Company: Photowärmo GmbH
Founder: Muhammed Ali Demirtas
Date of foundation: October 1, 2023
Industry and company: Master company for photovoltaics and heat pumps

What drives you? What is your motto?
"The future begins today with sustainable energy for the next generations."

What is your company about and what is special about it?
With Photowärmo GmbH, we provide households and companies in the Rhine-Main region (and beyond) with access to clean energy through photovoltaics and heat pumps.

Our unique selling point: Tailor-made complete solutions from a single source, from consulting to installation and maintenance, with the highest quality standards. We are a regional master company, and we are also partners of Buderus, LG, Sungrow, Huawei, SMA, Fronius, Bosch, Stiebel Eltron and Viessmann.

What are your first successes?
Our first projects in Wiesbaden were completed to great customer praise. I am particularly proud of the first complete system integration of photovoltaics plus heat pump in an apartment building. It was proof that our vision works in practice!

What is your professional background?
I am a trained electronics technician for industrial engineering with training qualifications. In my professional experience, I have looked after numerous technical systems. My passion for renewable energies and the desire to work independently led me to become self-employed.

What was the trigger for you to set up your own company?
The impetus came while I was working in industry: I saw every day how much energy potential was going unused. At the same time, my desire to make a real contribution to the energy transition grew.

The decision to set up the company was solidified when I realized how great the need for reliable, honest providers in the field of sustainable energy is in our region. Many companies go bankrupt after a very short time and do not offer customers long-term support, or want large sums as a deposit only to not complete their work professionally afterwards; I was confronted with such problems. After hearing more and more of this kind of news in my area or hearing it in the media, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Who advised you, who are your helpers and mentors?
I was supported by the Wiesbaden Economic Development Agency and an experienced network of start-up advisors. My family is also always at my side - with support, motivation and valuable advice. This combination was crucial for the start.

How did you experience the first few days as a founder?
A lot of excitement, little sleep - but also an incredible amount of anticipation. It was an intense mix of bureaucratic hurdles, planning and initial customer meetings. And then the moment: the first order - a real feeling of elation!

What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was winning over the first customers and building trust. Through open communication, quality and reliability, I managed to generate recommendations. Today, that is our strongest driver.

How do you draw attention to your company? What is your best marketing idea?
In addition to a professional website, we use social media to publicize our projects. Recommendations from satisfied customers, combined with local information events on the energy transition, are particularly effective.

How did you finance your start-up?
The company was founded using your own funds.

What dream would you still like to realize?
I would like to set up a training center for young people to make sustainable technology tangible and train skilled workers.

Please complete the following sentence: If I had more time, I would...
... get more young people interested in technology and sustainability.

What is your special tip: What would you recommend to founders?
Believe in your version, but stay down to earth. Good planning, honesty and quality prevail. Always.