Connecting entrepreneurial ecosystems

Connecting entrepreneurial ecosystems: Founder of greentecAQUA on market opportunities in India

AsiaBerlin  is a multilateral network connecting startup ecosystems of Germany, India, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. The network is open to scale-ups, Venture Capital firms and ecosystem builders, and works together to provide access to key local players across the different markets for knowledge transfer and market entry.

We sat down for a chat with Martin Kolodziejczyk, Founder of greentecAQUA, to talk about his motivation as a founder and his experience as part of a Delegation Trip with AsiaBerlin to explore the startup ecosystem in India. Martin participated in the AsiaBerlin delegation trip to Singapore and Jakarta in 2019.

To start off, please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. 

I am Martin Kolodziejczyk, the Founder and Managing Director of greentecAQUA. I hold a Master’s degree in Leadership and Management from St. John University in York, UK. I have almost a decade of experience in sales and international business development and have worked for both private and public organizations around the globe. Bringing a solid mixture of skills, motivation, and enthusiasm into the company, I’m dedicated to providing clean and healthy drinking water to individuals most affected by water scarcity, in South East Asia and beyond.

“We are motivated to provide an alternative solution where and when needed most.”

What’s the challenge that your company is actively solving? 

Our company contributes to solving the increasing water-scarcity problem around the globe. Knowing that water is the most valuable “good” in some parts of the world and understanding that groundwater levels are reaching critical stages of low, we were motivated to provide an alternative solution where and when needed most. 

Tell us about your experience with the AsiaBerlin Delegation

The AsiaBerlin delegation expanded my network and has been an eye-opener for the critical levels of groundwater in parts of Indonesia and other parts of South-East Asia. After the delegation trip we joined LEVEL3 in Singapore to solidify our presence in the region. We engaged with private and public institutions for implementation of the SEAS Air-to-Water Technology in Indonesia. Further, I built a team in India which enables us to not only show strong presence in the digital world, but also offline during exhibitions, showcase events and conferences across India. 

What are your next steps for the company, especially looking at the Indian Market? 

Just before Christmas 2019, we finished our first Pan-India Awareness Campaign for Air-to-Water Technology called ‘77-daysofwater’ with tremendous success. We received a fair bit of media coverage and got amazing feedback from potential clients. To serve the inquiries and requests of our clients, we’re currently evaluating suitable Channel Partners across India, so that we can take a proactive approach to serving the entire market with strategic partners. We are preparing to set up several Service Centers across the country to be able to reach every client within less than 24 hours.

As we see immense demand for our technology, we’re thrilled for the next steps in the world’s most promising country for a lot of innovative technologies – India.  

What would be your most valuable advice for both entrepreneurs or aspiring founders?

I would say: 

“Nothing comes easy and reality is not always what the paper says, but NEVER give up, be consistent, be active, have a vision and proceed – day in, day out!“ 

In 2020, AsiaBerlin launched a series of events for Berlin Smart City companies, investors and the community. The first event kicked off on the 26th of February 2020 and focused on discussions on the opportunity for investments and scaling your company to India, China, Japan and Philippines, along with a pitch session by Smart City entrepreneurs. The event was held with 95 attendees at WeWork Atrium Tower. Watch the highlights here. 

Up next is the 3rd #AsiaBerlin monthly event. This event will focus on Japan with talks on resilient leadership, challenges and investment opportunities for #SmartCity companies in Japan. Join us on the 27th of May by registering here.