We recently caught up with Marion Marincat, founder of Mumbli, who took part in our 2018 Launchpad programme this summer.
Give us a quick introduction to yourself and your business?
I graduated in 2015 with a BSc in Banking and Finance. My business is Mumbli, a platform dedicated to ears, hearing and sound. Our immediate goal is to help people who experience hearing challenges live better.
I applied for Launchpad as I was looking for a place where I can take my idea and turn it into a real business. After I read about the structure and content of the Launchpad program I knew that this would be the best way to test not only if the idea is solid and if other people have the problem, but also if I have what it takes to come up with the right solution and deliver it.
What was the best thing about taking part in Launchpad?
There were many great things! The weekly reporting and feedback on activities, being part of a cohort, the croissants, the entrepreneurial vibe in the room. However, the best thing was probably the complete mindset change from being stubborn in executing an idea because I thought it was awesome, to validating all my key assumptions with future customers before building anything.
What is the latest for Mumbli, how is everything going?
Just before finishing the programme Mumbli was accepted in the Y Combinator Startup School programme, I teamed up with a technical cofounder, and the project got selected by a team of students from the US to work with us on the platform design and strategy. We continued to validate various assumptions through interviews and showing mock-ups of the solution before going into coding and building stuff. We are now on target to launching a functional prototype before the end of the year and getting our first 50 users to use it.
What is next for Mumbli? Where do you hope to be in 6 months?
The immediate target is to build a prototype that people love while we offer personalised quality information on hearing and sound. We will probably get ready for a first round of funding early next year and as we approach a more mature prototype showing some traction.
Lastly, would you recommend taking part in Launchpad to other London Met students?
I would definitely recommend the programme if one is serious about solving a problem or making something amazing that people want. The team is fantastic and providing the right support, while the methodology used is the most innovative you can find. The experience will definitely bring out how much of an entrepreneur you really are!