RAIO’s success story told from the entrepreneur’s perspective
Jordy is a creative entrepreneur and nature lover with a passion to create.
Jordy Kollenburg from Spectra
Jordy Kollenburg embodies the brains of Spectra BV, the company that developed RAIO: the heating panel of the future generating pleasant solar warmth.
The innovative infrared panel is carbon-neutral and powered by graphene technology, resulting in a 40 to 45 percent increase in terms of eco-friendliness compared to conventional heating systems.
“I was always able to rely on a strong network of independent experts,” says Jordy, “their knowledge and advice was simply indispensable.”
Driven by his passion to create something new, Jordy founded his own contracting company 10 years ago. But in 2017, he started looking for something new, something innovative, something groundbreaking.
“I realized that heating is a big polluter, responsible for 30 to 40 percent of CO2 emissions. That had to change,” says Jordy resolutely. And so, he began thorough market research to develop not one, not two, but three revolutionary prototypes.
The innovation story continues.. After 3 years of research, prototyping, and development, Spectra was founded in September 2019 with the clear goal to produce RAIO in Belgium and make it available on the public market. Therefore, all necessary efforts were made to set up a production unit.
In October, Jordy was given the exceptional opportunity to pitch his new vision to a jury. Out of 250 submitted applications, Spectra was selected to take part in the accelerator program Startit@KBC.
Thanks to Startit@KBC, Spectra is now based in Greenville, the business centre with a clear focus on sustainable projects. The impressive success story was now officially kicked-off: In January RAIO was launched to the public. Unfortunately, Jordy was hit by the first Covid lockdown three months after the launch of RAIO, giving Spectra a very tough start-up phase.
RAIO fortunately found its way onto the market through a network of official distributors. “RAIO was extremely well received as a product,” says Jordy proudly. “Even though the first year was extremely tough, the motivation and belief in this revolutionary product remained. Moreover, I wanted to be part of something bigger and showcase our innovation.”
With this goal in mind, Jordy applied for the ‘European Housing 4.0 Energy’ initiative. This project was driven by the EU’s 2030 climate and energy policy to build energy-neutral and future-proof homes.
RAIO was selected as the most sustainable and energy-efficient heating panel. Jordy qualified as a supplier to equip 4 pilot houses in Belgium with the innovative infrared heating system.
In Europa zijn er zo’n 48 woningen geplaatst over vijf verschillende landen.
With both the insights and knowledge he had gained from ‘European Housing 4.0 Energy’ and the experience from the market, Jordy was bursting with new ideas. He was determined to take his innovative solution to the next level.
“To achieve this, I made a careful selection of accessories, allowing private homes and offices to increase their level of sustainability and offer a comprehensive feel-good experience.”
Four years later, Jordy proudly presents the brand new RAIO design. This new model is a masterpiece of innovation and elegance.
“Our engineers have refined RAIO and given it a contemporary design that makes it stand out in its class. Not only characterized by quality but also by its unmistakable ‘handmade in Belgium’ label. And to top it all off, the assembly system is easier than ever before.”
“We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful features of RAIO,” he adds enthusiastically.
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Why is RAIO so successful? “When we look at where the industry is headed in Europe, we see that circular vision and energy neutrality play important roles. RAIO is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and circular.”
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