"The perfect place for us"
British company makes use of the "Welcome Package"
Thanks to the Berlin Business Welcome Package, the founders of the British company Wellation Studios have had an easy start in Adlershof. They were able to test whether they wanted to settle with their company in Berlin with very favourable conditions.
The only thing Ashley Harris and Vishal Kawatra have to find fault with on this day in January is the winter. Severe frosts at night and temperatures below zero throughout the day - that's not really their thing. "We're still getting used to the weather, but fortunately the gym here has a sauna," says the Englishman, Ashley. The Indian Vishal can only smile tensely – the current coldness will take him a little more getting used to.
It's lovely and warm in their office in the Innovation and Founder Centre (Innovations- und Gründerzentrum, IGZ) in Adlershof. They are both originally from London, but have lived and worked in the USA, Asia and various different countries in Europe specialising in digital marketing. Ashley and Vishal see themselves as lucky to have worked for such well known companies as IBM, Adidas, Nike, MTV and Sony. They have also been part of some cool and innovative startups in the past.
Now they are founders themselves, calling themselves "co-founders" since they want equality in their partnership. Their company is called "Wellation Studios". They explain what is hiding behind this name using vocabulary from the IT and marketing industry: "our vision is to close the gap between content and e-commerce. We want to provide video marketing via various different platforms in order to better support consumers in their purchasing decisions."
It doesn't exactly create a storm when people like Ashley and Vishal set up in Berlin. The German capital is a favourite destination for young online companies in Europe. Ashley and Vishal appear to be spurred on by this: "we believe that Berlin is one of the most exciting cities to live in and start a new company."
So what tipped the scales for Adlershof? The relevant reports on the Berlin founder scene mostly mention lofts in Friedrichshain or backyards in Neukölln or Wedding. "Right now, Adlershof is the perfect place for us. We have been here for two months and were very warmly welcomed by the IGZ team and WISTA-MANAGEMENT GMBH. They made it easy for us right from the word go, and since then have been supportive at all times. We quickly understood the opportunities and the potential of working in Germany's most modern technology park. For us, it's the best place to found a company. We're also very close to the students at Humboldt University. We hope to be able to work more closely with them soon."
Has Berlin, which is said to have such an exciting flair, met Ashley and Vishal's expectations thus far? "There's so much culture and history to experience, so much entertainment and so many restaurants to try out. The people are friendly. Adlershof, on the other hand, is green, peaceful and relaxing. At the moment we have the best of both worlds. Adlershof is a little quiet for us in the evenings and at weekends, but that gives us the chance to get to know the centre of Berlin better." If the two founders decide to settle in Berlin, they will have to get used to the weather, for better or worse. That will only be half as bad as expected, because winter had gone again just a week after we met.
by Harry Mehner