INSPIRED is a Zürich-based, impact-driven innovation community/social platform that connects visionaries with investors and collaborators to help groundbreaking ideas get visibility and support. Pulse 2.0 interviewed INSPIRED founder and CEO Maximilian Werner to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Maximilian Werner’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Werner said:
“I’m Maximilian Werner, 22, founder of INSPIRED – the world’s first social media platform dedicated to innovation. Born in Zurich, I began attending startup events at 13 and was working in investment and early-stage startups by 20. In 2023, I left university to focus full-time on building INSPIRED. The platform acts as a constantly running digital innovation event, connecting visionary ideas with the right supporters. In just six months, we grew to a 12-person team and attracted over 17,000 waitlist signups globally, proof that there’s strong demand for a smarter way to surface meaningful innovation.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Werner shared:
“During my time working in private equity research, I witnessed firsthand how frustrating and time-consuming it was for startups to secure funding: countless cold emails, one-off conference pitches, and no reliable way to surface the right investors for niche projects. I realized there had to be a better, more efficient method to bridge innovators with supporters. That insight sparked INSPIRED: a 24/7 “digital innovation event” where visionaries showcase projects and the right backers can discover them instantly.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Werner reflected:
“My favorite moment came in our very first week: we facilitated a connection between a founder in Germany — who was thrilled to finally receive attention and visibility — and an investor in the Netherlands. It was the kind of cross-border match that would never have happened organically. They jumped on a call shortly afterward and are now deep in investment talks. From both sides, I hear it’s going really well. A perfect proof point of how INSPIRED gives the necessary visibility to innovators to connect them with resources globally – and this already in the first week.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Werner explained:
“Think of INSPIRED as a year-round digital innovation expo:
- Innovation “Booths” (Pages): Each Innovator sets up a dedicated Page — just like a booth at a physical event — where they showcase their project with videos, images, milestones, and a clear pitch.
- Investor & Partner “Walk-Through” (Feeds): Investors, organizations, and other supporters scroll through a curated feed of these virtual booths, discovering innovations that match their interests much like strolling the aisles of an expo hall.
- Resource Requests: On their booth Page, Innovators flag exactly what they need—funding, technical expertise, manufacturing partners, marketing help—so visitors instantly see opportunities to contribute.
- Verified Outreach: Any verified user (Innovator, Investor, Collaborator, or Enthusiast) can click “Connect” on a booth to send a message and explore collaboration. Because we require KYC/KYB and innovation checks, every connection is built on trust — no cold emails, no wasted time.
- Smart Discovery & Filters: Advanced search and AI-driven recommendations ensure that each supporter sees the most relevant booths by sector, stage, geography, or resource need — just like having a personalized map of the expo.
Together, these features recreate the serendipity and focused networking of a live innovation event, but operate 24/7 on a global scale — bringing the world’s most promising ideas directly to the people who can help them fly.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Werner acknowledged:
“One challenge was keeping INSPIRED a truly noise-free environment so that every connection feels valuable. Within days of launch, we noticed a few users signing up for purposes completely unrelated to innovation, one even looking for a romantic partner! To safeguard the platform’s integrity, we immediately reinforced our vetting process: now every account must complete full KYC/KYB and an innovation-verification process before they can post or message. This ensures that every participant — whether an Innovator, Investor, Collaborator, or Enthusiast – is genuinely there to drive breakthroughs, not distractions.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Werner noted:
“We started with a simple website and have since launched a full-featured mobile app on both iOS and Android that’s feeling as fast and smooth as the biggest social networks. Pages load in a flash and videos play without pausing, even as more people join INSPIRED. Next up is our blockchain-powered investing feature, which will let anyone put in as little as USD 10 directly into projects through an easy, secure process.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Werner cited:
- Rapid Early Adoption: Over 7,000 users joined INSPIRED in our first two weeks, demonstrating immediate market interest.
- Meaningful Connections: In that same two-week span, we facilitated more than 20 live calls between investors and innovators—proof that our matching process drives real engagement.
- Waitlist Momentum: We’ve grown our waitlist to over 17 000 global signups within six months, underscoring sustained demand.
- Global Reach: Innovators now hail from over 60 countries, with roughly 2 000 new profiles created each week (including 200 verified investors).
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Werner highlighted:
- A Canadian-based manufacturer of land and amphibious emergency rescue vehicles deployed during search and rescue operations, helping save lives following a hurricane, earthquake, flood, etc.
- Umami, a pioneering biosphere farming innovator out of Switzerland that provides a sustainable method for cultivating high-yield, chemical-free food.
- EcoWavePower, a Swedish company developing technology to produce clean electricity from ocean waves, creating energy while also addressing global warming.
- A water purification / desalinization system producer out of Chile helping remote communities have access to potable water.
- Investors, such as: HNW Family Office, Avina Foundation, Anders Gustafsson, Kylla
Funding/Revenue
Are you able to discuss funding and/or revenue metrics? Werner revealed:
“We’re still pre-revenue as our priority has been accelerating user growth and product development. To date, the company has raised CHF 2 million in capital.
Once we begin monetizing, our primary revenue streams will be:
- Targeted Advertising: Allowing brands and service providers to reach innovators and investors through sponsored placements on the feed.
- Investment Commissions: Charging a small percentage fee on tokenized investments made through our upcoming blockchain feature.
- Sponsored Innovation Contests: Hosting branded challenges and competitions with entry or sponsorship fees.”
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Werner assessed:
“Our platform addresses three segments:
- Innovators, Supporters and Enthusiasts: Estimated 315–530 million individuals globally interested in innovation.
- Purposeful Advertisers: Approximately 700 000 businesses running innovation & impact-focused ad campaigns.
- Early-Stage Investment: A multibillion-dollar market driven by micro-investments and tokenization.
- Combined, we estimate a TAM of over USD 25 billion across user engagement, advertising, and investment fees.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Werner affirmed:
“INSPIRED is the first dedicated social network for innovation in this format — a fully verified, noise-free environment where every post uses rich visuals to showcase projects and specify the exact resources needed. Unlike transactional crowdfunding sites, we’ve built a mission-driven community focused on solving global challenges, not just raising funds. Our app’s design and verification process guide innovators, investors, and collaborators into purposeful, long-term exchanges, empowering ideas with the right expertise, network, and opportunities to truly thrive—faster and more meaningfully than any generic social feed.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Werner concluded:
“Looking ahead, INSPIRED aspires to be the definitive digital home for innovation — where every visionary project gains global visibility and the tools to bring ideas to life are built right into the platform. Early-stage Innovators will be able to secure funding via on-platform tokenized investments (with minimums as low as USD 10), launch community-driven challenge contests that reward breakthrough solutions, and participate in immersive virtual events and expo halls. Behind the scenes, our AI-powered matchmaking will connect the right investors, collaborators, and experts to each project, ensuring that resources — whether capital, talent, or partnerships — flow directly where they’re needed most.”
