Dr. Steffen Zoller

For decades, I’ve been deeply engaged with the transformation of work. That inevitably led me to the trades. At the Future Job Institute, we often talk about the future of work – about digitalization, AI, and new job profiles in traditional industries. But one of the most fascinating transformations is happening where few are looking: in the skilled trades.

The Bottleneck Isn’t Demand

Demand for skilled trades has never been higher – renovation, energy, climate, construction, craftsman. Yet starting a business in this sector has become more complex than ever: regulations, bureaucracy, staffing, accounting, marketing – and on top of that, a shortage of qualified workers. Those who actually want to build, install, or repair often end up spending most of their week in the office doing admin work. The result: many skilled workers stay employed instead of starting their own business – even though they have the ability, ambition, and market to do so.

HW Gründerkapital Creates Freedom

That’s where HW Gründerkapital (HWG) comes in. The idea is simple but powerful: a craftsman should be able to focus on his craft again. HWG takes over the entire administrative foundation – accounting, HR, procurement, marketing – giving founders the space to focus fully on their trade. What normally consumes 50% of their time is reduced to about 10%. What convinces me most isn’t just the relief itself, but what it enables: focus and effectiveness as a business model for tradespeople. Both are core themes we also discuss in other ventures, such as the Future Job Institute – whether in industry, education, or healthcare.

Structure Instead of Chaos

At its core, HWG has built a business-in-a-box model – a complete operating system for launching a craft business. Not as a franchise, but as infrastructure: a shared foundation on which individual businesses can grow. This gives craft founders a level of professionalism that is usually reserved for venture-backed startups. For me as an investor and sparring partner, that’s fascinating – because it replaces control with structure and empowers founders rather than managing them.

Scaling Through Technology

Equally interesting is the technology layer: HWG uses AI-powered processes internally and across partner companies – from recruiting to proposal generation. These automations reduce costs, speed up decisions, and create efficiency gains that would otherwise be impossible in this industry. In a way, HWG approaches the trades like a tech company – but with real people, real tools, and tangible impact.

he Deeper Purpose

What ultimately convinced me, though, is the purpose behind it. HW Gründerkapital doesn’t just build businesses – it builds livelihoods. It empowers people who master their craft but don’t want to fight through bureaucracy or business school content. In doing so, it closes a gap I see in many other industries: we lose too many talents to systems that are supposed to enable them. HWG turns that dynamic around. It creates a framework where skilled people can start their own businesses – safely, quickly, and with perspective. In that sense, it’s also a concrete solution to the skilled labor shortage.

Investment Conclusion

I see HW Gründerkapital as an infrastructure innovation for the trades. It professionalizes self-employment without complicating it. It leverages technology without replacing people. And it builds businesses that are locally rooted yet scalable. At a time when many talk about AI and the future of work, HWG delivers a very practical answer: The future emerges where people are free to do what they do best. That’s exactly why I invested.