Our Startup Spotlight series introduces you to the entrepreneurs in our community, sharing their unique journeys as founders.

This week, we put the spotlight on Harald Hackenberg, CEO of ampStay, an innovative wind turbine with narrow, cylindrical wings rotating around the backstay of sailing yachts.

What’s your story? 

My team and I are passionate sailors. During longer sailing trips, we have repeatedly found that electrical power on board quickly becomes scarce.

So my crew and I started to think about where and how we could generate electricity without taking up even more of the already limited space on board. This gave rise to the idea of using the backstay as the axis of rotation for a wind turbine.

The very first test object was a sewage pipe cut in half lengthwise, and it worked so well right away that we started trying out a wide variety of prototypes. Once I was confident that we would be able to solve the many technical challenges, I decided to found the startup.

Why does the industry need your solution?

Demand for sustainable energy autonomy is growing rapidly, especially in the maritime sector. People want comfort, like refrigerators, espresso machines, TVs, microwaves, and induction stoves, without compromise.

Existing solutions have drawbacks: diesel generators are noisy and smelly, solar cells are limited by shade, and conventional wind turbines are loud, bulky, and sometimes unsafe. ampStay is whisper-quiet, efficient, and works 24/7, which is why we already have strong pre-orders despite no marketing yet.

Read more: Startup Spotlight – Waterspeed

What have you enjoyed most about starting your own company?

This is my second company and fourth business built from scratch, so I’m used to entrepreneurship. I love the freedom it brings and the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles. This venture allows me to combine my managerial skills with my personal passion for sailing.

What challenges did you face at the beginning?

Mechanically, we needed a turbine that could be assembled and disassembled quickly, which required testing several solutions. The real challenge came when our investor had to delay funding due to another project. We’re still exploring alternative financing options, which is tricky at this stage.

What’s next for your business? 

Once financing is secured, we’ll start pre-series production, followed by marketing and sales. We’ve already partnered with sailing influencers for global visibility. We’ll continue improving the turbine and exploring new applications, such as in alpine regions, thanks to its unique design that requires no fixed axis or foundations.

Any advice for entrepreneurs just starting out?

Expect Murphy’s Law, everything will take longer and cost more than you think. Technical problems can be solved with time and money, but you never have enough of either. To get a loan, you first have to prove you don’t need one. Many paths to wealth won’t work, but anything you can imagine, you can achieve.

A quote you live by:

Life is too short to wait for someday.