Drives are the real engine behind growth and development. Therefore, in this column, North Dutch entrepreneurs tell about their businesses and motivations.
Fabian Compagner (53) was used to going fast and full in everything. Until two years ago, his aorta suddenly ruptured. An acute life-threatening situation, from which he fortunately emerged well. Since then, everything has miraculously fallen into place at his startup ToPerform. 'Because my health requires me to dose better, I have become calmer, more thoughtful and selective. And that clearly benefits my business.'
At the core, Fabian is still the same person, with the same motives as before. 'Seeing how things can be done smarter and taking other people along with me in that, that has always been in me,' he says. 'Even in the years I worked for multinationals, whether I was a process engineer, manager or interim manager. In everything I undertake, job satisfaction is perhaps the biggest driver, because I like to optimize. As soon as I see improvement opportunities - especially for the benefit of processes, people and the environment - I do something about it. And now more than ever I feel: this is my life and I have the freedom to choose. That is why I am realizing my dream with ToPerform. I want to raise this company, just like my children, so that they in turn can bring something beautiful to the world.
Choosing more consciously
The Meppel entrepreneur had been loose with ToPerform for several years before aortic dissection took him out of the running for a while in 2022. 'Actually, my goal was never to have my own company,' explains Fabian, who held various management and board positions in the chemical and food industries. 'I did have a good idea for improving performance in the process industry and I wanted to make that happen with ToPerform. The first few years I worked as an interim manager and coach, so that I could finance my startup myself. But when you see opportunities everywhere, it is difficult to focus. Maybe that's why I wasn't quite on the right track with my company.'
'After my rehab, I had to reinvent myself. I was used to popping into everything quickly and fully, while in retrospect I realize how ineffective that was. Since I am forced to dose my efforts - to keep my stress level and blood pressure low - I have discovered that working sixty hours a week is not necessary at all. You can never influence everything and it's all about what you do focus on. That's why I consciously chose ToPerform last year. And since then I have carefully considered which opportunities I should or should not take, what I have to do myself and what I can do with others. Meanwhile, I have a co-founder, two full-timers have been hired and several freelancers offer us support where necessary.'
'My mission is to raise ToPerform'
Fabian Compagner, top performer
Optimal execution
The fact that everything has been falling so well into place at ToPerform for a year and a half has recently been confirmed by the investment of 1 million euros by a private party. 'Moreover, we are on the eve of testing our product in the field, in the factory of our launching customer,' Fabian says. 'Meanwhile, applications are coming in from other sectors where our product could potentially make a difference, such as shipping and hospitality. We have a scalable concept suitable for multiple purposes and there are opportunities for product expansion. All the more reason for me to build a strong team and to start thinking about my succession. Because of what happened to me, I don't want ToPerform to be dependent on me. And apart from the vulnerability: entrepreneurship is not so much about the man with the plan, it's about the team and the execution of that plan.'
Raising the company is his mission. Optimizing business and making sure everything runs smoothly. 'That is exactly what I have always done, also in my previous jobs and as an interim manager,' Fabian laughs. 'From the drive to improve things, I like to set movement in motion. I don't shy away from controversy. It's allowed to rub off. Large companies in particular often lack the flexibility to optimize processes because everything is fixed in protocols. That is fine, but if it can be done smarter, you also have to be open to improvement and willing to do things differently than you were used to. I enjoy taking people along with me. Showing them how things can be done differently and why that is better for everyone. That is also what ToPerform stands for.
ToPerform brings flow to the process industry
Detecting and predicting industrial fouling in real time with AI: that's what ToPerform makes possible with the smart fouling sensor. This product helps fluid manufacturers keep the flow in their production pipelines constantly optimal and save cleaning costs. While a smart sensor measures fouling accretion and provides insight into fouling levels at any given moment, an AI dashboard predicts the best cleaning moment based on this real-time data. Thus, effectively planned cleaning ensures optimal production flow, without unnecessary or unexpected - and very costly - stops in the process.