Sam Chartouni, CEO Aerobel: ‘My big dream? Making Mars habitable’
In the video series ‘Wat Als?’, De Tijd brings young entrepreneurs in front of the camera to discuss their dreams and ambitions and their personal and professional journeys. Today: Sam Chartouni, CEO of Aerobel. The Limburg-based company develops sustainable insulation material.
“In my garage, I built a laboratory that was not particularly safe, but was very efficient. After twelve months of experimenting, I achieved a breakthrough.” Sam Chartouni (30) looks back on the start of his scale-up Aerobel.
The Limburg entrepreneur developed a technology to bring aerogel, an expensive super-insulator from the space industry, sustainably into construction. “Starting Aerobel was a difficult period. My family thought I was going crazy. I am not an engineer or a chemist, but my obsession was so great that I was certain my invention would succeed. I never doubted it.”
Read more: Changemakers: Young entrepreneur from Genk wants to bring Aerobel’s super-insulator from space travel to construction
What exactly does Aerobel make? “We make innovative, ecological insulation material from waste. Our material insulates twice as well and is also extremely fire-resistant. It can literally save lives. We can say that we have the best insulation material in the world.” Chartouni managed to convince several larger business partners to join his venture. The company recently raised €30 million to build its first factory in Genk.
The road to success is not an easy road, says the entrepreneur. “As a founder, you put an enormous amount of time and energy into your company, but you get little in return. You face many setbacks and difficult moments. At the beginning of the journey, you draw up a strategic plan, but you can never follow it exactly.”
“Raising capital is wonderful, but focus on your product first.” — Sam Chartouni, CEO Aerobel
Chartouni offers a few tips to young entrepreneurs. “Focus on your product. You may be very good at pitching, be an ambitious person and a good entrepreneur. But your product is what counts. It has to be incredibly good. Raising capital is wonderful, but for that, the product needs to be strong enough.”
How does Chartouni view the future? How does he make choices as an entrepreneur? And what if the sky is the limit? “My big dream? Making Mars habitable through aerogel.” The rest can be seen in the video above.
Originally written by Laura Keersmaekers and published in De Tijd on 6 May 2024.
