A Young Team Behind the Idea: The Founders of "Mietzy"

Mainz Startup Mietzy Lets You Rent Anything from Ladders to Sound Systems

The platform's founders—Salim Zeyen, Benedikt Dreismann, and Samuel Schmidt—are all between 26 and 27 years old. They are joined by Caitlin, who works as a freelance contributor. While Dreismann handles marketing and sales, Schmidt focuses on IT. Zeyen, who hails from Mainz, hopes to turn the platform into his full-time career within the next year if all goes well.

Low Prices, Minimal Barriers

In an interview with Merkurist, Zeyen explains how the new sharing platform works. Registration requires just an email address and phone number. "Signing up is free, and listing items for rent is currently commission-free as well," he says. In the future, the team plans to introduce a "success-based fee structure," meaning a small percentage of rental earnings will be taken as a service fee.

Users can offer almost anything for rent—from a large electric mulled wine pot for €5 to a full sound system for €40 or a pavilion for €10 a day. A paint ladder is available for just €2 per day. While the selection is broad, Zeyen notes some restrictions: "Certain items can't be shared for hygiene reasons, and some insurers make it difficult to rent out things like cars." Pets, services, food, and consumables are also excluded.

"Mietzy" Relies on Its Users

By renting out rarely used items, owners can earn extra income. The goal is to make borrowing and lending as effortless as possible. Most rentals last one to two days, but longer terms—three to six days, seven to 27 days, or over 28 days—come with tiered discounts. While the platform is primarily active in the Rhine-Main region, items can also be shipped to renters elsewhere.

For security, lenders can set deposits for their rented goods. The Mainz-based startup also encourages users to verify their identities via ID. As with other online platforms, renters and lenders can rate each other. Moving forward, all transactions will be covered by integrated insurance. For now, the founders personally handle customer support in disputes, working to find fair solutions.

Renting Protects the Environment

Sustainability and mindful consumption are central to the team's mission, Zeyen emphasizes. Sharing items instead of buying new reduces demand for production, saving resources, CO₂ emissions, and waste. "We're not making nearly enough use of existing resources," he explains. "Take a drill, for example—on average, it's only used for 13 minutes over its entire lifespan."

"Mietzy" aims to change that with its peer-to-peer rental model, making occasional borrowing and lending practical and straightforward. The project has received support, including a startup grant from StartinRLP, and raised €10,000 through a crowdfunding campaign.