"It all started with a great team at the Institute of Veterinary Physiology at the FU Berlin."
When we think back to the time we conducted research for our doctoral theses at the institute, one memory in particular remains: it was (mostly) a great time because the group there was unique. Everyone worked on their own topic, but in the end, everyone helped out when needed. Whether it was driving to the slaughterhouse or helping organise trials, where an extra pair of hands could make all the difference, the support and teamwork were incredible.
I want to thank everyone who was "in the physio" back then.
"Sometimes you need a lot of patience, endless stamina and a bit of luck!"
Anyone who has written an experimental research paper or doctoral thesis knows what we are talking about. There are certainly more exciting things than spending hours, days or weeks in the lab. The rate of failed experiments was high! BUT: Then came a breakthrough that we hadn't expected. We discovered a completely new way to influence the transport of nutrients from the rumen into cows' blood. We repeated the experiment once, twice, three times… but it wasn't an oversight; it could be shown again and again.
The question then arose relatively quickly: What do we do with it now? After many discussions, we decided to bring our laboratory results to the barn to improve animal health on farms.
EXIST - Research transfer
Our goal was clear. We want dairy cows to benefit from our solutions. Specifically, we wanted to show that calcium transport can be improved in animals.
We spoke to "profund", the start-up service at the time of the free University of Berlin, and found out what funding options were available. EXIST research transfer seemed possible for us. We spent the next few months writing our first business plan. Following the positive feedback on this extensive funding opportunity and with the full support of the institute, the department and the start-up support team, we were ready to get started. We had our own project!
One of the best times begins - the first time: from the lab to the stable!
Once we had secured the funding, our first focus was to conduct further laboratory studies. We'd like more information on concentrations and active ingredients. We had the full support of the institute and whenever we could piggyback on other trials, we did. If necessary, Katharina would sometimes sleep right next to the lab so they could collect samples at night.
Then we looked for a research station where we could carry out feeding studies on cows. None of us had ever done this before. We spoke to many farms and in the end, we were lucky enough to get a free period in Futterkamp.
Before that, we had the chance to run a "preliminary trial" with a smaller group, which proved to be our salvation in retrospect. On the first day of sampling (urine samples from 30 cows), it took us ages… until everything had settled down. In Futterkamp, more than 70 animals were sampled for blood and urine. We became professionals and everything went hand in hand.
Looking back, it was one of the best times. We tried to do as much as we could ourselves, had great support from the team in Futterkamp and were out and about in the middle of the barn.
We slept in a tent to save as much money as possible for development and to avoid spending it on travel. So we travelled back and forth between the Baltic Sea and Berlin for over six months. We also got to know each other even better as a team here.
It was one of the best times, as we demonstrated that our solutions work in the field.
The all-important proof of concept was achieved!
Foundation of PerformaNat GmbH
And there we were at the institute after our notary appointment, toasting the founding of PerformaNat GmbH. Had we really thought this through? From today's perspective, a clear no. We were inspired by our results and had our goal in mind more than ever.
For the first time, we put not only all our strength and energy into our project but also our personal money. Without in-depth business management expertise, we kept accounting, annual financial statements and other legal matters on our radar. We looked for our own office space and moved near the university so we could remain in close contact with the institute.
