Our story begins in 2015, but...
...our name and logo have only been around since 2022. Before we tell you how steppenstrolch came about, we have to tell you about little happy camels, Zoom calls in the Gobi Desert, and an email from a large American corporation.
In February 2022, Malte and Lennart visited our producers in Mongolia. While the two were traveling through the Gobi Desert, we received an email accusing us of "trademark infringement." A large American corporation accused us of infringing on their trademark rights with the camel in our name and logo. We sat in shock in the living room of a Mongolian friend in the Gobi while our lawyer, hired at short notice, explained the situation via Zoom. It quickly became clear that we couldn't afford a legal battle, but we also didn't want to let it get us down.
Because the work of the past six years should not have been in vain...
From idea to first order
It all began with Malte's extended stay abroad in Mongolia. Traditional camel wool socks kept his feet warm during his internship abroad in the freezing Mongolian winter of 2015, and his enthusiasm for Mongolian wool products was born. On the flight back to Germany, he filled his backpack to the maximum weight with camel wool socks so that his family and friends would be perfectly equipped for winter.
The feedback was outstanding, and more supplies were urgently needed. While having a beer with friends on Aachen's Rathausplatz, the idea arose to simply start a business themselves. And so Malte, a geoscientist, became a seller of wool products from Mongolia.
From idea to first order
It all began with Malte's extended stay abroad in Mongolia. Traditional camel wool socks kept his feet warm during his internship abroad in the freezing Mongolian winter of 2015, and his enthusiasm for Mongolian wool products was born. On the flight back to Germany, he filled his backpack to the maximum weight with camel wool socks so that his family and friends would be perfectly equipped for winter.
The feedback was outstanding, and more supplies were urgently needed. While having a beer with friends on Aachen's Rathausplatz, the idea arose to simply start a business themselves. And so Malte, a geoscientist, became a seller of wool products from Mongolia.
A playground alongside your studies
At first, it was an exciting project alongside my studies—how often do you get the chance to start a business? There were many problems to solve and questions to answer. The motto was that most difficulties could be overcome with Google, creativity, and specific questions to the right people. The support of friends and feedback from the first customers was motivating and contributed to further growth.
At the end of his studies, the question arose: What to do with all the socks? The decision was made in favor of the start-up—the company would continue. In July 2020, Malte and his friends Lennart and Markus transformed his sole proprietorship into Steppenstrolch GmbH. Three months later, the first store opened in the beautiful city center of Aachen.
New name – same mission
The first year and a half after the store opened was marked by lockdowns and coronavirus protection measures. Processes and work structures had to be created to meet the demand for warm wool products in times of crisis. When the lawyer's letter arrived in February 2022, everything was hanging in the balance. But we decided not to give up and to change the name and logo. The old name and logo can no longer be used.
Steppenstrolch is no longer just a happy camel, but a whole herd of fluffy camels, sheep, and yaks. The playful Steppenstrolch—our new logo—sticks its nose in the wind and doesn't let lawyer letters and pandemics deter it from fulfilling its mission of making fluffy, warm, and fairly produced wool products from Mongolia known and loved throughout Europe.
Steppenstrolch aims to be a fair company for all parties involved. This begins with the animals in the pasture, who are able to enjoy their lives in freedom, continues with fair remuneration for producers, and extends to fair and friendly treatment of our employees.
