We see it as our job to give our international network partners the opportunity to experience Heilbronn as a strong economic location and innovative founding city. That is why we decided to start the Move2Grow project!

Our first successful project is Cipherpoint “Move2Grow” to Heilbronn – read what is behind it in the interview with Steven Bliim…

We will get started in March 2020. Coming soon under “Move2Grow”

 

“We just thought that Heilbronn was the best fit for us”

 

You decided to drive the internationalisation forward with a location in the German speaking region. What were the reasons for this?

When we made the decision to expand our business model to Germany and Europe, we thought about which location would give us the best access to the German mid-sized sector. At the same time, it was important to us to be able to reach other European locations easily. So, in the first instance we were looking for a site in Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg.

Why did you decide on Heilbronn in the end?

There were several points that led us to it. We had heard that Heilbronn is one of the fastest growing cities in Germany, and renowned medium-sized enterprises in the region are investing a lot of capital into new technologies. The further development and diversification of existing business models is traditional in the region and is very important. Due to the proximity to the airports in Frankfurt and Stuttgart, we can get to all the locations in Europe and all over the world quickly. The fact that our partner company Dataglobal is nearby was also an important aspect for us.

As an Australian, what do you like about your new company location?

I find Heilbronn a very progressive city, with a positive image and great development potential. Things are happening here! For example, a brand new urban quarter is being built on the site of the recently completed BUGA horticulture show at Neckarbogen, for 3,500 people and with attractive commercial spaces. The universities train the young talents from the region and beyond. The availability of qualified staff is invaluable to us.

What was your first contact with Heilbronn?

 Our partner dataglobal GmbH put us in touch with the Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn (ZFHN) venture capital fund. The help that they offered was very valuable for our decision. Especially after we met the people involved in person for the first time, we were sure that it was the right place. We very quickly had a personal contact person, who helped us with any questions. She completed many formalities with us, went to the registration authorities with us, and even helped us with the search for a nursery place. That was extremely valuable.

Did you have other locations in the shortlist?

As I previously mentioned we also looked in Bavaria and thought about establishing our business in Munich. That is also an interesting location. But after we weighed up the advantages and disadvantages, we chose Heilbronn because of the strong economic infrastructure and the great service that we were offered here. We just thought that the city was the best place for us.

What does your company do Mr Bliim?

We work very closely with retail partners for Europe and specifically Germany. We provide them with a selection of highly specialised data protection solutions, which allow the greatest possible control over their sensitive data. We hope to offer our partners real added value for new customer acquisition through the expansion of their existing product range. In addition, this offers existing customers a unique opportunity to protect their company data in a contemporary way. We offer our existing customers a current, unlimited licence model plus a maintenance fee. We are working on implementing a new SAAS based solution in the coming year.

What is your strategy?

We are already working with a big customer in Germany. This company currently implements our products throughout the whole organisation, whereby we will continue to grow. Our strategy is to significantly build up our customer base in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the next 12 to 18 months. Then we will look at France, the Benelux states and the Scandinavian market. In the long term, our aim is to build up staff in the region for the further development of our technology. In times of digital transformation, the top priority for companies is to maintain constant control of sensitive company data, and at the same time transfer the information systems into the cloud.

You have come with your wife and children. How does your family like it here on the Neckar?

The city has flair, provides a large cultural offering and a variety of sports and shopping opportunities. Everything you could need as a family is available on site. We already went to the experimenta science centre, and of course I visited the BUGA horticulture show with my wife and was impressed. The area and what is now emerging from it is a real future location, a hotspot for young families. We think that Heilbronn is a fantastic location to bring up our two children aged 2 and 9 months.

Many thanks for the interview!