Founder interview with Marius Mersinger from "zeltHAUS"

We are a founding team consisting of Marius Mersinger, Fabian Hegner and Jonas Eiden. We all seek meaningfulness in our actions and want to help where help is needed. By supporting social projects, we use our knowledge and experience to benefit society.

The zeltHAUS® is a sustainable and temporary shelter that can be used as emergency accommodation in humanitarian crises, but also for events or various outdoor activities. Unlike an ordinary tent, it is insulated so that it offers protection from any climate and in any season, just like a house. Thanks to its modular design, it can be individually adapted in size. As well as being compact to transport, its innovative folding system, which is protected by a usage protection pattern, means it can be set up quickly and easily without any prior knowledge. The zeltHAUS® is made from a new type of mono-material. It is made from recycled PET, which can be recycled or reused after use. In this way, our goal - to offer all people in need a dignified home - lives up to our claim of sustainability.

In July of this year, we received the Hessen Ideas Scholarship, which provides us with financial support. The scholarship program also supports us in our work on the zeltHAUS® in terms of content and expertise. Step by step, we are achieving our common goal.

In 2016, Jonas and I visited the refugee camp in Idomeni (Greece) with the Desert Taxi team, which had become well known in the media, to support them with donations in kind collected regionally. During our visit, we were able to gain an impression of the catastrophic accommodation situation in temporary camps of this kind. On the onward journey, which took several hours, there was much discussion about temporary emergency accommodation and the search for new solutions. The result: zeltHAUS®.

We are currently working flat out to implement the prototype and are in talks with potential customers. We hope that our work will provide people in need with a dignified home.

The idea for the zeltHAUS® has been around since 2016. In addition to studying and working, it was very difficult to find the time and money for further development and founding. Now the time has come and we can get started. Our current challenge is to place the zeltHAUS® on the market. We are currently in the middle of the process of making contact with NGOs and aid organizations.

We are supported by the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and the Fabric Foam Textile Lightweight Construction research group, where the idea was developed together with Prof. Claudia Lüling. We also applied for the Hessian Founder Award this year. We made it to the final, but we also gained a lot of attention just by applying.

Offenbach is an up-and-coming city with enormous start-up potential. We have gotten to know and love the city. Now it is the starting point of our journey together.

Believe in your own idea and be firmly convinced of it, otherwise you will quickly lose enthusiasm. Even if the investor turns you down, keep going. So: fall down - get up - carry on. And use the mistakes to learn!