way or events and scouting to carry out their project, “says founder Markus Elsässer.
What he himself loves about print and online publications is as follows: “Online, I find the technical possibilities that I can use great. Print will live on and it depends on the individual medium. Print is more sustainable because you will not read an online article anymore if you turn off your smartphone. ”
The name of the magazine goes back to “Startup” for “Startup”, “Valley” for Silicon Valley and “news” for “news”. Meanwhile, the founders are well positioned in Europe. They also plan to publish an English print magazine next year.
When asked how he judges the start-up scene in Pforzheim and the region, says Elsässer: “I would say that there is a good, growing ecosystem in Pforzheim with many stakeholders who are interested in making a difference.”!
Also published on Medium.