NICKLAS NØRGAARD & KASPER FALKENBERG FROM NORFALK

HOW DID THE IDEA OF BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR ARISE?
It all started with a desire to become entrepreneurs – the idea came afterwards. We looked into our knowledge as chemical engineers to find out where we could make a difference by solving a problem. At first, we looked into something completely different, but then we started looking into textile dyes. The way the industry dyes textile today involves a so-called ‘linker’ that contains carcinogenic chemicals. These chemicals have to be purified later in the process, so they don’t end up in our clothes. If we could develop a way to produce a linker that does not involve carcinogenic chemicals, we could both make the process smoother and more sustainable – and this is what we have done in NorFalk.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY?
We started talking to people from the industry to find out if it was really a problem worth solving. And then we went into the lab to work on a solution.
We developed our production technology as part of our Master’s thesis project. Normally you get help with your thesis project from an established research group that also supports the project financially. But since it is a quite unexplored area in Denmark, there were no researchers at our department working with it. Therefore, we had to apply for funding elsewhere, and we got a Micro Grant from the Danish Foundation for Enterpreneurship to help us get going.
We have found support from other students and researchers at the university. In the beginning of 2020, we became part of Founders’ Community in The Kitchen where we have an office space today.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WORKWEEK LOOK LIKE FOR YOU IN RELATION TO COMBINING YOUR COMPANY WITH YOUR STUDIES?
We know it is a bit of a cliché that startups work a lot – but we do!
In the beginning, the lines between study and startup have been a bit blurry because we developed the technology as part of our thesis. But along the way, the lines have become clearer. We have done all the company-related work outside regular study/working hours. But we find the work so interesting that we don’t mind. It means a lot to us to be able to make a difference. And it is a great feeling when things start to get going.

Now that we work full time with NorFalk, our days vary a lot: meetings, development, applying for funding etc. fill up our days.

HOW DO YOU USE YOUR ACADEMIC COMPETENCIES FROM AU AS AN ENTREPRENEUR?
It is really 1:1. Our startup is completely grounded in our academic competencies. We couldn’t have found a solution to the problem without the academic knowledge and skills from our study program.

WHERE IS THE COMPANY TODAY, AND WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE?
We both work full time now as part of a career program for graduates in our unemployment fund. Here we get economical support for 12 weeks to work on the company – hopefully, we will manage to raise enough funding to be able to continue full time.
However, we will not reach the market price on wage levels any day soon! But we hope to reach a more stable level within a few years. You really shouldn’t do it for the money – the love of what you do should come first. Also, there is no better time to jump into it than right now. Once you get a well-payed job, it will become even harder; then you either have to give up a nice salary or only be able to work on your startup outside working hours.
At the moment, we are screening the market for competitors. We have also reached out to some production companies within the textile dye industry to explore the market and potential customers. The area is quite unexplored in Denmark, since most of the textile industry is in Asia.

YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING BECOMING ENTREPRENEURS?
As a researcher, you go into detail with everything, but you need to put that aside as an entrepreneur! For instance, we have sometimes put a reference on a pitch deck – and that is not something we see many other entrepreneurs do.
You have to believe in yourself and tell yourself that you can do it. Sometimes you need to give yourself a push and go out and talk to other people about your idea – you do not find out if your idea is good, unless you try it out.
It is also important to have support from your family and make sure to align expectations at home.