‘Technology unlocks dreams’: Zolo’s Franz Siasat on inking a deal with Canva and taking on SME tech waste
Zolo founder Franz Siasat has three pieces of advice for SMEs looking to score a partnership with a heavy-hitter like Canva.
During Franz Siasat’s quiet morning meditations, he often envisioned forming a partnership with the runaway success story Canva. Siasat, the founder of Zolo, made that meditative vision a reality this week.
The B2B waste manager helps SMEs tackle e-waste and end-of-life technology without causing undue damage to the environment — or to a business’s data security — with existing partnerships with Zip Co, Eucalyptus, Lyka, and Bank Australia.
Australia is of the world’s top producers of e-waste, ranking fifth with 21.7kg of waste per person in 2019. Every year, 88% of the 4 million computers end up in landfill, contributing to over 140,000 tonnes of electronic waste.
Siasat founded Zolo during the early days of the pandemic in 2020, making a courageous decision to ditch his corporate job and channel his life savings into a “strong vision to make a positive impact on society,” he tells SmartCompany.
It went from a humble garage in Chippendale to an expanding business nationwide, with funding crucial to scaling operations and bringing the business model to profitability three years later.
Last September, Siasat wrote a submission for the inaugural Canva Create event’s Community Awards, and was thrilled to win the Most Impactful Team Award, “acknowledging our growth as a business and our positive impact on people and the planet,” he says.
Accepting the award, Siasat spoke passionately to more than 350,000 people about Zolo’s story, and ears at Canva perked up. This week the value-aligned pair made it official with a sustainable tech partnership.
Canva has picked Zolo to be their recycling partner, including initiatives such as carbon-neutral tech-recycling, secure data destruction, and recovering valuable parts from old technology to create new, innovative commodities.
Inking the deal with Canva, which now boasts an international presence in more than 190 countries, Siasat was thrilled.
“Working with Canva holds a special significance for us,” he explains.
“It amplifies and ignites our mission to drive sustainability outcomes and provides a platform for brands to utilise their old technology for good.”
When asked what advice he would give to other SMEs looking to score a partnership with heavy hitters like Canva, Siasat says the first thing to do is establish your values and purpose as a company.
“Determine what you truly stand for beyond the monetary aspect of sustaining a business. Craft a compelling narrative around your values and demonstrate how they can elevate your potential partners while addressing their specific business challenges,” he says.
He also advises to stay true to yourself as a founder, explaining that rigid corporate personas can be antithetical to building meaningful partnerships, which should be a “fun and enjoyable process” of alignment between businesses.
Lastly, he says, embrace relentlessness and persistence.
“Remember that building successful partnerships often takes time and effort. Don’t give up easily, and use the pursuit as an opportunity to refine and improve your approach. Continually execute and refine your strategies as you go along.”
The future is bright for Zolo, Siasat says. His team is working on cost-effective and innovative solutions for businesses of all sizes so they can access new technology without breaking the bank.
“We believe that technology has the power to unlock dreams, and we want to make it accessible to all businesses, regardless of their size,” he says.
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