Two German VUB students discovered they had been living just twenty minutes apart back home. Yet it was in Brussels that Marieke Lobert and Patricia Fuchs found each other – and came up with the idea for Matti, an app designed to make sustainable living easier and more enjoyable. From 27 October, you can try it out for yourself as part of a pilot project on the VUB Main Campus.
When Marieke and Patricia moved to Brussels to study Social Sciences, they had never met. Both joined the VUB GreenTeam, driven by the same conviction: sustainability should be more than just good intentions. People also need support to turn those intentions into action.
Their meeting turned out to be a remarkable coincidence. Both are from Germany, and it was only after getting to know each other in Brussels that they discovered they had lived just a twenty-minute cycle ride apart back home. “We had to come all the way to Brussels to meet each other,” Patricia recalls. They hit it off immediately. Sharing the same values, they found not only friendship but also someone with whom they could turn ideas into action.
“We only met in Brussels, even though we lived just a twenty-minute cycle ride apart in Germany”
Turning challenges into change
Through their work with the GreenTeam, they identified a challenge. The existing sustainability competition was struggling to attract participants. So Marieke and Patricia began asking themselves: how could they make sustainable behaviour simpler, more appealing and, above all, more fun? Their answer eventually became Matti.
“Matti turns everyday activities into sustainable actions,” Marieke explains. “The app aims to bridge the gap between knowing what is sustainable and actually putting that knowledge into practice. With the latest UN Environment Programme report warning that current policies could lead to global warming of up to 2.8°C, turning awareness into action is more important than ever. Not by telling people what they're doing wrong, but by making sustainable choices simple and appealing.”
Whether you take the stairs, cycle to campus or choose a vegan meal, you can collect points by scanning QR codes. Those points can then be exchanged for rewards. For the pilot project, the founders have teamed up with partners including BOZAR, Swapfiets and Blue-bike. The GreenTeam is also offering discounted vegan meals at the VUB restaurant.
A name that brings it all together
Even the app's name reflects the bond between its two creators. Matti combines Marieke and Patti, the nickname Patricia's friends use. In Dutch, it also brings to mind maatje, meaning 'buddy' or 'mate'.
The concept was originally called Green Heroes, but the pair deliberately moved away from that name. They didn't want Matti to appeal only to people who were already passionate about sustainability. Instead, they wanted to create an app that anyone would enjoy using: accessible, playful and positive.
In many ways, the name captures the whole story. Matti is about sustainability, but it's also about two people whose shared commitment to making a difference brought them together.
“Everyone knows about the climate crisis. The real challenge is turning awareness into action”
From idea to prototype
What began as a brainstorming exercise within the GreenTeam soon developed into something bigger. Marieke and Patricia turned their concept into a business idea and entered an international student start-up competition. They won the local round before going on to finish second in the national competition in France.
That recognition gave them an extra boost. People believed in their idea, but to take it further, they needed a working app.
With the help of AI and support from a friend studying computer science, they built their first prototype themselves.
VUB as a testing ground
On Tuesday 27 October, Matti's pilot project officially launched at VUB with an event in the Lounge Bar. The trial will run until the winter break and is open not just to students, but to VUB staff as well.
For Marieke and Patricia, the pilot is a crucial opportunity to put their idea to the test. They want to find out how many people take part, which activities prove most popular and how they can improve Matti.
Everyone is welcome to get involved, suggest new activities and rewards, and help shape Matti around the needs of the VUB community. Their ambition is to ensure that no one is left behind in the transition to a more sustainable future.
They hope to keep the app running at VUB beyond the pilot and eventually expand it to other universities, organisations and corporate campuses.
But first comes Brussels. The city where their own story began.
What is Matti and how can you get involved?
Matti is an app that rewards sustainable choices on the VUB campus. Both students and staff can take part in the pilot, which launched on 27 October and runs until the winter break.
How it works
- You can access Matti through a website/web app. According to Marieke, a version for the main app stores is planned after the pilot.
- You'll find QR codes at various locations across campus, each linked to a sustainable action.
- You can earn points by taking the stairs, cycling to campus or choosing vegan meals, among other activities. Participation in certain sustainability events may also count.
- You can exchange your points for rewards and special offers. During the pilot, Matti is working with partners including BOZAR, Swapfiets, Blue-bike and the VUB GreenTeam.
- Marieke and Patricia are also keen to gather feedback and suggestions for new challenges and rewards, helping Matti develop further.
Pilot launch: Tuesday 27 October 2026
Who can take part: VUB students and staff
Duration: Until the winter break