With support from Ahead, new projects were brought to life. The collaboration with Ahead was more than just support for DrM – it was a true catalyst.
View profile
Innovation is a key driver of long-term success in today’s competitive markets. Ahead supports small and medium-sized enterprises across all industries in identifying, developing, and realizing their innovation potential. Alongside technological and funding expertise, we bring strong business and management know-how. This means we can support you not only with digitalization, sustainability, or business model and process innovation, but also with strategic questions, market analysis, and the positioning and commercialization of new products and technologies.
We are your partner in the early stages of innovation projects and, where relevant, help you navigate and apply for funding opportunities. Our advisory services follow a clear three-phase structure:
In an initial conversation, we explore your topic, understand your business model, market, and processes, and assess the opportunities and risks of your idea. Together, we structure the approach, evaluate funding potential, and define next steps. Where needed, we bring in subject-matter experts at this stage. The outcome: a solid basis for deciding whether and how to move forward into Phase 2.
At this stage, an idea becomes a tangible project. We work with you to define goals, scope, and requirements, and to assess technical, organizational, and market feasibility. We connect you with the right partners from research and industry, advise on intellectual property, and prepare funding applications (e.g., Innosuisse).
Ahead provides the strategic and business perspective—market potential, business case, positioning—while our partners contribute technical and methodological expertise. The outcome: a clear funding and implementation strategy, including a Go/No-Go decision for the next phase.
If further work is needed to move your innovation project toward implementation, we provide in-depth, hands-on support. This may include implementation coaching, preparation of prototypes or MVPs, ad-hoc project support, or the development of partnerships.
The focus is on making your project market-ready and executable—combining strategy, financing, and technical realization.
Strategic and technological expertise for your SME
Development of new products, business models and processes
Access to partners, funding opportunities and expert networks
Free initial consultation & status quo analysis
Free project development & funding strategy (up to 30 hours)
Advanced advisory & implementation preparation (up to 30 hours)
Focus (at least one of the following)
No-obligation initial contact
Assessment (first 5 hours free)
Initial project support (up to 30 hours free)
In-depth project support (up to 30 hours with fees)
“We had projects where we simply didn’t know how to move forward – or lacked the resources to prioritise them properly.”
Dr. Tizian Bucher
R&D Manager at DrM
“The coaching was not only professional, but also practical and inspiring. It pinpointed exactly what we need to change – and why.”
Markus Renevey
Founder and Managing Director
Swiss Resilience Hub AG
“Anyone who truly wants to embrace innovation needs partners who understand how SMEs operate – and how to tackle complex challenges together. That’s exactly what we found in this programme.”
Myriam Lingg
Co-founder and CEO of macu4
“We knew we had to take a new path – but we weren’t sure how to get started. That’s where Ahead was a tremendous help.”
Raphael Londero
CEO Londero GmbH
“We’d like to thank the Ahead team for their practical and well-connected support, and we recommend their services to all SMEs looking to move their projects forward in a targeted way – regardless of industry or company size.”
Simon und Tanja Schmid
Co-owner and Member of the Executive Management
S&B Institut für Berufs- und Lebensgestaltung AG
“Thanks to the support, we were able to ensure that our intellectual property is optimally protected. That was a crucial factor for us – not only for our current innovation, but also as a foundation for our future growth.”
Silvan Leibacher
Founder and Managing Director of EggField
Our experts combine expertise in business, strategy, and technology with many years of industry experience. They are well connected in their fields, know the Swiss innovation landscape inside out, and support SMEs in implementing innovation projects – including funding instruments and partner networks.
Introduce your company, its context, and your current challenge. First ideas or objectives are more than enough – they can still be vague or open. Together we’ll assess your innovation potential and define concrete next steps. Up to 5 hours of free consultation are available, which can also be spread across several meetings if needed.
Ideally, the person driving the innovation initiative, along with a decision-maker from management or someone with the necessary mandate. Of course, it’s up to you to decide who from your company makes the most sense to have at the table.
Absolutely. Innovation doesn’t only come from groundbreaking inventions—it often emerges through small but powerful levers: digitalization, new materials, streamlined processes, adjustments in organization and culture, or collaboration with universities and partners. Which of these opportunities exist in your company is something we’ll explore together in the initial consultation.
Together, we assess the feasibility of your idea, set priorities, and design a suitable approach. If needed, we connect you with partners and clarify funding options. You receive up to 30 hours of free support. For more advanced work, we offer in-depth advisory services of up to 30 hours (CHF 165/hour).
Above all: openness, curiosity, and the willingness to invest personnel and financial resources over time. Innovation succeeds when external collaboration is possible—and when the leadership team actively supports the initiative.
No, only indirectly. We support you by providing expertise, connecting you with subject-specific experts, offering guidance within the funding landscape, and assisting with applications. We also share practical knowledge and can draw on a broad partner network.
SMEs can benefit from government funding programs and other instruments. Since the funding landscape is complex, it’s helpful to have support navigating it. Our innovation experts have a good overview and help identify suitable funding opportunities.
Often, it’s limited financial and human resources. In our experience, strong support from company leadership is crucial – both in the planning phase and during implementation – and plays a key role in a project’s success.
Partnerships with larger companies or startups can give your SME access to resources, expertise, research findings, and networks that may not be available within your company – helping you take a significant step forward with your innovation efforts.