Fenna, a design student at Delft University of Technology, was tired of designing things that would remain only on paper. Her graduation project — a table made from recycled plastic that folds into a suitcase — won a faculty prize, but no one contacted her. She had a prototype, drawings and the conviction that it could work. What she lacked was a company willing to invest money and know-how.
Meeting at the design fair
Fenna took part in the student section of the design fair in Eindhoven. Her table stood in a corner, next to elaborate projects with budgets of hundreds of thousands. Still, its simple lines caught the attention of the owner of a small furniture company from Utrecht, named Luuk. He asked, “Where do you make this?” Fenna replied, “In the university workshop. Three pieces.”
Luuk didn’t say yes right away. He wanted to see load calculations, material tests and cost estimates for serial production. A week later Fenna sent him a carefully prepared document. He was impressed: “Most students send a few photos. She sent me ten pages of technical data and a cost breakdown.”
First investment and a real launch
Luuk offered Fenna: “We’ll produce the first fifty tables in our workshop. We’ll provide the material and production capacity. You will oversee quality and handle sales. We’ll split the profit evenly.” No big cheque, no complicated contract. Just a straightforward agreement.
The first months were demanding. Fenna commuted three times a week from Delft to Utrecht, checking every joint, every edge. She sold the first ten tables through social media to classmates and friends. Then a small furniture shop in Amsterdam got in touch and ordered twenty pieces.
When the idea takes off
Over the year they sold fifty tables. Then a hundred. Fenna could afford to hire an assistant for administration. Luuk’s company set up a new production line for recycled plastic that would not have existed without the collaboration. Their brand began appearing on regional design websites. Fenna was offered an internship in Milan — Luuk contributed to it because he knew she would return with new ideas.
“Luuk didn’t say ‘here’s the money, goodbye.’ He said: ‘Come, we’ll do it together.’ For me that’s true sponsoring — not charity, but partnership where both work and both grow.”
Fenna today, owner of a small design label
What to take away
Fenna now employs three people and her tables are sold in ten shops across the Netherlands. Luuk’s company received an award for innovation in plastic recycling. Both admit that without that first meeting at the fair each would likely have stayed where they were. Sponsorship doesn’t have to be only about big brands and massive advertising. Sometimes one act of trust and a willingness to try something new is enough.
Author: Sponza editorial team
Photograph: (illustration – design student and table)
