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"I first heard Marie from My Add On on the podcast of Techmag, presented by Magali De Reu, and immediately believed in their vision. So I immediately picked up the phone and made an appointment with her," says Jonas Detavernier. "The click was there, and so started the beginning of our end," laughs Detavernier.
Koen Van Loock, Steffie Kempen, Jonas Detavernier of Deck-A-Bed (left)
and Marie Van den Broeck of My Add On (right)
Sunday 4 October The startups My Add On and Dek-a-Bed signed the acquisition contract. Happy faces can be seen all around the table. "We leave our company in good hands, we have confidence in their mission and vision," echoes Jonas Detavernier, partner of Dek-a-Bed.
Dek-a-Bed originated in the minds of the young then-yet students studying Advanced Business Management together at UCLL in Leuven. For their SBP (Small Business Project) mission, they came up with Dek-a-Bed. Making a bed is no fun for anyone and often leads to a fight with the sheets. However, for some people with physical disabilities, it is no longer even possible to make their own bed independently. So Kempen (30), Van Loock (30) and Detavernier (30) solved this problem with a product that helps you make the bed. "The first batch we had flew out the door. After that, we created a waiting list for further orders," Detavernier said.
A new start
"All three of us have full-time jobs and took Dek-a-Bed on as a sideline. However, it became a bit too busy for us. The product still has a lot of potential, but we no longer have the necessary time available. Dek-a-Bed is in good hands, I'm sure," Detavernier says.
The acquisition is also ideal for My Add On. They are in full expansion both in the international market and with launching new products. Deck-a-Bed therefore fits completely within their existing & future product line, although they will change the name to MyBedMaker to stay in line with their own branding and style.
A tip of the hat
Félice Vandenabeele (left) and Marie Van den Broeck (right)
From My Add On with the Deck-A-Bed © Justine Cottenie
Like Dek-a-Bed, My Add On started as an SPB project. Marie Van den Broeck (27) got the idea for the venture when her grandmother had to walk with crutches. Van den Broeck saw how difficult her grandmother had it with the crutches. They fell over, hurt her hands, they were in the way. Van den Broeck wanted to change that. Since she was young, she has tried to find a solution for every problem; she would do the same now. This is how bvba My Add On was born. With the help of accelerators such as Start it @KBC, the company got off the ground. My Add On will destigmatise the use of crutches and wheelchairs. They believe too little attention is still given to people with disabilities. With their cheerful designs, My Add On stands for inclusion and empowerment. Van den Broeck was rewarded for this in 2017, as she is awarded the title 'Student Entrepreneur of the Year' by UNIZO.
"The ambitions for My Add On are big," said Van den Broeck. "We talk about the 20x20x20 ambition. In the next five years, we want to launch 20 new, innovative products on the market, in 20 countries with a team of 20 people. Fortunately, I am not alone. At the end of this year, Félice will join the company as co-founder and we will join forces." Furthermore, My Add On will also start raising external capital this autumn in the form of win-win loans. This is to support growth and market the new products.
From now on, the MyBedMaker is available on their webshop.
If interested in the win-win loan, mail to info@myaddon.be
Co-author: Justine Cottenie
