Patsy Zwyssig

Senior Marketing & Communications Manager

Nicole Schaller

Senior UX Designer & Product Owner

Peach Zwyssig

Co-Founder, CEO & Board Member

For customer growth and usage in terms of trading volume, assets under management, basket size, etc., it is key to generate traffic to your digital products and services, convert the potential users in the lead funnel to customers, and then establish first-time usage and increase engagement. Combining traditional marketing and sales initiatives with new digital-first and data-driven approaches and tools has proven to be particularly effective.

Data Driven Growth

Ile Cepilov gives in this episode answers and explains how the Axelra booster «Referral» can be used to lower Customers Acquisition Costs (CACs).

In this episode Tobias Boner is explaining how we build and deliver Dashboards for our ventures. Here the link to the public dashboard of THORWallet DEX.

Watch this Episode of the «Axelra Show» about the Axelra Booster «Gamification» with Jonas Brunner. We're talking about the cooperative gamification approach of the VIABZ Challenge (now KINASTIC AG) and the stimulation of loyalty for THORWallet DEX.

For digital products and services, fast, easy and secure customer onboarding is key. The used SaaS solutions automate and improve the identification and processing of the real identity of the people behind the screens. This reduces onboarding processes to a few minutes and lowers costs.

Customer Onboarding

The Axelra Booster «Crypto Onboarding» delivers the wallet creation and protection by the user's biometrics. If you want to know more about it, watch this episode with Severin Wullschleger, Co-Founder of Axelra AG.

Customers expect digital products and services to be easy, fast, and secure to interact with. Moreover, it is increasingly helpful if customers can first try out the new offering for free and then simply switch to a subscription model. We use a selection of useful Saas solutions for this purpose, which simplify and accelerate the daily operation.  

Customer Service & Payment

In this video, Lilly Sciolli discusses with Lucas Pelloni, co-founder of Axelra, why customer support is essential for digital products and explore ways to simplify digital customer interaction for our Tech Ventures using Axelra Boosters.


Institutional Onboarding with Video Identification

Onboarding with Mobile Online Identification

Onboarding

Digital Interaction with Whatsapp & Zendesk 

Measuring and converting Lead funnel users with data trigger based and personalized communication using e-mail, whatsapp, sms and call centure activites based on adjust, customer.io and Zendesk for:

Campaign Automation

Building of the Axerla Campaing Referral and Payment System to manage and promote different campaign codes and support the operational payment process for:

Referral Programs

Understanding and navigating the business better, we built interactive dashboards based on aggregated, cleansed and processed data sources for:

DWH Dashboard

Our data scientists have created predictions and a benchmark based on 10 million measurement points or optimised campaign efficiency for: 

Predictions and Benchmarks

Creation of a gamified loyalty program based on community missions for: 

Gamified Loyalty

We incorporated powerful online tools to bring Social Selling to the next level for: 

Social Selling

Development of an in-house Academy to train members with an efficient micro-learning strategy for:  

Academy

Integration of Identity.tm / ID.Now KYC Solutions for:

Institutional Onboarding with Video Identification

Integration of Swiss Post Adress Verification and Onfido KYC (Document and Facial Liveness Check) for:

Customer Onboarding with Mobile Online Identification

Creation of a multichain mobile crypto wallet with biometrics and secure storage for: 

Crypto Onboarding and Wallet Creation

Integration of QES Ident Service inkl. eIDAS (Swisscom Trust Services) for:

Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)

Integration of existing IAMs like AWS Cognito, Jemmic uSafe and own Axelra IAM Solution for:

Identity & Access Management (IAM)

Customers can interact with customer service 1:1 directly via Whatsapp or E-Mail and the customer support employees answer the ticket in Zendesk centrally for: 

Digital Interaction with Whatsapp & Zendesk

FAQ articles can be managed in Zendesk Guide and displayed on the app and website in multiple languages, searchable and keyworded. We built such integration for: 

FAQ for Mobile and Website

Existing customers of a market player can use this transfer service to switch to our apps in 1 minute without the need for a printer or a trip to the mailbox. We built such solutions for: 

Customer Transfer Service

A billing engine ensures various subscription models, including free trials and the periodical billing to credit card. Recurring payments with Twint were realised for:  

Subscription & Billing Engine

We accelerates the time to market with our boosters based on disruptive SaaS solutions and newest technologies.

Axelra Tech Venture Builder - Boosters

We accelerate the time to market with our boosters based on disruptive SaaS solutions and newest technologies.

Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map 2024

Swiss Fintech Awards & Fintech Germany Award Winner 2021-Built in: 133 Day-Top 1 CH Fintech 2021 Handelszeitung,  March 21   

Since 2019, we build and scale tech ventures and ship after 100 days revenue generating MVPs.

Axelra Tech Venture Builder - Ventures

Switzerland has the highest innovation power worldwide. It is therefore not surprising that 10% of the global European fintech companies are based in Switzerland. The Fintech Report 2021 lists around 400 fintechs, with 56% based in Zurich. An always up-to-date and interactive overview can be found on the Fintechmap. 

Venture building is a rather new and challenging discipline. The ever-increasing popularity of private equity as an asset class is fueling the scene worldwide. Especially the early stage venture asset class with the focus in the venture building process. 

It is noteworthy, that due to Covid-19 in Q1-Q3 2020, overall VC investments declined by an average of 12% globally compared to the previous year. Not so in Zurich! In Zurich, VC investments have increased by almost 100% during this time period. 

In this respect, tech venture building in Zurich is a really exciting market and the timing is right. Since the incorporation of tech venture builder Axelra in 2019, we have accelerated the many tech ventures in collaboration with corporates, startups, and ecosystem partners. And of course, we do so with skin in the game! :)

Tech Venture Building in Switzerland

The Next Level of Personalized Social Selling

Beyond Beauty Club

fliggs mobile

kaibo

Digit Soil

GKB Gioia 3a

frigg.eco

Grizzly

Profit and purpose in 3a retirement savings

Freya Savings

Moflix

toaa

VIABZ

Livealytics

SIBEX

Matchspace Music

Tamper-proof, trackable, rolled out in 30 days

Sensirion

Get insights about our expertise, ventures, daily business and the team.

Axelra Tech Venture Builder - Insights

🚀 Video Introduction to the "Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map" 2024 with CEO & Co-Founder Peter Zwyssig of Axelra AG - Tech Venture Builder 🌟

Find out why the collaboration between Graubündner Kantonalbank (GKB) and Axelra was successful in this episode of the Axelra Show with Dr. Martina Müller-Kamp, Head of Market Services and Member of the Executive Board at GKB, and Peach Zwyssig, CEO and Co-Founder of Axelra.

GKB Gioia 3a - Corporate Venture Building Journey

Watch the video podcast to learn about the synergy between DigitSoil's groundbreaking technology and Axelra's venture acceleration expertise. From ideation to validation, digital product enhancement to business modeling, get an inside look at how they merged their strengths to shape the future of sustainable agriculture.

Digit Soil - Early Stage Venture Building Journey

Seeking a turbo boost for groundbreaking innovation? Look no further! Check out our exciting new video showcasing an incredible journey of exploring new technologies, validating disruptive ideas, and delivering an ambitious prototype and a pre-MVP during our Axelra Power Week within just 100 hours.

In the first season we are sharing many insights about Axelra that answer questions such as What is Tech Venture Building? What is Axelra doing? and What about the technologies we are implementing to ship MVPs in a 100 days?  Wanna know the answers? Have a look at the first episode with our Co-Founder and CEO Peter Zwyssig (alias Peach). 

...And what about "skin in the game"? What does this mean for Axelra and what investment opportunities are there for you? If you want to know the answers and learn how to become a Tech Investor, have a look at the second part of our first episode of the «Axelra Show» with our Co-Founder and CEO Peter Zwyssig (alias Peach).

Insights at Axelra

We are incredibly proud that Axelra has been recognized as one of Europe's leading startup hubs, making an important contribution to the development of tech ventures in Europe and Switzerland. This award, based on a meticulous methodology by Statista in collaboration with the Financial Times and Sifted, not only demonstrates Axelra's formative role in fostering early-stage tech startups, but also underlines its outstanding achievement of being the No. 1 of the awarded Swiss hubs. 

In this article, you will learn all the details about this prestigious recognition and Axelra's sophisticated and proven methodology for successfully building startups. It shows why this award is not only a success for Axelra but also a win for the entire ecosystem of startups and maybe soon for your venture.

Only the most influential hubs are recognized 

The methodology for identifying the leading startup hubs in Europe is both comprehensive and robust, ensuring that only the most influential hubs are recognized. Over 2,000 organizations were invited to participate and more than 2,600 alumni reviews provided crucial insights into the performance of these hubs. The evaluation criteria were diverse and focused on alumni feedback, expert recommendations, and the success stories of startups that emerged from these hubs. The overall score for each center was derived from a weighted average of these criteria, with alumni experience weighted at 85%, followed by track record and expert opinion.

Ranking Results by Financial Times, statista & sifted 


This careful approach resulted in a selection of 125 hubs spread across 21 countries. The hubs range from university offshoots and corporate incubators to commercial accelerators, highlighting the diverse infrastructure supporting startup ecosystems. The UK emerges as a leading country, hosting the highest number of hubs, particularly in London (24), Europe's venture capital hub. It is followed by Germany (16) and Spain (15), reflecting strong innovation landscapes. A majority of the awarded hubs were founded after 2010. 

Axelra's recognition as No. 32 among these hubs, and its distinction as the No. 1 within the Swiss awarded hubs, is a testament to its contribution to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.


Find the full special report "Europe's Leading Startup Hubs 2024" here: https://www.ft.com/reports/europe-leading-startup-hubs


Holistic and hands-on approach to accelerating startups

Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Axelra's tech venture building process is characterized by its holistic and hands-on approach to accelerating growth. From ideation to scaling, Axelra's model is designed to closely align with the needs of startups at every stage. Key offerings include a PowerWeek, Pre-MVP, MVP and Scaling phases, each tailored to accelerate the path from concept to market.


Axelra places great emphasis on co-creation and ownership and contributes up to 50% of its costs as "sweat equity", directly linking the company's success to that of its ventures. This innovative model can not only accelerate the path to Series A funding for start-ups, but also significantly increase their valuations.

Axelra's recognition as a top startup hub in Europe is not just an award, but an invitation for startups and corporates to work with a partner that is truly invested in their success. This award demonstrates Axelra's significant contribution to supporting ventures. As Europe grows as an innovation leader, Axelra's approach is a successful blueprint for turning great ideas into successful businesses.

Financial Times identifies Axelra as one of Europe’s leading Startup Hubs 2024: #1 in Switzerland and #32 in Europe

Axelra identified as one of Europe’s leading Startup Hubs 2024

Over the last decade, venture capital has emerged as the most profitable asset class, with tech companies in particular enjoying high popularity. (Source:  J.P.Morgan Asset Management - Guide to Alternatives 4Q 2022) However, building a tech startup is challenging due to the high risks, time and cost intensity. Significant investment is required to generate initial revenue, and up to CHF 5 million may be required to achieve profitability. Early stage funding often takes up to 100% of a founder's time, and in the current economic climate, raising capital is increasingly difficult. 


Against this background, Axelra has developed the «Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map». This map is a direct contribution to the Swiss startup ecosystem and is designed to enable founders and investors to make the best use of their valuable time.


The Global Innovation Index 2023 ranks Switzerland as the most innovative country and it is also considered an attractive location for tech ventures, far beyond the FinTech sector. Approximately 50,000 new companies are founded each year, of which statistically only 10-20% survive after 5 years. Good entrepreneurs are more in demand than ever, because they and their teams make the difference. (Sources: Statista - Global Innovation Index 2023 and Statista: Unternehmensgründungen in der Schweiz)




Early Stage Funding: A Critical Challenge

Early stage financing is a critical aspect of a start-up's success. Not only do founders need to build their business, acquire customers and talent, but they also need to raise capital. Quick and easy access to liquidity and support in Switzerland is a critical factor. While an impressive CHF 3.9 billion of venture capital was invested in the Swiss startup ecosystem in 2022, the path to getting the money into the account is often complex and intransparent. (Source: Swiss Venture Capital Report 2023)




Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map: A Time-Saving Guide for Tech Startups

To address the challenge of early stage funding, Axelra presents the «Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map». This map is a comprehensive guide for startups and makes the landscape of early stage funding in Switzerland understandable.

«The creation of the map is a direct result of Axelra's own experience in building tech ventures», says Peach Zwyssig, CEO of Axelra. «We cover the three areas of product, management and growth, and funding is essential. After more than 20 tech ventures, we have amassed a wealth of experience and data points and find that an aggregated collection of information can be of great benefit to all parties involved.»

The Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map will continue to evolve as the ecosystem changes. It will be regularly updated to ensure that it has a firm place in the Swiss startup ecosystem and always provides relevant and up-to-date information. Axelra is also happy to receive changes/corrections and integrate them into the next update. 

The latest version of the map is always available on our Website. However, it is most useful as a printed poster (60.9 cm x 109 cm), which provides a comprehensive overview of all phases and financing options. The current version can be purchased on www.axelra.com/fundingmap for CHF 29.-.



The «Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map» takes into account that funding options differ depending on the phase of the tech venture. It provides a clear overview of the different phases of an early-stage startup: Ideate, Validate, Launch, Scale and Grow. For each of these phases, specific funding amounts and options are presented that are tailored to the stage and maturity of an early-stage startup. 

Incubator & Accelerator Programs and Venture Builders

Investor syndicates & groups (including angels)



Benefits of Working with a Tech Venture Builder

A tech venture builder brings experience, accelerates execution, is a strong attraction for top talent and provides access to a relevant network in corporate and investor circles. In terms of speed of execution, data shows that startups with a venture builder like Axelra can reduce the time from idea to Series A funding to just 25.2 months, compared to 56 months for traditional startups. In financial terms, this translates to a 53% IRR, tripling the value of their company. (Source: Big Startup Studios Research 2023)

Get insights about our expertise, ventures, press releases and the team.

Axelra Insights

A Time-Saving Guide to Funding Swiss Early Stage Tech Startups.

Press Release about Axelra's Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map

Axelra Presents the «Swiss Early Stage Tech Venture Funding Map»

For a technology startup embarking on the journey to success, prioritizing product development, management, growth, and financing is challenging, especially with limited time and resources.

Often, research and User Experience (UX) design take a backseat, but overlooking them can be costly. If a new digital product doesn't align with user needs and expectations, it risks failure. We'll explore how research and a UX strategy, even under constraints, are vital in the early stages of a startup's journey to success.

Find a Problem worth solving for the target audience

Founding a tech company should be based on an innovative idea. As a founder you are in love with your idea and business concept, convinced the world has just been waiting for your solution. 

However, your solution will only be successful if there is a target group that has a significant problem or need that can be solved with your technological solution.

People don't want to buy a vacuum cleaner, but rather have a dust-free environment, impress visitors with a clean apartment or spend less time cleaning.

So, instead of jumping straight into developing features and building the solution, start by figuring out what your intended audience really needs and whether there is a significant market for your solution.

You can find out using UX research methods such as:

Hypothesis development and verification through interviews with the  intended target group 

Benchmarking to find out which other companies are already solving this problem or parts of it

Personas to visualize the goals, needs and problems of potential target groups

User Journey Mapping to identify the relevant user touchpoints with the  product and thus focus on the features that are most relevant to the user

The experienced UX Designer decides at the beginning which method will be used and to what extent in order to quickly obtain the necessary information.

Get early validation, that your solution meets users needs

The first impression is crucial. A well-designed product doesn't just mean aesthetically pleasing user interfaces. It's about designing an intuitive, user-friendly experience to appeal to your target audience.

Users must be able to find their way around quickly and understand the unique selling proposition with the most important features of your product at a glance. If they like it, they will want to use it and recommend it to others. 

Since a startup's budget is always limited, it is important get the validation from customers, that the solution solves the problem, before a lot of money flows into the technical implementation.

Example for Freya 3a App – from scribble to MVP

This is where prototyping and testing with real users comes into play:

Clickable Lo-Fi prototypes which show the idea and important features and allow users to interact with the product

Clickable Hi-Fi prototypes that also give an impression of the branding and appearance of the website or application 

User Tests with real potential users to get early insights and feedback. 

Based on this early feedback, iterations can be made to easily and quickly adapt and improve the product in the interests of the users. If, in the worst case scenario, the product fails the target group, this will be known before major investments have been made in technical development.
Another benefit of lo- and hi-fi prototypes is that stakeholders (investors, project sponsors in a corporate company or the management) get a simple but very realistic impression of the future product. 


No secret: Integrate User Experience Design to launch smarter

Integrating User Experience methods in the early stages of a tech startup is a strategic move that aligns the product with user needs, saves on future costs, and captures investor confidence. It's an investment that pays dividends by ensuring the product is not just well-built but well-received, setting the stage for long-term success in a competitive marketplace.



Key Visual prompted with Chat GPT: Create an illustration in Ratio 3:2, Digital art in 3D style illustrating a shelf with bottles with sauces and one of them, in the front and center, with the label «User Experience». The other bottles have no label.



Explore the vital role of UX design and research in tech startups, ensuring product alignment with user needs and market success, in a resource-constrained environment.

UX – the secret sauce for tech venture startups in an early stage

Who does not know it. When you feel comfortable in your outfit and your own appearance - it suits you - it is easier to present yourself, sell yourself and connect with the right people. 

The same applies to your venture and product. When starting a company it’s important to build an authentic brand from the beginning. A clear brand identity can help you attract investors, customers and employees and make your business unique and successful.



How to define a brand with limited resources in time and budget?

It is definitely possible and necessary to attach importance to the topic of branding right from the start with a strategic and focused approach. Your Brand will evolve over time, so not everything must be at place from the start. But it is important to start with a solid foundation and build upon it as the business grows.


Example for the Brand Process for Beyond Beauty Club App



1. Define your Brand with the help of a Brand Strategy Canvas


The brand strategy forms the basis on which the brand design and communication can be built. 
We used the method and form of a Brand Strategy Canvas to develop the strategy for a new telco brand in a short period of time. The canvas was created in joint workshops and with the help of task sheets and served for a common understanding within the company and as a briefing for the design of the logo, color concept and imagery and for addressing the target group.


The Brand Core with the purpose of the company, the visions and the values

The Brand Positioning with audience, market and unique selling proposition

The Brand Persona which defines the personality of the brand, the tone of voice and possible taglines. 



Summarizing all findings on one page helps you focus on whats important.



2. Develop the Brand through unique design and storytelling

A great brand captures the emotions that people experience when they interact with your company. The unique selling propostion and the personality of your brand are immediatly noticeable via the design – logo, typography, colors and imagery – based on the brand strategy.


The basic guidelines for the most important design elements  are summarized in a scalable design system – starting small, but strong from the beginning and consistent.


The second important component of branding is storytelling. Storytelling uses engaging narratives to connect with audiences on an emotional level, making the brand memorable and distinct from competitors. It involves sharing stories about the brand’s origins, customer experiences, and values through various mediums. 


The brand first becomes visible in the pitch deck and the digital product that is intended to convince customers and investors of a unique solution for a problem.


A professional branding is not icing on the cake, but a necessity

Branding helps to sharpen your own offer and the messages for the target group and helps to differentiate the startup. Effective branding creates trust and loyalty among customers, investors and employees. It invites users to engage with the company and ideally turns them into ambassadors for the brand.


Key Visual prompted with Chat GPT: Create an illustration in 3D Pixar style with lots of gray mice and a cheerful, colorful Pokemon figure in the middle. This figure shines out from the group.



Build a successful brand with strategic, budget-friendly methods. Discover how authenticity and focused branding can attract investors, customers, and ensure business success.