Everyone on the screed with Staenis

By Staenis | 26/04/2018

For a good screed, you usually take some Portland composite cement, add some water and sand, and that's it. Simple. For an innovative idea, you take some youthful enthusiasm, a hefty dose of pragmatism and perseverance, and that's it. Simple. If you combine 1 and 2, you get something that seems simple but will make the lives of many screed installers easier. Speaking are Daisy and Tom, managers of Staenis and holders of their first patent in construction."

That patent relates to a new product concept for the easy installation of screed floors. It grew out of the personal experience of Tom Verstaen: “At a certain point, I had to lay a small section of screed, and it turned out not to be so straightforward. Especially in small spaces, I encountered the problem of placing screed evenly.”

Tom quickly came up with a first prototype to remedy this. For the development, he formed an 'alliance' with former school friend Daisy Bohyn, who had studied product design: "When Tom presented his idea to me, I was about to graduate. We both realized that this was a perfect professional combination, and that's how we got into it together. We refined the product together, which resulted in the StaenisGrid screed system.

As flat as a screed should be, that’s how bumpy their path to entrepreneurship was. For various reasons, they had to postpone their product launch several times. Daisy: “We spent a long time on the actual development of the product, on market research, the patent, and the practical matters of setting up our company. In terms of accounting and finance, we also went through a learning curve. It was very interesting but sometimes exhausting.”

On the balance of that learning curve, external validation and boosts ultimately weighed much heavier than the few breaks they had to take, with the highlight being the first prize at the Demo Day of Start it at kbc. Tom: "That really gave us a confidence boost and the conviction that we were on the right track. For starting entrepreneurs, such initiatives are very valuable as a sounding board."

As starting entrepreneurs, Daisy and Tom relied on the Startlening+ from PMV/z and subsidies from Vlaio for their product development prior to the commercialization of the StaenisGrid. There too, some back-and-forth was needed to properly substantiate everything financially and to demonstrate the advantages of their new product. Daisy: "PMV/z was critical in their assessment, but it's good that we took those steps. We also grew along with the financial plan each time, partly by allowing ourselves to be challenged by other parties."

“Reculer pour mieux sauter,” as the French speakers beautifully put it. And the moment to make the leap has now arrived. The product is ready for sale, and everything is being put in place to launch it on the market and to generate the first revenues.

With the StaenisGrid, Tom and Daisy are targeting both professionals and DIY enthusiasts. Tom: "In construction, there are a number of things you can do yourself as a private individual, but also things that are better outsourced. Plastering is a classic example that no one dares to start. Laying screed yourself also puts many people off. Thanks to our system, that is no longer a challenge."

And last but not least, it is also a thoroughly Flemish product. "The entire production takes place here, and we are quite proud of that," say Daisy and Tom in unison. That pride is more than justified. Thanks to their innovation, and with financing from PMV/z, everyone will soon have access to screed!