1) What is exactly that you do, and what is your start up about?
Solecooler invented a flexible cellular material that produces heat and cold, based on the heat pump process, by directly harvesting environmental mechanical energy and therefore without batteries or chemicals.
The first application is a thin and comfortable insole inserted into shoes to keep feet warm in winter or cool in summer by using the energy of our own footsteps.
Other applications are under development (cooling tyres, etc.).
2) What is the problem that your start-up is trying to resolve?
Due to global warming, the ground becomes hotter in summer and colder in winter, and our feet are the most exposed. Shoes insulation is evaluated by standard for only 30’ when hundreds of millions of workers, sportsmen, or people have outdoor activities for several hours. Battery-heated insoles can function for up to 2 hours but can’t refresh your feet. Climfeet is a silicone insole that naturally warms your feet in winter or cools them in summer (reversible) by harvesting your footsteps energy thanks to the compression/expansion of air in cells like a heat pump. Climfeet has no carbon footprint (no batteries or chemicals) and no time limitation. Sportsmen, workers in cold storage or building construction, firefighters, militaries, seniors, children or people with Raynaud’s are concerned.
3) What inspired you to start this particular business?
A friend of mine is working in cold storage (USA) for 8 hours a day at -20°C. I decided to invent Climfeet for him, but immediately a lot of sportsmen were interested.
4) When was your start-up founded? What stage is your startup currently at?
POC: end of 2018
Incorporation: 2019
Sales started by the end of 2022.
5) Are you the sole founder? If not, how did your team meet? Who does what on your team?
I was alone up until the beginning of 2023.
6) What is your start-up business model, and how does it work?
B2C for 1 to 2 years and B2B2C after
B2B
5) What exactly differentiates you from your competitor in the marketplace? Can you name a few?
Numerous competitors, like G-Heat, Therm-Ic, Warmawear, etc., are proposing insoles with only heating elements and batteries.
No company proposes cooling insoles: Climfeet is the only insole heating and cooling (reversible) on the market, without batteries or chemicals, and without a time limit.
6) At what stage is your start up currently at? (Early-stage, Growth stage, Established)
Early stage: we started the sales by the end of the year 2022.
7) Can you discuss any significant milestones that your start-up achieved so far?
Several athletes have benefited from our insoles while on extreme trails:
Marathon des Sables (grounds at 67°C)
Marathon du cercle polaire (grounds at -30°C)
8) Can you provide some information about your target market and its size?
5% of the 1 billion pairs of insoles sold around the world are sold for thermal protection, so our target market is 50 million pairs per year.
9) How do you acquire customers or users, and what is your customer acquisition strategy?
For general public: Thanks to large exhibitions, media (TV, Radio, newspapers, etc.)
For large companies: by direct approach
10) What are your main revenue streams?
B2C
11) Have you received any funding or investment for your start-up? If yes, can you share the details?
I started Solecooler by myself with French government subsidies, especially JEI and CIR processes
12) How do you plan to scale your business in the future?
Thanks to partnerships with large companies (Tire, Car…).
13) What are the biggest challenges you have faced so far, and how did you overcome them?
people’s disbelief because our process is too amazing.
14) How will you measure success for your start-up or the achievements that your startup has reached?
When children buy our products for their parents
15) How do you prioritize and manage your resources, such as time and budget?
Our focus is on the unique and innovative performances of our products: the customers are our best ambassadors.
16) What is your marketing and branding strategy?
Our branding strategy is based on the easily understandable brands of our process, Flexclim (which is scalable for other industries) and our products, Climfeet and Warnfeet and on the long term
Our marketing strategy is based on 3 branches: the general public, workers and sportsmen.
17) How did customers/users find out about you?
Thanks to numerous prizes, we won especially ISPO Award 2023.
18) What is your target audience?
Our target audience is 1% of the market audience (50 million pairs/year) 0,5 M pairs/year.
19) Regarding your marketing strategy, do you use social media, and if so, is it in-house or outsourced?
Thanks to our sport ambassadors, we are using social media (in-house).
20) Have you faced any regulatory challenges?
Because our products are totally natural, we have no regulatory challenges.
21) Can you discuss any partnerships or collaborations you have established?
We have a strong partnership with LIPSEM in Font Romeu (France) for academic research on the impact of our products on sportsmen.
22) What are the key things about your industry that outsiders don’t understand or misperceive?
Customers want comfort and no ties (no battery) and natural products.
23) How do you handle feedback and incorporate it into your product or service development?
We have only 4% of unsatisfied customers (VS 8% in the shoe market) and are trying to reduce this number by improving specifications of our products.
24) What is the biggest missing feature, meaning the one thing that customers/users keep asking for?
Scaling our technology into gloves
25) Are you going to internationalize? If so, how are you planning to expand internationally?
In order to avoid CO2 impacts from shipping, we planned three manufacturing sites: China for Asia area, France for Europe and USA for Americas.
26) Can you share any testimonials or success stories from your customers or users?
Vanessa Moralès: extreme trail world champion
Sophie Duarte: Europe cross champion
27) How do you ensure the security and privacy of users’ data?
Our website is highly secure, and user data is stored in the cloud.
28) How do you stay updated on industry trends and adapt your strategies?
We are continuously looking for new trends (additive manufacturing, new materials, etc.) in several countries (CN, USA, EU…).
29) Are there any patents or trademarks associated with your start-ups?
We have patented our innovation in EU, USA, JP, IN, CN, BR and RU.
Our brands Solecooler, Climfeet and Flexclim are protected.
30) Can you discuss your pricing strategy and how you determine your product’s value?
Climfeet prices are 2 times lower than competitors’ devices and we expect to reduce them when we reach large production.
31) How do you plan to build and maintain customer loyalty?
Offer a discount for renewal and benefit from world champion advice.
32) What are your plans for expanding your team in the future?
Trust in young people
33) Can you provide examples of any social or environmental initiatives your startup is involved in?
Climfeet is totally natural: no batteries, no chemicals.
People with Raynaud’s disease can go out again in the winter.
Workers are now in safe conditions under harsh weather.
34) How Do you approach customer support and handle any issues or complaints?
Customer is king: we are offering 30 days of satisfaction or reimbursement.
35) What have you learned so far from launching your start-up, and what pointers would you give a person reading this blog who is interested in having a start-up of his own?
Never give up.
36) Six months from now, what will be the biggest problem?
Adapt our insoles for militaries.
Launching a large production
37) Are you looking to hire new employees on your team? If so, what job openings do you currently have?
PhD in numerical modelisation (CFD/Mechanical/thermal)
Engineer in the sport area
Lab Technician
38) Are you looking for start-seed investment or VC funding? If you are looking for funding, where can potential investors contact you?
Yes, for VC funding: bruno.aubert@solecooler.com
39) How did Coved affect your start-up?
I lost 1-year inn my roadmap because university and laboratories were closed.
40) How is Artificial Intelligence (AI)) affecting your industry and your company?
We are starting a new project: a connected insole (without battery) to smartphone with IA, which is able to predict 20’ before injuries like blisters or ulcers occur.
41) Why should we feature you on our blog?
Climfeet is a deep-tech technology that could help 100 million people and workers.
42) How did you hear about our blog?
Vivatech
