Dirk Strothmann has been marketing this world-first contactless dynamo-powered bicycle lighting system since 2012 through his own company, Magnic Innovations. We met him for an interview in Borgholzhausen.
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Inspired by their passion for cycling, brothers Dirk and Jörn Strothmann developed the Magnic Light System. It generates electricity through eddy current induction and illuminates the road in such a way that cyclists don’t feel any noticeable resistance while pedaling and don’t have to worry about batteries or installing lights.
Dirk Strothmann has been marketing this world-first contactless dynamo-powered bicycle lighting system since 2012 through his own company, Magnic Innovations. We met him for an interview in Borgholzhausen.
This is how the story of the company’s founding began
Dirk & Jörn Strothmann, founded in 2012 in Borgholzhausen
Foundation of Magnic Innovations GmbH & Co KG: the world’s first contactless, dynamo-powered bicycle lighting system
Initial funding: crowdfunding campaign
Focus: Mobility, Sustainability
Dirk Strothmann: We first built a prototype and then approached companies with our idea. However, they were sceptical and didn’t really think our dynamo was marketable. Nevertheless, we applied for a utility model and, six months later, in early 2012, launched a crowdfunding campaign. We then used the 65,000 euros raised to cover our patent costs and, with the addition of our own capital, produced an initial batch.
D. Strothmann: We wanted to set up our production professionally right from the start. To ensure this within our budget, we turned to external service providers. For our first project, in which we produced around 1,500 lamps, we mainly took care of the design and administration. Companies in China manufactured injection-moulded parts and magnets for us. A German electrical company then carried out the production for us. Nevertheless, I still had quite a bit of manual work to do – but I had help from my family, especially from my wife.
D. Strothmann: Many people thought it was quite crazy that we gave it a go – that is, putting our idea into practice. Some of our friends, people in the cycling community and even one of the patent attorneys were initially sceptical as to whether our project could succeed. Even when we were at a bike fair in Essen in 2012 with our utility model, for example, there was heated debate about whether our product was even ‘real’.
„Thanks to STARTERCENTER NRW, we have gained a fairly good overview of all the funding schemes available.“
- Dirk Strothmann
D. Strothmann: Together with STARTERCENTER NRW, we first looked into various funding options and gained a fairly good overview of all the available schemes. Through the process of applying for funding, we learnt a great deal about the funding landscape. In fact, it is often an advantage if your project is not yet fully developed but you already have staff on your payroll.
D. Strothmann: I think it always depends on the individual’s personal circumstances and their own appetite for risk. It’s certainly easier to launch a project like this if you have financial backing. But ultimately, it’s something everyone has to decide for themselves.