From Architects and System Architects.
CMiD is a Zurich- and Berlin-based startup on a mission to give every building material a permanent, verifiable digital identity. Behind it is a four-person founding team combining architecture, deep tech, distributed systems, and business strategy — built to take a complex problem from lab to market.
The Team.
CMiD is built by a tight-knit team of four based across Zurich and Berlin, combining deep expertise in strategy, product design, engineering, and software architecture.
At the helm are two co-founders Marcel and Benjamin with complementary strengths.
leads business development and finance, drawing on over a decade of leadership experience and executive training at ETH — connecting narrative, metrics, and scaling in the Swiss market.
shapes the product vision and system design, bringing an architectural background from TUM and Oslo and hands-on experience leading BIM-based data projects across the construction supply chain.
Hendrik drives the core fingerprint technology from research algorithm to production-ready capability, while Alex contributes over 15 years of experience in distributed systems, data pipelines, and applied machine learning. Together, they cover the full stack — from scientific foundation to market execution.
The Vision.
CMiD's vision is a built environment where no material is ever lost to ignorance. In a world of tightening resource constraints and mounting compliance pressure, the construction industry can no longer afford to treat buildings as single-use assemblies. CMiD exists to change that — by giving every component a permanent, verifiable identity rooted in the material itself, not in a label that falls off or a database that goes dark.
The goal is a future where a concrete beam, a timber panel, or a brick carries its full history across every handover, every refurbishment, and every deconstruction — ready to be identified, valued, and reused. Where digital twins reflect physical reality. Where circular economy is not a reporting category, but an operational capability.
CMiD is building the identity layer that makes this possible.
Our Partners.
CMiD draws on a powerful network of partners to accelerate trust, reach, and technical credibility. At the core is an exclusive license to Fraunhofer IFAM's patented surface-based identification technology — providing both scientific foundation and institutional backing. Through TUM Venture Labs, the team maintains strong ties to academic research and early-stage innovation ecosystems. Industry associations and city partners lend legitimacy and open doors to real-world pilots, while connectors to BIM, ERP, and material passport platforms ensure CMiD integrates seamlessly into the workflows its customers already rely on. Together, these relationships form the backbone of a go-to-market strategy built on trust, interoperability, and shared standards
