Once upon a time…
One of the key moments of our mutual cooperation was Greenwool’s participation in NOVO EXPO +innovation, where the company presented itself to more than 2,000 visitors. They had the opportunity not only to see Greenwool’s products—organic sheep’s wool fertilizers in the form of pellets and shredded wool—and learn about their benefits, but also to purchase them directly on-site. Greenwool thus gained immediate market feedback and valuable experience with direct customer communication, which is crucial for the development of an innovative product.
Greenwool was selected among the 15 companies for the Marc program.
At the conference focused on Sustainable Trends in Construction, Greenwool had a space in the foyer where it presented its solutions throughout the day to the professional public, architects, designers, and other stakeholders in the construction sector. It was here that it became clear that the topic of circular use of sheep’s wool resonates beyond the fields of agriculture and forestry and is finding its place in the broader context of sustainable development.
Going on Air
Working with content and the brand story also played an important role. Ms. Vanclová, one of the co-founders of Greenwool, was a guest on our podcast Lighting up Science and Innovation in the Hradec Králové Region, where she presented in detail not only the products themselves but also the motivation, values, and journey of the company. The podcast opened up space for a deeper understanding of the entire idea and helped move Greenwool from the level of an “interesting product” to the level of a strong and clear story.
Listen on:
Opening Doors Among TOP Startups
In addition to presentation and communication, we supported Greenwool in the area of strategic development. We recommended that the company apply for the international Marc program, which received a total of 70 applications from many countries. Greenwool eventually made it among the 15 selected companies, which we consider a significant success and confirmation of the quality of their solution. In the following seven months, the company faces intensive mentoring with international experts, which it enters primarily with the aim of strengthening marketing and preparing for further growth.
We started as sheep farmers when we found out that nobody wanted our wool and it was ending up in a landfill.
Jaroslava Vanclová
Co-founder of GreenWool
Innovation Voucher as a Ticket to the World of Science and Research
Part of the mutual cooperation also involves the professional verification of the benefits of Greenwool’s products. The company is utilizing our Innovation Voucher for research into the influence of organic sheep’s wool fertilizer on the development of the root system and the overall growth of beech and spruce seedlings in forest nurseries. In parallel, a practical verification of the possibility of replacing peat in growing substrates with sheep’s wool is underway, both in the form of pellets and in shredded form. The research is being conducted in cooperation with the Forestry and Game Management Research Institute in Opočno.
And It Pays Off!
For us, the story of Greenwool is an example of how systematic support, connection with research capacities, and space for targeted marketing can give an innovative company a solid foundation for further growth. And that is exactly where we see the greatest value of our cooperation—helping good ideas from the Hradec Králové Region reach people who can appreciate them and put them into practice.
