We’re celebrating: Ten years of Revive!

Ten years ago, our founders – Paul and Jonas – decided to rent an office in Cologne. Just like that, but with the certainty that they'd come up with some brilliant idea!

From cell phone cases to custom-designed tank tops to Revive, it's been a wild ride. More than 27,000 refurbished pieces of furniture later, we want to look back on the last decade together.

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Paul, how has Revive changed your life?

On the one hand, Revive has obviously taken away some of my spontaneous flexibility—for example, I can no longer simply live in Cape Town whenever I feel like it. But in return, I've gained structure: more responsibility and, as a result, a solid foundation. At Revive, I'm completely present, so I have more focus today instead of just flying aimlessly through the world. Before, at my previous job, my mind was always on the move. Today, Revive is a firm anchor in my thinking. Apart from that, my life hasn't fundamentally changed. I've chosen this one thing, and as a result, I'm in Cologne more often than before.

At what point did you first realize: "This is going to be something really big"?

It's not like you consciously perceive that one moment. Revive grew organically – from one garage to the next until we eventually had a proper warehouse. But looking back, I'd say the turning point was our move to Ottostraße in 2018. From then on, we became a real team, with everyone essentially working full-time and less of a patchwork of students and part-time workers. And the building itself also had an impact: Suddenly stepping onto a proper company site in the morning made the growth process tangible.

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And what was your biggest challenge in ten years of company history?

I could name the biggest crisis right now, but at its core, our most serious challenge is focusing on the right thing every single day. As founders, we're constantly faced with decisions – there's so much we'd like to do, but ultimately, success depends on concentrating on the right things. We've sometimes gotten carried away in the past: the marketing team was suddenly too big, we opened a showroom in Sindelfingen, or we got bogged down selling bicycles. Bootstrapping, i.e. founding a company without start-up capital and growing from commercial success, was both a blessing and a curse: On the one hand, it's completely authentic. And having to be profitable also reflects your ability to be successful. On the other hand, you're forced to act quickly when the numbers aren't adding up. In moments like these, it's difficult to think long-term.

What do you like most about everyday company life today?

I get the most joy when I find a way to optimize something – be it a financial improvement or a relief for our team and our customers. Often it's the seemingly small things that end up having a big impact. I love creative work and freedom, even if that's not always possible in everyday life. But that's exactly what makes it exciting: finding solutions that make things easier, faster, and better. For example: 20 percent of our refueling used to be at motorway service stations, which are unnecessarily expensive – solving this problem saves us €10,000 every year! Or our purchasing process: We used to have to call customers manually; now our system automatically reminds them three times.

When Revive's potential is fully realized, how will the world be a better place?

Then the world will be a better place on several levels! The most obvious is our contribution to sustainability – and on an even larger scale than today. The more we grow, especially our refurbishment, the more resources we save through reupholstery. Furthermore, I believe that we can inspire others with what we are building here. Revive shows that sustainability can be profitable. Our collaborations with manufacturers are a testament to this – some love us, some hate us, but they recognize that our model works. We are extending the life cycle of high-quality furniture. In other words, we are refining what is inherently good. I believe that everything we put out into the world will eventually come back to us – and that applies not only to our customers, but also to our team. Honesty is our strength, and we want to project good values to the outside world. We should treat our environment and our fellow human beings with respect. That's why we donate ten percent of our profits to charitable causes.

Is there anything else you would like to say in conclusion?

"If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." As founders, we repeatedly came together and worked together on our vision. Entrepreneurship is the greatest personal journey I've ever taken. It's not just about money, but above all about freedom, personal growth, and bringing a good idea into the world. Our company is a tool that shapes not only us but also the people around us.

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If you're curious to see what Revive looks like in practice, be sure to check out our new products . Or schedule an appointment to view our furniture in our showroom . We look forward to seeing you!

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