Story of Roel van der Kamp — Founder of Invi

After finishing his Master’s degree at the Erasmus University in Management of Innovation, Roel decided to build a company from the ground up. He is pioneering a way to use smell as an effective form of self-defense, combining a foul smell capsule with a fashionable bracelet.

“We invite you to join Invi and help build a culture that rejects sexual violence and promotes equality.”

How did the idea for Invi come alive?

I was reading a research that on average 1/3 women in Europe experience some form of sexual violence and 1/20 rape. The average in the Netherlands was even slightly higher. Even people in my direct environment could share stories of sexual harassment. I was astounded by these facts and also by the taboo that is going on about rape. People find it very hard to talk about it, making it difficult to find ways to tackle and address the issue. Another thing, in the Netherlands the use of pepper spray is prohibited. But there is data on lots of people, mainly women who are in possession of a canister. Telling me that there is a need for a non-violent defense mechanism that you are able to carry with you at all times. I started thinking about ways to conceal or easily carry such a device and a repellent that would demotivate aggressors. From a biological point of view, smell is one of the strongest senses a human is capable of experiencing and a foul-smell can even trigger a ‘flight response’. That, combined with designing something people would want to wear instead of concealing led to the idea for Invi. A stylish bracelet with a “smell-capsule” hidden inside that can be activated by its carrier to ward off assailants.

My goals are to raise awareness of sexual harassment both in Western countries and the rest of the world. And to make the Invi Bracelet affordable for everyone who may benefit from the product, or who wants to make a statement against sexual violence.

If you would only have 2 hours per week to spend on your business, where would you spend it on?

Marketing. We’ve got our production and distribution processes set up and many happy customers. So what matters now is exposure

What is a book that you have given away the most and why? What are your top 3 books that made the most impact on your life?

I am dyslexic so I prefer absorbing information via documentaries rather than books. If I would have to recommend one book, it would be the biography of Elon Musk. I find it interesting that people either adore or hate him. No middle way. I believe he is now together with his third wife and almost never sees his kids. A crazy paradox as I am sure that many people would consider him one of the most successful people on earth. But you wonder what it takes when you read the book.

By the way, one passage that stroke me was the one with the big Gruyere cheese. When Elon cashed out with Paypal he was building Space X and was talking about his goal to send mice and eventually people to Mars to colonize the planet. His friends bought him (as a mock) a big Gruyere cheese. He told him to send it together with the mice because they would need a lot of food to make it to Mars. Years later there is a recording of a big Gruyere cheese flying in one of Space X’s shuttles, silencing all of his joking friends in a pretty humorous way. Do not listen too much to the naysayers. Follow your own path and work towards your goals.

Which purchase of €100,- or less has most impacted your life in the last 6 months? This can be anything.

Definitely my gym subscription. Exercising has really helped me to clear my mind and I have noticed that I get a lot of energy after a good session in the gym. Zero distractions, pure focus and being busy with your own body. You will be capable of much more when you take good care of your body. I would recommend it to anyone. Another purchase I am still enjoying is my over-ear headphone from Audiotech. Being a music lover, especially house-techno, it’s nice to have excellent sound.

What is something you spend too much money on?

I actually don’t spend that much money on trivial stuff. If I have to name something, I do like craft beers every now and then.. See it as a homage to how the Dutch have been experimenting with composing the different kinds of beer on the market today. My favorite? The ‘Mooie Nel’ from the Jopen brewery.

Did you ever fail in your life that contributed to later success(s)?

I completely screwed up one of the first pitches we did for Invi. Then a short while later I was approached by someone working on his own pitch methodology. He asked if I could be his ‘guinea pig’. He ended up spending two weeks with our team fine-tuning our pitch. I learned a lot about pitching which contributed to winning the Philips Innovation Award. The prize money allowed us to build the first prototypes of the Invi Bracelet.

But to say I failed so hard that it was almost impossible to recover, not really. Maybe I’m too young to have had such an experience or maybe I’m not taking enough risk yet haha!

If you could have a billboard in the middle of Amsterdam and put anything you want on it, what would it say and why?

“provoke independence”

I believe social change is needed to really address the root causes of sexual violence. This means creating new norms and values around how we think, talk and deal with these issues.

It is probably one of the most taboo topics. So the brave people who now dare to actively speak up might be provocative to some in the beginning, yet they are the ones who create and accelerate social change.

What is one of the best investments that you’ve ever done? (This can be an investment of money but also time or energy etc.)

During my studies, I saved part of my study loan. Doing this allowed me to do the first investment in Invi myself. Putting your own money at stake instead of someone else’s gives you more freedom of movement.

The future will tell if this was the right investment or not. But I’m glad I took the plunge of becoming an entrepreneur right after my studies.

What is an unusual habit of yours or something weird you really like to do?

I have an enormous fascination for documentaries about space. Nothing is more relaxing for me than watching such a docu and listening to a soothing voice talking about stars, planets, and meteorites. I think I have seen everything on Youtube that a person can watch about space.

As humanity, we think that we know everything but only 5% of space can be explained by our current paradigms, assuming our knowledge is accurate. For me, this really puts things in perspective.

In the past 5 years, which new belief or habit has had the most positive impact on you and/or your environment?

That’s probably knowing when to use the on/off switch. Or recognizing the need for one. I think this is something most entrepreneurs recognize, especially in the startup phase. Rest is not only physical but definitely also mental. For months, the last thing I thought about before going to bed was Invi and the first thing I thought of when waking up was Invi. I even dreamed about Invi. It was hard for me to switch that button. I’m not that into meditation and mindfulness but I do have become more aware and learned how to shift my thoughts. From my experience do the best ideas and insights arise when you are not constantly in “working mode”.

What advice would you give to a young, ambitious student who just finished college/university?

If you aspire to start your own business, go to the place where it is already happening. Talk to people. Surround yourself with people who can help and advise you. If you want to start something yourself but you’re not quite sure about the how, why and what, follow your gut and less your rationale. I know it is easy to say but 9 out of 10 times you will make the right choice.

We live in a time where we are bombarded with choices to make. That results in some kind of fear of not making the right choice.

Of course, you need to keep using your head and don’t jump on every opportunity that’s in front of you. But what I learned during my studies, when everyone went into the corporate world, is that it becomes easier to say no when you listen better to and trust your gut feeling. Why that is or how that came to be, no idea but definitely give it some thought.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to say that you should skip your studies or don’t go into the corporate world or whatever in pursuit of some idea you have. It’s alright to go for the road most traveled. And if you find out it is not what you wanted, you’ve gained a new, invaluable experience.

I always knew that money was not the thing that makes me happy. It’s rather doing something that I stand for and creating something new. So listen to your feeling and if you don’t know exactly what you like to do, sure as hell don’t do something you are sure you don’t like to do. Just try different stuff. If it is not a success, you’re richer in experience and you’ve met some new people along the way. That is how new opportunities arise. It’s part of the search. You’ve got plenty of time.

In the last 5 years, what have you become better at saying no to?

Saying no to investors and other business opportunities that don’t fit Invi’s mission. At the beginning, saying no is sometimes hard because it feels like missing out on something. Now, from experience, I know that often a better opportunity will present itself once you keep searching.