Business Creation

Founding a business is just the beginning. What follows is what counts.

A new business begins with an opportunity: a technology, a product or a business model. The real task comes next: turning that opportunity into a commercially viable company. Markets, the business model, financing and the organisation must be considered together from the outset.

We have founded, built and led businesses ourselves, including in the early days of the commercial internet, when markets, business models and infrastructure had to be developed at the same time. We support founders and technology-oriented start-ups as well as new business areas within established companies.

A business model that works in the market.

What value do you offer customers, how do you reach them and how does that translate into sustainable revenue? Innovative ventures often lack reliable precedents. We examine:

Market and competition: How large is the market really, and which routes to market are available?
Business model: What will customers pay for, and under what conditions will the company earn a profit?
Commercial viability: Which prices, sales volumes, costs and investments are realistic?
Prerequisites: Technical and regulatory requirements that must be met.

The result is a business and financial plan intended not just to convince funding providers but, above all, to guide your own decisions. We are willing to challenge assumptions. If market expectations prove unrealistic, key prerequisites are missing or capital requirements outweigh the opportunity, we say so and explore alternatives with you: test the idea in the market, adjust the model or postpone the investment.

Financing also determines entrepreneurial freedom.

How much capital is required, when will it be needed and what reserves are necessary for the unexpected? We assess capital and liquidity needs, develop funding scenarios and prepare and conduct discussions with banks, investors and other capital providers alongside you.

Equity, debt and equity participation models differ in more than their cost. They affect risk, voting rights and freedom to act. We therefore clarify the legal form, ownership structure and decision-making rights early: Who contributes what? Who decides which matters? What happens when opinions differ, and how much flexibility will remain for future funding rounds?

The commercial concept and the formal establishment of the company must fit together. We therefore also keep an eye on corporate-law and tax coordination and the practical steps needed to set up the business.

A founding team must become an organisation.

What works with a handful of people can reach its limits as the business grows. Success itself can overwhelm a company unless its structures develop accordingly. We support this phase as a sparring partner and, where necessary, through temporary management responsibility (see Interim Management). Typical questions include:

Which responsibilities should founders retain, and when is additional management needed?
Which processes need to be formalised?
How can liquidity, costs and business performance be monitored reliably?

In technology-focused ventures, product development, market entry and organisational growth are closely connected. We coordinate these dimensions rather than treating them separately.

Our involvement can also continue beyond initial growth, including later funding rounds, strategic partnerships, acquisitions or sales of shareholdings (see Mergers & Acquisitions).

Develop together. Decide independently.

Founders often know their technology or market better than any outside adviser. We do not replace that knowledge with ready-made concepts. We complement it with commercial, financial and organisational experience, ask challenging questions and work with you to develop sound answers.

You determine the entrepreneurial direction. Together we derive the next steps, establish priorities and help put them into practice, from the business model to a functioning organisation.

Let us discuss your venture.

Whether you are preparing to launch, developing a business model or planning your next growth steps, an initial conversation will establish whether and how we can help.

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