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Ecosystem highlights – January 2025

This month’s ecosystem highlights in a nutshell

Experience sharing session
Our Croatian delivery partner, DECODE, has implemented an impressive railway cargo management system for a leading carrier. If you want to learn more about this project, we’ll happily schedule a 1:1 experience-sharing meeting between you and our partner.

Talents available now
A leading Serbian IT agency has a rare and unique opportunity: A coherent development team specialized in payment platforms can be hired immediately.

Upcoming webinar
Our cybersecurity partner, Apriorit, is organizing an in-depth webinar about security for FinTech mobile applications.

Railway freight management system for leading carrier

Learn how DECODE, one of our trusted delivery partners, implemented a new, innovative rail freight management system for a major freight company. This system has resulted in significant cost savings, efficient space allocation, reduced wait times, and proper lane management.

Schedule your 1:1 experience sharing session! Contact us by email at hello@valueleap.io.

Ecosystem highlights - Logistics innnovation

Development team with payments platforms experience

This is a unique and rare opportunity: a highly skilled engineering team already pre-selected through a rigorous evaluation process is available now!

The team specializes in the Java & React ecosystem and is ready to help you further develop and innovate your solutions. It’s a cohesive, high-performing squad. The members bring extensive knowledge of building a high-volume platform for the payments industry.

The team works from one of our trusted ecosystem partners’ nearshore delivery hubs. We can gladly share more information; drop us a note.

Ecosystem highlights - Payments platforms

Security for fintech mobile applications

Is your fintech mobile app truly secure? 🤔 Don’t miss this webinar led by Value Leap’s expert partner in cyber security, Apriorit, coming up next month!

“Mastering Security for Fintech Mobile Applications: Advanced Strategies” is on Feb 13th at 18:00 CET. Learn about risk scoring, data protection, and best practices for secure app development.

More information and registration: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7287837285792829441/

Ecosystem highlights - Security for fintech mobile apps

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Ecosystem highlights – December 2024

This month’s ecosystem highlights in a nutshell

Client testimonial – RaiseNow
Yet another client testimonial for which we are very grateful. Having trustworthy and highly professional delivery partners is such a blessing. It is so satisfying to help clients and see them succeed on their journey.

Experience sharing – Agentic AI
NeuronsLab is a highly competent and prolific global consulting and implementation partner specializing in artificial intelligence. As our trusted delivery partner, they agreed to share their project experience in 1:1 sessions with interested businesses.

Thank you for 2024 – and happy new year!
Happy holidays from all of us at Value Leap. Thank you for your partnership and support this year – we truly appreciate it. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Client testimonial – RaiseNow

What better way to end a successful 2024 than publishing another client testimonial?

RaiseNow is an integrated all-in-one fundraising platform for non-profit organizations. As a leader in this unique FinTech segment, RaiseNow provides fundraising solutions that delight supporters so their clients can focus on making a difference.

The smooth scaling of its software development capabilities bolsters RaiseNow‘s growth strategy. With product teams in Zurich, Berlin, and other locations, the company sought to establish another nearshore center. We were pivotal in this crucial endeavor, supporting RaiseNow throughout its thought process and evaluation steps. The company eventually opted for a leading provider in Belgrade, Serbia, and is now successfully scaling its new team.

Find the entire client testimonial (in German and English) on our website, www.valueleap.io.

Thank you, Patricia Grossmann and Raphael Matile, for your trust! We are grateful that we were able to support you and wish you continued success!

Ecosystem highlights - RaiseNow

Agentic AI with NeuronsLab

Everyone is talking about agent-based AI. Our ecosystem partner, Neurons Lab, delivers successful real-world solutions!

You can get your 1:1 demo session, during which Neurons Lab experts will share recent implementation projects and the measurable results they have achieved for their clients.

Contact us at hello@valueleap.io to schedule a video call.

Ecosystem highlights - Agentic AI with NeuronsLab

Thank you!

As the holiday season approaches, we at Value Leap want to express our sincere gratitude to our partners, clients, colleagues, and friends. Your support and collaboration have been essential to our success this year. From navigating challenges to celebrating wins, your partnership has been invaluable. We’re genuinely grateful for the trust you’ve placed in us. This year, we’ve reached several key milestones and are incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together.

We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and relaxation. May you enjoy precious time with loved ones. Looking ahead to the new year, we’re excited to continue our journey together, building on our successes and exploring new opportunities.

We wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Thank you for being part of the Value Leap family. We look forward to connecting with you in 2025!

Ecosystem highlights - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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Ecosystem highlights – November 2024

Ecosystem highlights – November 2024

This month’s ecosystem highlights in a nutshell

Three partners @ three events
It’s been a busy month! We had three specialized ecosystem delivery partners attending three events in three countries. Qubiz from Romania visited ICT&Logistiek in the Netherlands, NeuronsLab’s expert spoke at an AI conference in Germany, and Espeo Software visited the so-called Crypto Valley in Switzerland.

Three client testimonials
We’re proud to be able to publish three more client testimonials this month: Loylogic, Sensirion, and FAIRTIQ. Each is different and unique – like all our clients! This is indeed one of our ecosystem highlights this month!

Low-code – assess your potential (for free)
In light of the upcoming holiday seasons, our Portuguese Mendix powerhouse, retone, is offering a present to all interested companies: a complementary 2-day assessment of their business to understand the potential of modern low-code tools.

Meet Qubiz at ICT&Logistiek in Utrecht

Our trusted delivery partner, Qubiz, will attend ICT&Logistiek in Utrecht from November 5 – 7.

ICT&Logistiek is a three-day logistics hotspot! Discover innovative solutions from 300+ exhibitors, be inspired by 200 speakers, learn about the latest trends and developments, use case studies, and exchange experiences with thousands of professionals.

If you want to meet to discuss automation, big data, digitalization, and sustainability and how Qubiz can help you achieve this, please contact and meet Botond Gagyi at the event.

Value Leap’s ecosystem consists of more than 50 innovative technology service providers. For impartial advice on how to find your best partner, contact Peter Helfenstein, Head of Client Partnerships.

Ecosystem highlights - Meet Qubiz in Utrecht

Meet NeuronsLab at CACE in Munich

Our trusted delivery partner, Neurons Lab, will attend Munich’s Conversational AI & Customer Experience Summit (CACES) on November 6 – 7, 2024.

Dive into the latest in enterprise conversational AI and customer experience, and meet NeuronLab’s CBDO & Partner, Lilia Udovychenko, and its CTO and Co-Founder, Oleksandr Honchar. They’re both looking forward to sharing their experience and expertise in enterprise AI.

Alex also delivers a talk on “Customer Service Agent Systems for Enterprises: A New Era Beyond RAG.”

Value Leap’s ecosystem consists of more than 50 leading technology service providers. For impartial advice on how to find your best partner option, contact Peter Helfenstein, Head of Client Partnerships.

Ecosystem highlights - Meet NeuronsLab in Munich

Client Testimonial – Loylogic / pointspay

We are delighted to publish another client testimonial.

Loylogic Group is spearheading the new age of engagement. It builds platforms and businesses that connect communities with global brands. Loylogic connects global brands with engaged customer communities. Pointspay connects online merchants with loyalty programs. Ultimate connects employees and partners to aspirational rewards.

When Loylogic needed to expand its product development capabilities further, it decided to supplement its existing offshore hub in India with flexible nearshoring options. Value Leap supported Loylogic in finding and evaluating suitable development partners in Romania and Bulgaria.

The full testimonial (in German and English) is on our website, www.valueleap.io.

Thank you, Dominic Hofer, for your trust and partnership. Working with you and your team has been a pleasure and an honor.

Ecosystem highlights - Loylogic

Meet Espeo Software at “AI-powered Innovations in Wealth & Asset Management” in Zug

Espeo Software, our trusted partner, will participate as a panelist at AI-Powered Innovations in Wealth & Asset Management: Bridging Finance & Technology in Zug on November 14, 2024.

Event page: https://lnkd.in/eDa8Yvbs

The financial landscape is evolving rapidly, and Artificial Intelligence is at the forefront of this change. The Swiss FinTech Association (SFTA) and CV Labs invite you to this insightful event, where leading experts will illuminate the opportunities and challenges of AI in wealth and asset management.

One of these experts and panelists is Dominik Zyskowski, Consulting Director at Espeo Software.

Value Leap is happy to coordinate 1:1 meetings with Dominik in Zurich and Zug. If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Our ecosystem consists of more than 50 leading technology service providers. For impartial advice on finding your best partner option, contact Peter Helfenstein, Head of Client Partnerships.

Ecosystem highlights - Meet Espeo Software in Zug

Client Testimonial – Sensirion

We are pleased to publish another testimonial from our customer.

Sensirion is a leading global provider of intelligent sensors and smart sensor solutions. Its products help improve health, increase energy efficiency, and ensure safety and comfort—for a better future. With technological innovations, 1,200 employees strive to raise the bar in sensor technology.

Sensirion‘s marketing team is tasked with continuously improving, optimizing, and maintaining multiple company websites under one holding structure. Value Leap helped Sensirion find a highly competent web agency from Poznan, Poland.

Find the full testimonial (in German and English) on our website, www.valueleap.io.

Thank you, Katharina Jacobi and Simon Daiker, for your trust. We are excited about our collaboration’s positive impact and look forward to continuing the fruitful and enjoyable partnership.

Ecosystem highlights - Sensirion

Client Testimonial – FAIRTIQ

We are super happy to publish yet another client testimonial.

FAIRTIQ is an innovative, dynamic company that makes traveling by public transport easier. The FAIRTIQ app offers travelers, transport authorities, and public transport operators straightforward, cost-effective tickets.

FAIRTIQ needed native mobile app developers to join their existing teams for a limited period. The challenge was finding developers with experience with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We suggested several options, and eventually, they found an excellent solution with a leading Portuguese agency.

Find the full testimonial (in German and English) on our website, www.valueleap.io.

Thank you, Stefan Haymoz, for your trust! We are glad we were able to help and support you in delivering a critical project successfully and on time. We are here whenever you need us!

Ecosystem highlights - FAIRTIQ

Free 2-day assessment by re.tone (Mendix partner)

Check out this unique holiday offer from our Mendix expert partner re.tone.

Interested in low-code services? Get in touch with our client partners, Peter or Franco.

More details: https://lnkd.in/eNp2V_Gc

Ecosystem highlights - retone/Mendix

Ecosystem highlights – October 2024

This month’s ecosystem highlights in a nutshell

Meeting partners at events
From now on, we will coordinate closely with our ecosystem delivery partners when they attend tech or industry events as participants, speakers, or exhibitors. We will introduce them to the local stakeholders, including Value Leap ambassadors, regional consultants, and businesses potentially interested in their unique capabilities.

Value Leap is growing – Welcome, Peter!
Value Leap has meticulously built up a portfolio of outstanding delivery partners in the past couple of years. Now, it is time to scale the sales side, too! With his extensive professional experience, Peter Helfenstein will focus on this critical task. Welcome to the team, Peter!

Client testimonial – DSwiss
We’re also launching a series of client testimonials. Today, we start with DSwiss and will share several more over the following months!

Meet Erbis at ITechLaw in Munich

Knowing which delivery partners, with which specializations, are attending which events are ecosystem highlights! Ecosystems are all about networking, relations, and cooperation.

Our trusted delivery partner, Erbis, will attend the 2024 European Conference by ITechLaw Association in Munich from October 30 to November 1.

This year’s LegalTech event will explore crucial topics in technology law, including AI potential and global cybersecurity. It is a fantastic opportunity to expand your knowledge and network with experts.

Conference page: https://lnkd.in/etH3XYKD

Erbis’s Head of Partnerships, Gino Lodola, will attend. He looks forward to discussing how technology can help legal tech companies optimize costs, improve workflows, and maximize profits.

Value Leap’s ecosystem consists of more than 50 innovative technology service providers. For impartial advice on how to find your best partner, contact Peter Helfenstein, Head of Client Partnerships.

Ecosystem highlights - Meet Erbis in Munich

Welcome, Peter – Value Leap is growing!

We are growing! 🚀 We are pleased to announce that Peter Helfenstein has joined our technology services ecosystem as a Partner and Head of Client Partnerships.

In his new role, Peter Helfenstein will support organizations sourcing IT services. He will identify and propose the most suitable professional service providers from our ecosystem of more than 50 pre-screened leading delivery partners.

Peter has many years of experience in the IT industry. He has worked for global players such as Endava, Ciklum, Cambridge Technology Partners, Novell, Sterling Software, IBM, and smaller tech innovators.

Ecosystem highlights - Welcome Peter

Client Testimonial – DSwiss

We are pleased to publish another client testimonial.

DSwiss AG is a leader in data protection. Its products help companies implement and launch new offerings on time, fulfill the legal requirements of the latest data protection legislation, and strengthen customer relationships.

Value Leap assisted DSwiss AG in defining its nearshoring strategy, investigating location options, and assessing the most suitable providers. Ultimately, DSwiss chose a nearshoring partner from Lisbon, Portugal, with whom they laid the foundation and hired the first developers. Later, they founded their subsidiary and took over the team directly.

The full testimonial (in German and English) is on our website: https://www.valueleap.io.

Thank you, Burkhart Böttcher, for your trust and the partnership. Our successful and pleasant cooperation was instrumental in achieving all your goals, and we look forward to providing the same experience to all our clients.

Ecosystem highlights - DSwiss

Meet Merixstudio at Smart City in Barcelona

Our trusted delivery partner, Merixstudio, will attend the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona from November 5 – 7.

It is the world’s biggest and most influential event on cities and urban innovation. It brings together leaders from global companies, governments, and organizations to move cities toward a better future.

Merixstudio, a leading Polish digital agency, will be present with Magdalena Podolska, who will outline approaches to digital tools for smart cities, and Krzysztof Sikora, a solution architect known for his thoughtful approach to complex tech challenges.

Value Leap’s ecosystem consists of more than 50 innovative technology service providers. For impartial advice on finding your best partner, contact Peter Helfenstein, Head of Client Partnerships.

Ecosystem highlights - Meet Merixstudio
Value Leap Vision

Unique Value Leap Vision – A Service Innovation

Value Leap Vision

What is it about?

In this article, I describe how the Value Leap vision came about. I discuss the problems and challenges many customers face when looking for suitable nearshoring partners for their software or IT projects. Conversely, foreign providers must overcome significant hurdles to become active in Switzerland, Germany, or Austria and gain a foothold. Value Leap was created as an independent and impartial bridge between the customer and provider sides. Value Leap advises, mediates, and creates value for all parties involved.

Follow our journey and further evolution on our company page on Linkedin.

Challenges on the customer side

Let’s put ourselves in the following situation: A customer wants to find and commission an IT service provider from a nearby country (hence the term “nearshoring”). Perhaps the customer has an IT project that they would like to outsource entirely to an external provider. Or maybe it’s an application or SaaS platform, and the CTO or development manager wants to hire additional engineers and integrate them closely into their existing teams. Or perhaps a customer needs additional experts temporarily to solve a specific task or to bridge a peak in demand. Whether it is a talent search or an IT assignment, many questions immediately arise when working with a nearshoring partner.

Typical questions

If you want to tackle the scenarios described above and solve them well, important questions inevitably arise immediately, such as:

What is the best way to proceed?
Where and how do you find the providers you need?
Should you start searching online on the Internet?
Or is it advisable to ask your network who has experience?
How many potential providers should you contact and take a closer look at?
What priorities and decision criteria should be applied?
How much effort and cost (including indirect, hidden costs) do you want to invest?
Who can and should best undertake this evaluation work?
Does the evaluation have to be very extensive and formalized?
Is it worth hiring an external consultant?
What are the risks of choosing the wrong nearshoring IT partner?
To what extent can the costs be optimized?
and more

On the one hand, the whole problem is not “rocket science,” but you don’t want to take such decisions lightly and make costly mistakes. And yet, if you want to answer these questions in a reasonably well-founded way and go through the process correctly, you can easily invest 2-6 months, depending on the project.

Challenges for providers

IT providers from abroad also face many challenges. Smaller and medium-sized providers from Portugal, Poland, Serbia, or Bulgaria often lack experience and practical market access. Contacting potential customers in Switzerland, Germany, or Austria is difficult.

Most providers assign a junior business development employee who writes to as many potential customers as possible via LinkedIn or email. The whole thing is done in English, automated, and without focus, so the results are mainly lacking. Customers feel “spammed” and ignore the flood of repetitive requests.

Similarly, many providers are unfamiliar with local business practices, do not speak German (which would at least be helpful when first making contact), or do not strike the right “tone.” Only the larger IT companies with around 1000 employees or more can usually afford to have their experienced sales manager on site, e.g., in Zurich, Munich, or Vienna.

Bridging function

Conclusion: Both sides, the customers and the providers, face significant challenges. It also makes little economic sense for each customer to solve the same problem repeatedly and carry out and bear the entire search and evaluation of an ideal IT partner. The same applies to the provider side: across the whole market, providers make the same effort hundreds of times a day and incur high costs. Does every provider have to do everything themselves?

Wouldn’t it be great and make sense if a “bridging function” addressed this overarching problem? It must be a central and independent service that knows both sides’ challenges well, addresses them equally, and solves them objectively. Such a bridge function must understand the nearshoring market and its key players well and specialize in finding the most suitable nearshoring partners for customers.

The Value Leap vision

The Value Leap Vision was born out of these considerations. It is a new type of service that brings supply and demand together efficiently, effectively, and impartially. To achieve this, we first assess the customer’s goals and needs. Value Leap then takes over the search and complex evaluation work in the background and transparently presents the customer with several concrete proposals and options. The customer receives neutral advice and support.

We also help the providers by representing their interests here on-site, making it easier to access the market, knowing their strengths and unique features, and presenting them with well-prequalified customer inquiries that optimally match their strengths profile. This service can be realized with 50 to 100 pre-selected and “hand-picked” trustworthy partners. The portfolio of reliable partners would be broad enough to advise and serve most customers impartially but efficiently and effectively. If a customer has unique requirements or needs a niche technology, the appropriate specialized partners are sought and found in the extended pan-European ecosystem. The aim is to find the “perfect partner” – just like when looking for a life partner.

More about Value Leap’s unique service approach can be found under Advisory.

Requirements for the service

I would describe this business model as a “managed marketplace with highly personalized customer service.” The focus is on the initial meeting with the customer, which begins with a comprehensive assessment of their requirements. This step is not just about technologies, platforms, or job profiles but also the strategic goals and client expectations of a future nearshoring partner.

To identify the most suitable partners efficiently and effectively, we must know all of our portfolio companies personally and have stored their most essential characteristics and data in a structured manner. But that alone is not enough. A lively dialog with the partners is crucial. There are always specific questions to clarify, statements to check, documents to collect, or references to obtain. And this requires many “internal” discussions and clarifications with the providers. Only when all this “homework” has been appropriately done can the most suitable options be transparently presented to the customer. Ultimately, it’s all about helping the customer as much as possible and finding the best solution. Long-term customer satisfaction is the top priority.

Commercial model

This service is financed by the providers (Value Leap partner companies). Value Leap represents its portfolio companies locally. We support our foreign partners with market access, take on specific marketing and sales tasks, and only present them with well-qualified customer inquiries. We regularly exchange information, share our experiences and recommendations, and provide targeted advice. We are compensated for these services. Important to know: All partners have precisely the same contractually agreed conditions. Value Leap never has a “false” financial incentive to favor one partner or another. Our consulting approach is neutral, impartial, and exclusively committed to the interests of our clients.

Furthermore, providers are not allowed to increase their hourly or daily rates, as Value Leap only takes on services that each provider would have to provide themselves anyway. The effort and costs are already “priced in” – regardless of whether the provider does the work themselves or works with us. And the best thing is that customers pay nothing for this service!

Transparency creates trust

This service is also based on trust. We gain this trust through transparency, openness, directness, objectivity, experience, and getting to know you personally. Customers always receive all data, documents, and overviews. Customers are also always presented with several detailed options, including all their features, advantages, disadvantages, and recommendations, which they can then examine at leisure. Value Leap does not decide. The customer chooses and has complete control at all times. Value Leap’s innovative approach closes a critical service gap. It is a unique service that has never existed in this particular form before. And we hope it will also make a modest contribution to a trust-based economy.

Value Leap Blog

Value Leap Nearshoring Blog – Launched!

Nearshoring Blog

Blog launched!

Here it is, finally, my long overdue Value Leap Nearshoring Blog. The new blog is officially launched with this first post—a short announcement. From now on, I will publish 1-2 monthly posts about various nearshoring topics, always with an English and German translation. The language of the website—and therefore also of the blog—can be switched.

Personal narrative

The blog is intended to be a kind of logbook or journal from my perspective as a founder. It is my expression, a collection of thoughts, anecdotes, experiences, insights, plans, and visions. I want to use it to tell the story of Value Leap understandably.

Nearshoring topics

What is the Value Leap blog about? Of course, it’s about the nearshoring of professional IT services. I will write about the nearshoring industry as a whole, the specifics of this market, searching, finding, and evaluating suitable providers from the customer’s point of view, countries and regions will be presented and compared, working models, experiences, case studies, and much more. All of this is, of course, in line with Value Leap’s focus and services.

My background

How did I come to dedicate myself to these topics? After over two decades of nearshoring experience, I founded Value Leap in 2022 and started consulting and brokerage activities. Before that, I worked at Ciklum for 11 years, first as a Country Manager in Switzerland and later as Managing Director for the DACH region. Even before that, from 2000-2009, I worked as co-founder and CTO of Collanos Software and as Product Manager of E-Business and Head of R&D at Miracle Software with various nearshoring providers in Ukraine and Bulgaria, among others. Over the years, I have also repeatedly taken on consulting mandates, which I handle through my company, Dal Molin Consulting.

Experience and observations

With this diverse background, I bring experience from different perspectives. On the one hand, I have been a nearshoring client and evaluated, visited, and worked with many providers. On the other hand, I have also been on the provider side, selling nearshoring services and looking after customers. I have been working as an independent consultant since 2020.

The emergence of the Value Leap vision

In the next article, I will describe how the Value Leap vision came about. Customers (demand side) and IT providers (supply side) face many hurdles and challenges and have to make incredible efforts to find each other and start a successful collaboration. I will share my observations and describe how I developed the Value Leap vision and how a new service model benefits clients and providers alike.