In our three-part blog series, we show you how two childhood friends founded NIKIN and wanted to give something back to nature. In the first part, find out how NIKIN founders Robin and Nicholas met and where the idea for their own company came from.
In our three-part blog series, we show you how two childhood friends founded NIKIN and wanted to give something back to nature. In the first part, find out how NIKIN founders Robin and Nicholas met and where the idea for their own company came from.
Nicholas Hänny (l.) and Robin Gnehm (r.) founded NIKIN in 2016.
The two NIKIN founders Robin Gnehm and Nicholas Hänny have known each other literally since childhood. Nicholas is Robin's father's godson. And conversely, Jeffrey, Robin's brother, is Nicholas' father's godson. Sounds complicated, but in summary it means: Robin and Nicholas know each other from childhood. However, no one suspected at the time that they would found a successful company together, and this is the result of many happy coincidences.
Young and at that time already preferring to be in nature: The two NIKIN founders play together in the snow.
The wonderful NIKIN story began in 2016, when Robin travelled through the forests of Canada and was amazed by the tree-filled landscape. When he returns, he meets up with his old friend Nicholas. Over a beer in the McArthurs pub in Lenzburg, the two discuss more than just Robin's travel experiences.
The idea for NIKIN was born during a cosy evening at "McArthurs" in Lenzburg.
The two scouts care about nature and decide to do something for reforestation. At this point, Nicholas has already designed his own small gym bag collection. Friends and family have bought some of them from him. So one thing leads to another and Robin and Nicholas decide to produce their own caps and plant a tree for every cap sold. No sooner said than done - just a little later the two are selling the first NIKIN caps, now called Treeanies.
In a first step, the two order 60 Treeanies. To their great surprise, they are completely sold out after three days.
Robin and Nicholas discussed via Whatsapp (in Swiss German) how many Treeanies they should reorder.
The two stored their goods in the children's room of Robin's brother Jeffrey. From there, the two soon sent their treeanies not only to friends and acquaintances, but all over Switzerland.
Read how Robin got his whole family involved and how NIKIN kept an entire post office alive in the second part of the blog series.
