Meet Johannes Hofer, CMO & Co-Founder of Steasy, and the rest of the Steasy team

Please tell us about Steasy and the team

During their studies, Johannes Hofer, Claudio Ruiz and Reto Muhl had an innovative idea: the Steasy lunchbox with an integrated mini-steamer. The inspiration came to them while waiting patiently in front of the microwave in the cafeteria. Johannes Hofer explains, “Since people don’t have much time during the lunch break, we thought about how to make better use of this time window to heat up a delicious meal quickly and easily.”

So Steasy was founded in 2018 to provide people with a convenient solution to quickly and easily heat up meals on the go without sacrificing taste or quality. The mini steamer in a lunchbox allows users to steam their pre-cooked lunch fresh and gently, preserving nutrients, flavours and texture to the best of their ability.

Compact and easy to transport, the Steasy lunchbox is ideal for use at work, school or on the go. The startup company, Steasy, aims to make people’s everyday lives easier with innovative solutions, providing them with a healthy and delicious alternative to reheating meals. With their creative idea and commitment, the founders want to ensure that people can make the most of their lunch break.

Currently, the team consists of three founders and a digital marketing employee.

Tell us more about your plans for 2023? What is your long-term vision?

Steasy’s, which is currently available at a pre-order price, will start shipping at the end of this year. Until then, advertising measures will be carried out to test and build up target groups, ad materials, and platforms. Initially, delivery will be limited to Switzerland for the moment. However, it is planned to expand the product to other countries over the next few years.

 To further expand the target group, menus are planned that have been specially developed for use with Steasy. This allows customers to enjoy high-quality, healthy meals without having to cook for themselves. This will enable even more convenient and time-saving use of the mini steamer.

 What has been the biggest success that you have achieved in your startup?

An important milestone for the startup was the successful completion of the CHF 1.8 million financing round in 2022, which enabled the industrialization process to be launched and series production to be established.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently? What are your biggest learnings?

 In hindsight, we would certainly do a few things differently. But it is only easy to say this upon reflecting on our journey. It takes this path to gain insights and for that it takes a little diversion now and then. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be where we are now. With such a technically innovative product, it takes various trials and tests, so it is normal that not everything works out immediately as desired.

 What motivates you to continue your business every day?

The positive feedback received externally is a daily motivation for us to drive our product and our company forward. We clearly feel the customers’ anticipation, which supports us in the fact that we have developed a solution to make our customers’ lives easier and healthier. This confirms our vision and aspirations.

Knowing that our product has a positive impact on people’s lives drives us to continuously develop innovative solutions and meet our customers’ needs in the best possible way. We are proud that our work helps to increase the well-being and satisfaction of our customers.

The positive feedback spurs us on to continue improving our products and services to reach even more people and help them lead healthy and fulfilling lives. We are grateful for the trust and support of our customers and will continue to work hard to exceed their expectations and improve their quality of life. 

One piece of advice for someone who is just starting out with their startup?

Make sure your product or service solves a specific problem or solves a need. Identify your target audience and find out what challenges they have and how you can help them. Another important aspect is assembling a competent and motivated team. Look for co-founders or employees who have different skills and experience and share the same passion for the startup. A strong team is critical to success and can help overcome the challenges of entrepreneurship. 

What does it mean to you to be a member of the Swiss Startup Association? (personally, and professionally)

Networking in the startup scene is extremely important. In addition, there is also a need for an organisation that advocates for the interests of startups. As an individual startup, you don’t have the resources to stand up for these interests. That’s why we really appreciate the work of the Swiss Startup Association.

 Would you recommend joining the Swiss Startup Association? If yes, why?

Yes, because it has an added value that one’s own interests are represented professionally, on the other hand also the many opportunities for networking with other participants in the start-up scene.

Have you ever visited the events of the Swiss Startup Association? If yes, which ones? Would you recommend them?

Yes, we regularly attend the Founder Dinners, which are very valuable for the exchange. You get to know new founders and there is valuable input for everyday life.