Strandscanner: Digital innovation for beach vacations

Catherin and Sebastian Klein are the creative minds behind the beach chair information platform “Strandscanner”. The couple, who both grew up in Boltenhagen on the Baltic Sea, have made it their mission to revolutionize the booking of beach chairs on the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts.

Their platform makes it possible to book beach chairs flexibly and independently, offering vacationers more freedom and convenience.

With their commitment and innovative strength, they have not only closed a gap in the market, but are also making a significant contribution to the digitalization of tourism in Germany.

While CEO Catherin (33) is responsible for finance and customer acquisition, CTO Sebastian (33) takes care of software and hardware.

The idea behind Strandscanner

The idea for Strandscanner (beach scanner) arose from our own experience and the desire to simplify the booking process for beach chairs.

A key experience played a major role in this. “On a hot beach day at Timmendorfer Strand, packed with our three children, we rattled along the three-kilometer-long stretch of beach one by one to find a free beach chair. That annoyed us so much,” says Catherin Klein.

In terms of digitalization in almost all areas of life, she and her husband were spoiled by their experiences in big cities. “Digitalization in tourism in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern needs a boost.”

“Digitalization in tourism
needs a boost.”
– Catherin Klein, CEO Strandscanner

Before founding “Strandscanner”, Catherin and Sebastian were already running “fewoboss”, a company that offers software for finding vacation rentals. Their vision was to create a platform that lists all beach sections and beach chair rentals free of charge and thus offers users a comprehensive overview. “If there is already a booking platform for vacation apartments, why not for beach chairs too?” said Catherin Klein.

At the end of 2021, the couple decided to found the “Strandscanner” platform. They renamed the previous platform “fewoboss” to “Nord21 GmbH” on May 21, 2021. They launched for the 2022 summer season. While “Strandscanner.de” is aimed at guests, “Strandboss.de” is aimed at landlords.

The duo only developed their business plan during the start-up phase. They both received support from the Schwerin Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In hindsight, this was a good decision. They were able to draw on their own capital for the financing. Catherin also had income from a consultancy mandate.

Cooperation with a tax consultant was also invaluable for the duo. Sebastian Klein, however, relies on ChatGPT. “It's a fabulous tool for founders. I myself used it to get ideas for a large part of the programming and was able to work out all the relevant questions about legal texts, general terms and conditions or contracts.

“ChatGPT is a fabulous tool for founders.”
– Sebastian Klein, CTO Strandscanner

Sebastian and Catherin Klein are Baltic Sea kids. The couple have developed a digital booking system for beach chairs that allows users to reserve their beach chair online. Credits (7): Nord21 GmbH

The “Airbnb” for the stand and the “Google” for beach chairs

Strandscanner lists over 400 beach sections to date and offers detailed information on each beach chair rental company. Users can book beach chairs flexibly and independently of opening hours, as some beach chairs are equipped with online locks. Holidaymakers receive a PIN code as required before the start of their vacation.

The platform also offers useful information such as prices, WiFi availability, accessibility and much more. Catherin Klein describes it aptly: “We are the Google for beach chairs on the North Sea and Baltic coasts.” Her husband Sebastian adds: “And the Airbnb for the beach.”

In order to list all the beach sections, the founding couple traveled to all the beaches on the Baltic and North Sea coasts, took photos and compiled the information.

The aim is to make tourism in Germany more attractive, and the Boltenhageners are providing an “all-round carefree package.”

Locks are the linchpin of beach chairs

The locks for the beach chairs are the linchpin for the 2,500 beach chairs on the North Sea and Baltic coasts. Catherin and Sebastian have made 1,000 locks to date. “Initially, we ordered the locks in China. The question arose as to the best way to integrate foreign products,” explains Sebastian Klein.

The technical solution followed promptly: “We buy a 3D printer and print the locks ourselves”. The initial five-centimetre-thick lock could thus be reduced to three centimetres. There are now 38 parts to a lock, including a Bluetooth chip from Norway and stainless steel brackets from abroad.

The first prototype cost 2000 euros, a lock currently costs 30 to 40 euros. The break-even point for Strandscanner, i.e. the point at which revenues offset costs and the company makes neither a profit nor a loss, was in 2023, which indicates a solid business strategy.

“Initially, we were confronted with prejudices from other large lock providers,” reports Catherin Klein. “I am grateful and proud that my husband and I are doing this together. No one can take that away from us.”

Catherin Klein is a qualified real estate agent and managed a team of 20 employees in Frankfurt. Sebastian Klein has the necessary start-up knowledge thanks to his studies in business administration and economics.

Back to the roots

Catherin and Sebastian Klein have their roots in Boltenhagen. After working in management positions in Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt/Main, they returned to the Baltic coast as a family of five. “We have always been working people. Now we combine living and working, actively taking time for the family,” reveals Catherin.

The mother of three gets up at 5:20 a.m. and takes 20 minutes each for sport and meditation. Then she has breakfast. At 8 a.m., the children go to nursery. Work for Catherin and Sebastian starts at 9 am. From 2:30 p.m. it's family time and from 9 p.m. it's working time again. “Sometimes I think, how are we going to manage it all? Our older daughter starts school at the end of August. How will I manage that as a mother? These kinds of thoughts sometimes consume me,” reveals Catherin and adds: ”Hurray for our family network. You should definitely have that as a founding couple.”

The future of Strandscanner

Catherin and Sebastian Klein won the digital prize at the 2022 OZ Start-up Award for their “fewoboss” project. The founders won first prize at the Inno Award 2023 for their “Strandscanner” platform. They were also one of six start-ups at Slush in Helsinki 2023.

For the coming year 2025, Catherin and Sebastian are planning to further expand Strandscanner and make the platform even more user-friendly. To this end, the lock is to become more intelligent and location data will be used to track whether the beach chair is currently in use. The platform is to be expanded to include kayak rental and food delivery.

One target group that the duo would like to address specifically is Generation Z. Booking something without having contact with anyone. In future, it should also be possible to book beach chairs on autopilot.