Intuitive keyboard is latest asset of German Groningers

Three German guys are loosening the rules of the great startup handbook from Groningen. They will soon bring high-end technology to market in the form of a "keyboard" that can be used to work in a much more intuitive way. The factory in China is ready to scale up quickly.

Boys are actually long gone. Tom Theuer, Moritz Angermann and Niclas Bertelsen are still in their twenties, but they have an entrepreneurial experience and a conviction that certainly does not match their age. The bevy of Angel Investors they have gathered around them speaks for itself in this regard.

'Also check out their crowdfunding through Kickstarter,' says Daan Verhorst. He invested in the startup on behalf of NOM. 'That was the second most successful crowdfunding campaign ever in the Netherlands. From all over the world, people confidently bought Naya' s product, without even knowing it was ready. In fact, they weren't even sure it would be there and when. That's how you have to see it. That's really special. It also tells me that Tom, Moritz and Niclas have created something that the market really wants.

The Create is thus a direct expression of the startup's philosophy: starting from the user and deploying technology accordingly. This is wonderful, but also wildly complicated. Moritz Angermann is the technological brain of the trio. For years, he experimented with different materials, shapes and solutions. He pulled it off: a modular system with which the user can easily control what he needs. Without constantly having to switch from one device to another.

'That means the software is equally important,' he says. 'We developed all that ourselves, too, because what we were looking for didn't exist yet. We only go for absolute top quality. For example, those two parts can be charged wirelessly, so you're not left with cords. That alone is a hefty challenge. Fantastic to take on, although sometimes your courage fails you. We persevered, remained positive as founders and team and were also encouraged by the team of investors around us.'

'Look, that iPhone is so well designed, you should touch that as little as possible,' Angermann explains. 'But what do we do? We put it in a case that changes the whole feel. Sin. Just take that phone out of its case and you'll feel how nice it feels in your hand. That's exactly what we keep with the Pulse, that feel. That's what it's designed to do. Technology that works for the consumer.

Barely three years later, the three were already selling more than a hundred thousand of these phone protectors, all over the world. New models entered the market, new versions opening new markets. The process works excellently, shipping is running, production is top-notch. Arc's success inspires confidence in Naya.

"The combination is quite exceptional," Niek Huizinga of investment fund G-Force Capital says of it. The fund invested early this year, and is participating again this round. 'That such a startup has a good team right from the start in which the members complement each other. They have all the competencies on board and are also not afraid to ask for help and advice. Not for nothing have they gathered such a large network of Angel Investors around them.'

Quality. This is one of the most important factors of all. What Naya makes is for the top of the market. It makes professionals happy, technology freaks certainly too. Angermann: "That's why so much time goes into it. From trial model to trial model, from improvement to improvement. Everything has to be perfect, the software too. That's pretty much where we are now. We managed to make a unique two-piece wireless keyboard, with the lowest latency (delay in data transmission) in the world. All elements are of high-quality material, the production process is precisely measured.'

Now it's a matter of starting initial production, cranking up sales and then scaling up. And the trio has mapped out a precise route for that, too. Says Bertelsen, "We have been testing our prototypes for the past few months and, with the first production batch, have them extensively tested by professionals around the world. Video editors, programmers, you name it. So we know there is enthusiasm for this. Meanwhile, we are putting out the sales channels. Thanks to Arc, we now have a large network of retail organizations, including in Southeast Asia. We are working on connecting more parties.'

The development of the startup did not go unnoticed in the world. The exceptional crowdfunding got many a decision-maker thinking. 'Yes, we have already received quite a few offers from large parties to come and talk. That can never hurt, of course, but we are still very much in the mode of wanting to take the company forward ourselves. We want to continue on our route, the next projects and products are already being conceived.'