“During my studies, I learned to approach problems systematically and to be willing to try things out”

As a kid, Mateo Brecic experimented with his chemistry set. Directly following his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, this h_da alumnus became self-employed. Together with a friend, he founded the Modolino platform which offers experiments in the natural sciences free of charge for both children and their parents. With huge success: to date, their online videos have registered more than 21 million views.

A tower of ice that grows upwards within seconds? Even grown-ups think that’s cool. And the experiment doesn’t require much: a plateful of tap water, put in the freezer, thus forming a flat ice surface; and a plastic bottle with distilled water, chilled for 45 minutes in a bowl containing ice cubes and salt. When the bottle content gets poured onto the ice surface, it will immediately freeze upwards layer by layer as if by magic. Before you know it, the ice princess’ tower is built, and as an aside, children have learned about subcooled water and how crystallization works.

A market niche discovered

The magical ice tower was the third video that Mateo Brecic and his friend Louis Rittersberger had conceived, filmed, and put online. 26-year-old Brecic had just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering (focus area: Mechanical Engineering) at Hochschule Darmstadt; Louis Rittersberger had studied Physics at TU Darmstadt. Their ambition: to kindle children’s enthusiasm for the natural sciences by means of easily understandable and exciting videos. But what happened next was completely surprising: within only a few hours and days, this little video clip about a self-made iceberg went viral and received several hundred thousand clicks. “That’s when we realized that this was apparently a market niche,” says Mateo Brecic.

Prior to this pivotal moment, the two friends had searched the Internet for scientific accounts offering experiments for children between 3 and 8, but hadn’t found any. “There were Instagram videos,” he recounts, but they were either not professional enough for them or not really suitable for children. That’s why they got down to work themselves, in their basement; they thought up “wow!” effects in chemistry and physics, filmed and cut short video clips and explained what happened. In their first videos, they had a garbage bag float in mid-air and showed that your hand stays dry when submerged in water whose surface is powdered with cinnamon. Most of all, they want to show experiments which any child, any father or mother can do themselves, easily and affordably, and which work well with such mundane ingredients like baking powder, water, spices, vinegar, or dishwashing liquid. “When we were kids, we used experimental sets, but you don’t need any expensive tools, only household materials and creativity,” Mateo Brecic emphasizes.

Starting as a hobby project

The h_da alumnus and his friend have known each other since they were little kids. They went to school together in Dreieich, chose physics as a major in high school, and went to study in Darmstadt. Mateo Brecic chose a technical major with a natural science focus. For this, h_da had a good reputation, and he liked being close to practice. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree, the alumnus realized that the two friends should start their career together. “Initially, the videos showing those experiments were more like a hobby project. The positive feedback totally surprised us,” admits the h_da graduate. This unexpected success convinced them to try their luck on the market. In the fall of 2025, they founded the platform “Modolino”, and already in their first half-year, they clocked up 100,000 followers and some 21 million views to date. “Every month, we add another 2 to 3 million,” the 26-year-old says.

Self-developed experiments

On Modolino, parents and children can find more then 80 experiments from STEM topics (www.modolino.com), including instructions and support in case something doesn’t work. To make it even more exciting for the little researchers, the alumnus and his co-founder invented 17 animal characters. There’s “Flux” the fox, who carries the children off into the world of chemical reactions and materials. Then there’s otter lady “Mila” for all things watery and liquid; tiny hummingbird “Wirbel” [vortex] shows children everything that has to do with wind and the air; and raccoon “Lucki” explains the significance of chance and probability. “At that age, children are good researchers, and they have many questions,” says Brecic. The role of the animal characters is to make the natural sciences more tangible.

They develop the experiments themselves. “Louis is the physicist and mind behind the experiments,” concedes Mateo Brecic. He himself uses his expertise from his studies in Industrial Engineering and integrates everything into a holistic concept; he builds the sales system, has set up the website, and is busy networking. Together, the Modolino makers are collecting ideas, they try out everything beforehand and optimize the experiments. “We only choose experiments that are safe, not dangerous, and free of toxic substances,” the h_da alumnus emphasizes. And one more thing is very important: “The experiments must have a ‘wow!’ effect.” With all this, they not only want to kindle children’s enthusiasm for STEM topics, but also to get them away from their smartphones and computers. “We want them to do something themselves and to gather their own experiences,” Brecic says. When he and his friend Louis were kids, they used to play outdoors all day long. And they hope that their Modolino experiments will have a similarly creative effect.

New modules and experimental sets are planned

They have decided against becoming influencers making money with advertising in their videos. Of course, they received offers when their platform started being so successful. “We want to focus on our own brand,” says Mateo Brecic. The videos are to stay free of charge, but currently, they are developing experimental sets which parents and users can buy at a low price. “We want to do cool things, not run-of-the-mill experiments.” In November, the first boxes are to appear on the market.

Successively, there will be new modules for experiments on the platform. The blue module, which already exists, represents the natural sciences; planned additions comprise green for nature topics, red for creativity, and yellow for emotional tasks. “All these areas are important for children to develop a strong personality,” the alumnus is convinced.

Not only children and their parents love the platform. Schools and libraries in Frankfurt and Mannheim also use this educational offer. There is a cooperation with the STEM center in Darmstadt, and the “Familien-App Hessen” [app for families in the State of Hesse] puts one Modolino experiment online each month. The founders are also finalists at the “Social Impact Award”, which supports young entrepreneurs and their innovative solutions intended to help cope with social and ecological challenges. The final jurors’ pitch will take place in late November.

The fact that their founding story has gone viral to this extent is still “pretty overwhelming for me,” admits Mateo Brecic. His studies in Darmstadt provided the fuel for this idea. “Studying at h_da was very close to practice, and it has provided me with sound foundations from project management to business administration. That’s where I’ve learned to approach problems in a well-structured way and simply try out things, too. That has encouraged me to get self-employed right after my degree,” says the alumnus – who’s actually a student again. Mateo Brecic has now enrolled in the Industrial Engineering Master’s program at h_da, even though a big portion of his time and energy is taken up by Modolino and by establishing resilient business structures.