Interview Edition: Kurt Streitenberger

We talked to Kurt Streitenberger, board member at ASEP (Austrian Senior Experts Pool) to find out how startups can benefit from advice of senior experts who have spent decades acquiring knowledge and experience in different industries.

What exactly is ASEP?

ASEP is a network of retired experts and professionals who have decided to use their spare time for business advisory services.

Why did retired business veterans found an association to get involved with startups?

Being retired means having a lot of time on one’s hand. We decided that there are better ways to spend this time than sitting around in cafes or at home. We have acquired so much knowledge and experience in various industries over the years, why not pass it on to young people who are still trying to find their feet in professional life? Some of our members have passed their 80th birthday and are still active, travelling to China and helping young entrepreneurs to get started.

So some just can’t get enough?

I guess when you enjoy what you do, age is not important. Knowing that you’ve helped startups and young entrepreneurs is an amazing feeling. You don’t think of being old or retired when you can spend your time being part of great projects.

How many experts are volunteering for ASEP and which business backgrounds do they come from?

Currently, ASEP consists of 170 experts who have worked in more than 30 industries such as traditional banking, petrochemicals or medical surgery.

What does ASEP offer inexperienced entrepreneurs?

We’re not the classic business plan consultancy. We are very good at advising in the field of grants and funding, for example research funding in Austria. This can be a quite complicated. We are well connected with institutions such as AWS, the Austrian Wirtschaftsservice, which also supports young entrepreneurs by granting loans for a diverse field of activity, or the Vienna Business Agency which offers a big portfolio of options on how to support startups.

We also have a lot of expertise in import and export. If young companies are planning to expand and grow their business across Austrian borders, we’re here to help.

How can startups find you?

The best way of getting in touch is to visit our website, to send an email or give us a call. We will have a chat on the phone and schedule a meeting where we’ll discuss the main points of the project together. Then we’ll pass the idea on to our ASEP experts pool. When an expert has been found, he or she will get in touch with the startup and discuss further milestones of the project.

What should startups have ready when they approach you?

A startup should have a very clear idea of what they would like to do. Which product shall be marketed? Is it realistic? What time frames do they have in mind for particular steps and processes? And they need to believe in their product and show will and determination to stand behind the project in the long-run. Giving up when the first obstacle emerges is not an option.

What packages do you offer at what price?

Unfortunately, we are not funded in the way many of our international colleagues are. ASEP is a non-profit organization that charges fees to maintain its own structures. We charge between 300€ and 600€ per day. If however, a startup is super interesting and offers a great social or ecological benefit, there are options to supply honorary services without any fees.

What would you call the biggest achievement of ASEP?

Getting 170 people to fight for the same cause and to volunteer for new projects instead of sitting at home after they reached the official retirement age.

What was your favourite project?

There are two projects I am especially proud of:

One is Topfreisen where people seeking asylum in Austria find meaningful occupation by preparing meals for people in the surrounding area and for catering purposes.
And there is Ecoduna, a company that specializes in cultivating and growing algae. The end products can be used to produce alternative forms of energy and food but also as a form of environmental protective shield as they absorb CO2 and produce Oxygen.

 

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