Hi Nick, thanks for the invitation. I’d be happy to, of course. We’ve developed a smart water purifier, our ALX1, that monitors water quality in real time via an intuitive mobile app. With our technology, households and businesses can be sure that their filtered tap water is safe to drink without having to constantly buy bottled water. Our latest product, ALXfizz, expands our lineup to include sparkling water and even sugar-free sodas. With our solutions, we provide easy access to clean drinking water while reducing the use of single-use plastic.

There are two main reasons why we decided to launch in Mexico: First, Mexico has the highest per capita consumption of bottled water in the world. Combined with other factors, such as solid economic growth, a growing middle class, and the ease of doing business here, we decided to launch in Mexico.

Of course! Let me start with my most important piece of advice for anyone looking to start a business: Don’t assume your journey will be a straight line!

During the development phase of our product, we basically only received feedback from close friends and family members, and we were convinced that our product would be absolutely fantastic and that the market would see it as groundbreaking.

During the market testing phase, we received the first real feedback on our product. It was very positive and promising. The only thing we neglected during that time was how to use the feedback and insights from our target market to develop an appropriate business strategy.

Neglecting the key question of how to market our product led to a problem: although we had created a great product that was extremely well-received among our circle of friends, we didn’t know how to reach our future customers. This problem cost us time and money, but we could have solved it if we had devoted more time to this question earlier on.

Yes, we’ve found the right direction: After wasting six months of time and money trying to figure out how to market our products, we’ve found our “golden path” and realized that retail is the best way to sell our products. Fortunately, the trial-and-error phase wasn’t too long, and we bounced back quickly.

When we formally incorporated Alxedo in Mexico, Kai and I weren’t there and had no experience with Mexican corporate law. That’s why we decided to start the process with the help of an international law, auditing, and consulting firm. I have to admit, though, that we weren’t satisfied with the services provided by that firm. We hired them through a contact, but it was obvious that our case wasn’t lucrative enough for them, so they didn’t really put much effort into it.
After a few weeks, we decided to switch to a smaller, local service provider. With the new provider, we made progress twice as fast and with less effort.

For foreigners, it’s not advisable to try to do everything yourself if you don’t have the necessary experience. But the big-name firms aren’t necessarily the best choice, even if they’re the most expensive. In hindsight, I would recommend that everyone tap into their personal network in Mexico and ask how they built their businesses and who they worked with. The German Centre and its network are also a good resource for finding service providers. That helped us a lot, but we had to learn it the hard way.

In Mexico, connections and networks are the key to success. Everything you do goes faster and more smoothly when you have contacts who support you in your efforts. In sales, trust plays a major role in convincing someone of your products and services. That’s why it’s helpful to build relationships with decision-makers. This can be a challenge when you’re new to the country! But it’s worth the effort.

The German Centre Mexico is an important first step for us in showcasing our products and getting feedback. It’s great that you’re giving us the opportunity to display our products in the German Centre’s break rooms, where all German Centre employees can try them out and give us feedback on how we can keep improving. On top of that, we’ve even generated some revenue, as a few companies have already purchased one of our products.

We’ve also really enjoyed working with you from the very beginning because we feel there’s a lot of mutual appreciation on both sides. That’s not always the case when you’re still a small, new company. The German Centre truly cares about its clients and partners like us. And you’re fully aligned with our mission to have a positive impact on sustainability in Mexico. In short: Our collaboration is a win-win for both sides.

I also appreciate your initiatives to support innovation and startups, such as the I2 Innovation Camp event series. It was a pleasure for us to share our experiences with participants from the dynamic startup scene here in Mexico.

Aside from the business aspect, I think every expat would agree that it’s nice every now and then to reconnect with the traditions and culture of one’s homeland — something you make possible at the German Centre.

Right now, we’re focusing heavily on further expanding our retail network in Mexico. We recently opened retail locations in the Centro Santa Fe and Paseo Interlomas shopping centers in Mexico City. More new stores are planned for the cities of Acapulco, Querétaro, Puebla, and Cancún.

At the same time, we’re working on expanding our product portfolio to include a new water purifier and new flavors for our sparkling water. And maybe new markets? We’ll see — stay tuned!

Thanks, Nick. It was my pleasure!