Thijmen Kaster spotted a market gap that had to be filled. He is the co-founder of American Cups, a Rotterdam-based company that specializes in importing and selling plastic red cups that have become known as  an American cultural icon throughout the world and are symbolic of American college parties. Check out the interview he had with Studio Erasmus below (in Dutch).

Thijmen is an active member within the Student Entrepreneurs Excellence Programme (StEEP).  The StEEP programme, which is an initiative of the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE) , enables young ambitious student-entrepreneurs to run their company during their study. The programme provides flexibility on mandatory attendance and improves the connection with participants and the university through a personal study advisor and networking opportunities.

Thijmen first developed the idea of importing and selling these iconic red cups after returning home from a year of studying abroad in North America.  It was during his time abroad that he attended multiple college parties and immersed himself in the new North American environment. Upon returning home to the Netherlands, he found it to be nearly impossible and very expensive acquire these cups in The Netherlands.

A common item in the United States, and once unavailable in Europe, these plastic cups have become an iconic symbol of partying and social gatherings amongst college students  in the United States.   American television and cinema have also played a significant role in enhancing the popularity and symbolism of these otherwise unremarkable everyday items, as they are frequently incorporated into scenes where younger people are socializing, drinking, and having a good time.  While the red cup is a symbolic cultural icon and fulfills the purpose of holding alcoholic drinks, various drinking games have also been created around the ‘American Cup’. This is mostly due to the fact that the American Cup is much larger and more durable that the standard disposable cup.

Check it out yourself at www.americancups.nl