A dreamy view of greenery, a tiny little house, a break from the hectic big-city life – who hasn’t dreamed of a holiday like that, or even of permanently owning such an idyllic retreat?
Today we meet Javier, one of the founders of Cabin Experience, who wants to make this dream a reality for many people. During our video call, his business partner Charles joins in, laughing as he notes that the stunning view on the Cabin Experience website is of course an ideal image of conscious living in nature. But Javier and Charles are well on their way to turning this ideal into reality and making it accessible to their customers.
But let’s start from the beginning: in mid-2019, the two joined the Startup Incubator Berlin, winning first prize in the audience vote at the Make It Lean Contest. Their concept was so compelling to us that they were accepted into the Startup Now program and ultimately successfully applied for the Berlin Startup Scholarship starting in January 2020.
Their vision is to revolutionize tourism – to unite people and nature in a minimalist way. They plan to do this through the sale of tiny houses, with future owners also being able to find suitable land to place them on through Cabin Experience. In addition, the platform will also facilitate the rental of the tiny houses during the times when they are not being used by the owners themselves.
That is the future. As a first step, they are now entering the market with a more streamlined tiny house designed for garden use. This model is already being produced in Austria. You can think of it as an exclusive wooden tent – ideal for your own property and the occasional overnight guest. The broader concept will be implemented in stages over the medium term, funded by the initial revenue generated from this model.
With their entry into the market, their program with us has now come to an end, and we ask about their impressions and experiences during their exciting and eventful time at the SIB. For Javier, the detailed coaching was particularly important, as they initially had a complex and wide-ranging idea that they were able to streamline thanks to the Lean methodology. From Charles’s perspective, the targeted advice on the right business structure and the founding process itself was a great help.
For both founders, the international atmosphere at the Startup Incubator Berlin was also important – to which they themselves contributed, as Javier is from Spain and Charles from France. Why did they found their company in Berlin? Because it offers the best conditions for startups to tap into an international market from here. For example, the world’s largest tourism trade fair takes place here, even if a great deal is currently changing in this industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From Javier and Charles’s perspective, however, their vision of sustainable, regional, and minimalist travel offers great opportunities precisely in these times.
And so we find ourselves daydreaming once again about a beautiful tiny house with a view out into open nature. With their positive energy and motivation, the two founders have inspired and won us over – we wish Javier and Charles every success with their business idea!
