5 best AI Tools for Business Productivity & Lessons from Real Founders

Every beginning is difficult: On average, nine out of ten start-ups fail, and only 1% reach the 10 million revenue mark. ISPO introduces AI tools that can help you and your company optimize processes and boost productivity. We spoke with founders. Read here how ISPO Brandnew Winner DiFold uses AI and has benefited from the ISPO Brandnew Village. Start-ups in the sports industry will also have a presence at ISPO 2025 from NOV 30 – DEC 2 in Munich.

All Insights at a Glance:

5 AI tools that boost your productivity:

  1. Perplexity AI: For Research for Investor Presentations
  2. Midjourney: For Presentation Images
  3. ChatGPT: For Creative Text Generation and More
  4. Make.com: For Process Optimization
  5. MultiOn: Your AI Agent


The Start-up Struggles

Start-ups face immense challenges as they try to establish themselves in a market. The most important of these is the lack of funding. Finding investors who will believe in the product and invest in the start-up is a critical hurdle. As Guisy Morza, ISPO Brandnew Project Manager, said:
"Starting as a small player, you have to move fast, make decisions, and launch—even when resources are tight. It's a trade-off between survival and scaling, but every step forward brings growth."

Intense competition too is a major barrier when entering the market. Most start-ups succumb to the reach and market presence of established companies. Gaining visibility and acquiring customers is another difficulty faced by a start-up. With limited budgets, spending on marketing activities is a tough task. Together, these barriers present a formidable challenge that start-ups have to navigate.


What you can learn from these founders' fails

Leveraging Events and Networks to Build Momentum

While these challenges can seem overwhelming, networking and the ability to differentiate the product can help in overcoming most of the above obstacles. Business events and exhibitions are a powerful means of showcasing your product and seeking potential investors. 

Such events offer valuable exposure that is critical for start-ups to gain visibility. Besides the networking gains, these events are a chance to get the right feedback on your product and figure out ways of improvement. 

Participating in niche events that fit your product is also helpful as it attracts the right target audience. According to Radina Popova, CEO DiFold, their brand benefited from participating in the ISPO Brandnew Village event. It gave their brand the necessary exposure, helped in networking and finding clients, and gaining feedback and recommendations from customers.


What Startups Can Learn from Networks and Events

Learn from the best: How DiFold Navigated the Challenges

DiFold is a German start-up that was established in 2018. They aim to create reusable collapsible design containers made with sustainable material. Their flagship product is the foldable Origami bottle that aims to replace single-use plastic bottles. To gain expertise and design a robust strategy, DiFold leveraged the Kickstarter Program in the initial phase of its journey. 

Thereafter, through crowdfunding, family funding, and angel investments, the brand was able to raise the capital required to deliver 6500 bottles by 2022. For production, the brand chose China due to the exorbitant production costs for a small brand in Europe. Another reason for choosing China was the split payment and other flexible options they were able to avail. This helped them reach their production target within budgetary constraints.

DiFold has won several awards for its innovative design and focus on sustainability. Once production began, the next focus was to gain exposure for the brand. DiFold participated in and was chosen by Globetrotter’s iStartup program. This gave them access to a widespread distribution channel, presence in Globetrotter stores, and promotion on their website. 

Through this program, they participated in the ISPO Brandnew Village, a unique Expo dedicated to sports. The brand was also part of the ISPO Brandnew Award Journey, where it competed with other start-ups and got Special Recognition. For Radina, besides the amazing opportunities presented by the event, it was also a learning experience that helped the brand grow and evolve. 

Overall, utilizing the right channels and opportunities helped the brand acquire and connect with its target audience.


Expanding Your Sportswear Brand Globally: Key Strategies and Tips


The Role of Strategic Partnerships in Scaling

Very often, start-ups lack the resources and infrastructure needed to scale their business. They also lack the expertise of established companies that have valuable insights into the functioning of the market. This gives rise to the need to partner with enterprises that have the necessary resources, market access, and expertise required to scale a brand. Startups like DiFold could comprehend the crucial role of strategic partnerships in boosting their business. 

Their tie-up with Globetrotter gave them access to a well-established network of online and offline stores. This helped them acquire a readymade base of customers without having to incur acquisition costs. They were also able to capitalize on the Globetrotter brand name to achieve credibility and gain customer trust. In short, partnering with the right brand can be a game-changer move for startups that are looking to scale their business in a short time.


How Start-ups Can Use Technology to Boost Productivity

Technology can be instrumental in optimizing the time dedicated to activities, as well as automating time-consuming work. 

According to AI Product Owner and Innovation & Data Science Expert Markus von der Lühe, working 60 hours a week and increasing productivity by 40% by using AI is equivalent to gaining an extra 24 hours of output without actually working those additional hours. Leveraging AI can enable startup founders to achieve more and significantly boost their efficiency.

Here are five of the best AI tools for business productivity:








Lessons for Start-up Founders

To sum up, here are important learnings for start-up founders:

  • Leverage Kickstarter and crowdfunding programs to jumpstart your goals.
  • Focus on innovation to ensure your product is unique and sustainable.
  • Attend expos and trade shows to gain exposure and customer insights.
  • Optimize productivity and save time with AI and tech tools.
  • Partner with established brands to access networks and gain credibility.
  • Use customer feedback to refine and align your product with market needs.
  • Balance immediate actions with long-term scalability and sustainability.
  • Protect your product and ideas through patents and trademarks.
  • Network strategically to connect with investors and industry leaders.
  • Embrace international production if it balances cost and quality effectively.

Conclusion

Start-ups have a steep learning curve, coupled with innumerable challenges to growth and success. However, perseverance, along with a proactive approach, can help overcome obstacles. The trick is to expand your network, be adaptable, and utilize every opportunity that comes your way.