What if your mobile contract didn’t just connect you to the internet - but also stood for climate responsibility and data privacy?
In our latest episode of the Impact Runde, we spoke with Alma Spribille, co-founder of WEtell, a telecommunications company challenging one of the most established and profit-driven industries in Germany. Telecom isn’t usually where people expect social innovation. It’s complex, infrastructure-heavy, and dominated by large players. And that’s exactly why this conversation matters.
Listen to the full episode here! 👉 Spotify | Apple
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Alma’s journey didn’t start in social entrepreneurship. With a background in Energy and Environmental Management and years of experience at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, she was deeply rooted in research and technical innovation. But at some point, research alone wasn’t enough.
In our conversation, Alma shares how entrepreneurship became a way to move from analysis to implementation. Together with colleagues from the research and nonprofit world, she co-founded WEtell - a mobile provider built around three clear principles: climate responsibility, strong data protection, and economic fairness. Not as a marketing add-on. As the foundation of the business model.
WEtell offsets emissions generated through network usage and invests in renewable energy projects. At the same time, the company deliberately minimizes data collection - storing only what is absolutely necessary. In an industry where user data is often monetized, this is a structural decision. Less tracking. More transparency. Clear communication.
And importantly: WEtell operates as a for-profit company. But profits are reinvested into the business and into impact-driven initiatives instead of being extracted for maximum shareholder return. It’s not about rejecting markets. It’s about reshaping them.
Entering the telecommunications sector as a mission-driven startup is not easy. High upfront costs, tight margins, strong competition. Alma speaks openly about these challenges - from fundraising to customer acquisition - and how community support and disciplined financial management helped WEtell grow step by step.
What stood out to us in this conversation is not just the sustainability angle. It’s the courage to enter a difficult, highly regulated market and say: we believe this can be done differently.
Impact entrepreneurship is often associated with “new” industries. But systemic change also requires transforming the old ones.
Alma Spribille and WEtell show that responsible business models are possible - even in sectors that seem locked in. It takes clarity, persistence, and a willingness to challenge industry norms. And maybe that’s the bigger takeaway: impact isn’t about choosing the easiest path. It’s about entering complex systems and redesigning them with intention.
If you’re curious how telecommunications can become a lever for climate protection and data sovereignty, tune into the latest episode of Impact Runde.
Because transformation doesn’t always start with a new industry. Sometimes it starts with a better contract.
Listen to the full episode here! 👉 Spotify | Apple
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