Scale-up Navigator: Scale your startup in a sustainable manner!

Framework

Book versions

Scale-up Navigator (German)

The Scale-Up Navigator supports founders, employees, investors, mentors and other stakeholders of scaling start-ups in their sustainable scaling. The book is based on a clearly structured, iterative process that was developed based on decades of industry knowledge from venture capital and the support of over 350 companies and ten start-ups with a valuation of over USD 1 billion (so-called "unicorns").

We combine this experience with insights from research and present them in a reader-friendly way. In this way, readers can develop a better understanding of the various challenges involved in scaling their company and master them better. These include, for example, the evaluation of sales growth options, the scaling of the employee team and the implementation of efficient organizational structures and communication processes.

Exemplary Case Studies

SumUpexpand_less

A tribe-based team mastering post-M&A integration

DeepLexpand_less

Competing against giant incumbents with a human-focused culture (“people first”)

Frontifyexpand_less

From USP to scalable Product-Market-Fit and customer-driven Go-to-Market Strategies

Ledgyexpand_less

Mastering Product, Tech, and later-stage Fundraising

1Komma5°expand_less

Accelerating the scaling journey through a buy-and-build strategy (roll-up)

dress-for-lessexpand_less

Selling to Private Equity and strategic investors

Authors

Prof. Dr. Dietmar Grichnik

Dietmar Grichnik is a leading researcher in the field of entrepreneurship, innovation and financing. He is Director of the Institute of Technology Management and holds the Chair of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland. He has extensive academic experience, including roles at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, Germany, and as a visiting researcher globally. Recognized as a top entrepreneurship professor, he has authored over 200 articles and books. Dietmar also supports start-ups in the USA and Europe and is dedicated to sports and longevity.

Dr. Manuel Hess

Manuel, Professor of Corporate Finance at Grenoble Ecole de Management, France, and former Assistant Professor at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, combines academia and entrepreneurship, having participated in two IPOs. His research, centered on entrepreneurial finance and startup governance, incorporates hundres of interviews with entrepreneurs and investors. At the Hanken School of Economics, Finland, he's a visiting researcher. Leading the St. Gallen Startup Navigator Lab, Manuel has developed digital tools for startups and co-authored the St.Gallen Startup NavigatorTM and the Corporate Venturing Navigator.

Michael Greger

Michael is a doctoral candidate at the University of St. Gallen, focusing on public financing for innovative companies. Collaborating with Prof. Grichnik, he assisted in developing a Swiss innovation fund for scale-ups with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. As head of the University of St.Gallen's incubator program ("HSG Entrepreneurial Talents Program"), he actively mentors start-ups. With a background in banking, management consulting, private equity, and industry, Michael also holds a Bachelor's and Master's from St. Gallen.

Andreas Goeldi

Andreas Goeldi is an Internet technologist, serial entrepreneur and startup investor with over 25 years of experience. He joined European venture capital firm b2venture in 2019 as a partner and focuses on investments in the AI space. Previously, he co-founded and helped build several successful technology startups in e-business services, social media analytics, video marketing and online content in both Europe and the United States. Andreas holds masters degrees in technology management from MIT and the University of St.Gallen, Switzerland, as well as four U.S. patents.

Florian Schweitzer

Florian co-founded the venture capital firm b2venture in 2000, evolving from the business angel-start-up platform BrainsToVentures (b-to-v). He transformed it into a unique European VC firm that closely collaborates with business angels to foster start-up growth. He serves on various boards of technology start-ups and is a partner in b2venture's early-stage fund. During his MA in Finance at the University of St. Gallen, he developed the START student organization, now supported by him as a Foundation Board member. Florian also is member of the board of trustees of Fondation Botnar, focusing on digital technology to improve children's well-being in the Global South's urban areas.