Copenhagen-based NORNORM, a subscription-based furnishing service offering workspace solutions through circular renting models, announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its business to the German market.
The startup says it witnessed a ‘successful’ start in Scandinavia and initially expanded in the Netherlands, and is now expanding its activities to Germany.
Who is leading the German team?
The team in Germany is led by Julian Jacobi and Nikolas Hartlieb. As Head of Growth Germany, Jacobi will handle sales and partnership management. Prior to this, Jacobi worked at fintech scale-up Spendesk and SaaS startup Uberall. Nikolas Hartlieb is Head of Operations Germany and will be responsible for operations in the country. Previously, Hartlieb was a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Julian Jacobi says, “Germany is an attractive and growing market. We want to take part in this development. In constantly changing times, capital investments in buildings, office space and office furniture are unattractive and inflexible for our clientele. From us, they receive a custom-fit furnishing concept and exactly the office furniture they need, delivered directly without delay.”
About NORNORM
NORNORM was founded in 2020 by former IKEA manager Anders Jespen as well as investor and Skype co-creator Jonas Kjellberg. With 10 million tonnes of office furniture end up in landfills every year in Europe alone, the founders aim to apply the circular economy model to office furniture by having companies subscribe to furniture instead of buying it.
The company looks to create a fully recyclable solution for workplaces and reduce some of the burden on the planet caused by office furniture.
CEO and co-founder, Anders Jespen says, “Our mission is to save as many resources as possible. Now we are expanding our proven model to the biggest market in Europe and this will have a big impact. For the planet but also for the employees in Germany who will benefit from our first-class service and furniture for improved well-being and more productivity.”
NORNORM furniture is manufactured by renowned brands such as Hay, Martela and Herman Miller in order to extend the lifespan of the furniture. If a company does not need certain pieces, NORNORM picks them up and refurbishes them for use elsewhere.
Currently, NORNORM is independent, but IKEA is still on board as a strategic investor.
As of now, the company employs over 50 people and has offices in Copenhagen (HQ), Amsterdam, Stockholm and Berlin. Some of its clients include Wolt, Electrolux and Klarna.
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