From Raw Alabaster and Bacterial Cultures to New Furniture Ideas

Three startups demonstrate how design can evolve into business. Experience them and other startups at the Royal Danish Academy’s library during 3daysofdesign.

Storm Studio, Fermatex, and Studio ByHAA are three of the companies in the Startup Hub that will soon be exhibiting at 3daysofdesign. Within the Startup Hub, graduates from the Royal Danish Academy develop their graduation projects into entrepreneurial ventures with a focus on innovation and sustainable production.

Design that begins with the material

For Ellen Rasmussen, who runs the design studio Studio ByHAA together with her partner, design begins with the material - specifically, with the millions of years embedded in alabaster’s structure. While alabaster is traditionally processed and polished, Studio ByHAA deliberately works with its raw and unrefined surface.

The result is a series of sculptural lamps, vases, and candleholders in which the character of the material is allowed to dominate. Each stone is unique. The focus is not on standardisation, but on the relationship with the material.

'Our design stands out because it is a natural material with millions of years of history embedded in it. We exist only for a brief moment, yet we surround ourselves with something that existed long before us and will continue to exist long after. That geological time perspective, entering the living room, is fascinating,' says Ellen Rasmussen.

Studio ByHAA is built around a social business model. Production takes place in collaboration with local craftspeople in Egypt, where the company works to create stable income streams, including training women’s groups in textile techniques such as weaving and embroidery.

Here, sustainability is not only about materials, but also about people and local economies.

The studio also works with architectural projects, including a planned women’s centre in Egypt. For Ellen Rasmussen, the professional guidance in the Startup Hub has been crucial:

'Access to feedback on our business plan has been incredibly important - especially in our efforts to expand into the European market. Initially, I thought I would rely most on the workshops, but it has instead been the guidance and support from mentors,' she explains.

The wardrobe as a design object

Another Startup Hub participant is Nanna Storm, co-founder of Storm Studio. She is a furniture designer from the Royal Danish Academy, and her graduation project - a sculptural wardrobe - is now being prepared for production later this year.

'My company rethinks the aesthetics of the wardrobe, which is typically a highly functional piece of furniture. The goal is to create value in the wardrobe as an object that can accompany different stages of life,' says Nanna Storm.

The result is a freestanding wardrobe with a sculptural form that can move with its user and have a longer lifespan than traditional wardrobes.

The material is Danish oak, locally produced with a focus on durability. For Nanna Storm, sustainability is about creating products that are used and kept over time.

'Sustainability has become a somewhat vague concept. I’ve come to the conclusion that if we as designers create high-quality furniture that people want to keep for many years, we’ve already come a long way,' she says.

For her, the Startup Hub has provided an important sense of community, even though participants work on individual businesses:

'We are not doing the same thing, but it has been a great help to hear about each other’s challenges. Our advisors bring a lot of experience and have helped guide us towards funding opportunities. That has helped me maintain momentum,' she explains.

At the moment, Nanna Storm is focused on completing the prototype together with a cabinetmaker so the wardrobe can go into production.

From bacteria to material

While Storm Studio and Studio ByHAA work with familiar materials, Fermatex operates in a more experimental field. The company was founded by designers Ziyu Lin and Peiyao Duan, who studied strategic design and furniture design at the Royal Danish Academy.

Their focus is bacterial cellulose - a material grown through fermentation of food industry by-products, including from cheese and yoghurt production. In its solid form, it resembles paper or leather. Rather than focusing on finished products, the company works to explore and communicate the material’s potential. The object itself is not the primary focus - the material is.

In this way, design becomes a tool for bridging the gap between laboratory research and real-world application.

'Our ambition is to take the material out of the lab and show what it can do in real-life contexts,' says Ziyu Lin.

For Fermatex, the business model is still evolving. Instead of focusing on a single product, they are exploring multiple directions: as a material supplier to architects and designers, as a partner for industry, or as a contributor to exhibitions and artistic contexts.

'The startup programme has been extremely valuable. As designers, we are often taught to create the perfect product. But in reality, it is also about understanding the market and building a sustainable business model,' says Peiyao Duan.

What comes next

For these three companies, the next step differs - from completing prototypes and moving into production, to further material research and fundraising. Experience these three companies and other Startup Hub projects during 3daysofdesign, where they will be exhibiting at the Royal Danish Academy’s library.

About the Startup Hub

The Royal Danish Academy’s Startup Hub offers a 12-month incubation programme for 12 selected companies founded by recent graduates. Participants gain access to workshops, tailored individual mentoring, and insight into business development, fundraising, intellectual property rights, finance, and pitching.