Novo Start-up Program

We unlock the full potential of sustainability-focused software start-ups

Accelerate product-market-fit, attract investment and win. Novo is a venture building program with a wide range of services, designed to help early-stage start-ups in renewable energy, decarbonization and e-mobility unlock their full potential.

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Launch Your Clean-tech, E-mobility and Decarbonization Startup with B-works: Validate, Develop, Scale

Novo is a unique start-up program from sustainability venture builder B-works, in collaboration with angel and venture capital investors. Designed for software-based, early-stage start-ups, our program provides a comprehensive solution for validating your business model, developing a product, and reaching product market fit.

Novo is the Swiss-army knife co-founder for start-ups. We provide 100 hours of co-founder skills per month to help you get from where you are to product-market-fit, as well as access to our proprietary back-end IT platform Octopus, which can save your start-up development time and cost for a back-end. In addition, we offer two hours of mentorship per month from high-profile thought leaders in the industry, and proactive matchmaking with investors.

Validate your Business Model

Validate your business model and reach product market fit with a defined business case including market and competition analysis, prototype design and validation, implementation of MVP, and go-to-market support.

Get access to expert skills immediately

Gain access to expert resources including a dedicated Project Manager, and a pool of business, design, software and marketing experts, to co-build your venture and provide all the necessary ingredients for success.

Launch your product faster

Quickly launch your product on the market with access to a scalable and versatile back-end platform, and take advantage of investment opportunities and mentorship from industry leaders through our investor network.

What we cover

Our Novo Program covers:

Trusted by 50+ start-ups, corporates and investors

Case Studies

Aelsa

Driving Decarbonization through sustainable web-application

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Alupress

Layered Process Audit Software to improve Factory Quality

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Cosmobutler

Launching a marketplace with service provider software and logistics app

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IST

Driving Sales through new Website, Shop and Product Configurator

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Kantonsspital St. Gallen

Elevating Fertility Care with a Drupal Transformation

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Testimonials

"We are pleased to have found a reliable venture building partner for our new digital high-tech sensor business and appreciate their professional handling, efficient working methods and courteous customer service and look forward to working with them on future projects."

"B-works is an excellent and very professional venture builder with whom we were able to realize a highly complex employee feedback SaaS and will continue to realize others in the future."

"Through a very professional approach by B-works, we were able to achieve the project goals for the development of a Layer Audit Process process improvement and web application. In the process, B-works repeatedly showed us ways in which we could use synergies of our existing systems. Thus, a process and tool were created which increases efficiency, and allows us to build various future shop-floor applications."

"B-works is very good at getting into a project and adding value very fast. I think your team members are all hands-on and don't need a lot of prep time."

"B-works is very good at understanding problems. They don't try to sell you solutions to problems you don't even have. We got what we needed in a very creative way - which was an innovative digital product for our carbon assessment computation and assessment, wrapped into an Excel mapping through a no-code web application."

Start-up Academy: Behind the scenes

Learn from mistakes but avoid them if you can. Take advantage of our start-up know-how repository.

Why B-works?

Our program offers a comprehensive solution for early-stage start-ups, including business model validation, MVP development, and reaching product market fit. Our team of experts, state-of-the-art IT platform, and funding from early stage investors provide the necessary resources for success. With Novo, start-ups can join a community of successful ventures working towards a sustainable future.

Novo provides a transparent, all-inclusive package for early-stage start-ups. Our program includes an action-based guarantee, dedicated start-up building skills, access to an advanced IT platform, and funding from early stage investors for a 12-month runway. With aligned incentives and a support system of investors and mentors, Novo combines the best of Start-up Accelerators, leading Design, Software and Marketing Agencies, as well as Venture Capital Investors.

Our Program features

100 hours of co-founder skills/ month

Our program includes 100 hours of co-founder skills per month, including business modeling, validation, UX and design, web development and marketing, to help start-ups get from where they are to product market fit.

Proprietary back-end IT platform Octopus

Our back-end IT platform, Octopus, comprised of useful microservices, helps start-ups save time and cost for back-end development.

Early stage funding and matchmaking with investors

We support with pre-incorporation fundraising and actively match start-ups with investors, so they can focus on validation, product and finding product market fit, while being able to spend less time on gaining awareness from investors.

2 hours of mentorship/ month

Our start-ups receive 2 hours of mentorship per month from high-profile thought leaders in the industry, equivalent to a value of $1,000 per month.

Action-based guarantee, all-inclusive package

Validate your business model and reach product market fit, with a defined business case including market and competition analysis, prototype design and validation, implementation of MVP, and pay only for the first 6 months if not validated.

Aligned incentives

By taking equity we share your risk and need to be successful in order to benefit from the value of the new venture, creating a win-win-win between Start-up, B-works and Investors.

Pricing

The Novo program is a 12-month license with an opt-out option after 3 months (proof of concept) and a 1-month notice period. Our package includes ideation, business modeling, validation of the business model including product development, go-to-market, and scaling as an independent company.

$ 8'950 /month + 7% equity (B-works)

B-works venture building expertise
Idea validation and Business Modeling
Market and competition analysis with sharpened value proposition
Design and validation of a prototype to determine problem-solution fit
Implementation of MVP and go-to-market for product-market-fit
Dedicated start-up building skills and experience
Up to 100h per month pool of experts from venture architects, web developers, UX/UI designers, marketers
Access to the Knowledge Hub with all processes and templates, start-up know-how
Training calls with the community every 2 weeks
State of the art IT back-end platform Octopus
Ongoing and free software updates and optimization
Access to B-works investor network and thought leaders
Proactive matchmaking with investors
Up to 2h per month expert mentoring by thought leaders ($1,000 value)
Dedicated project manager

$ 0 7% equity (B-works), 5-10% equity (investors)

All features included in Co-Build
Investment of USD 100'000 - 200'000 in exchange for 5%-10% equity

Popular

$ 0 5%-10% equity (investors)

Investment of USD 100'000 - 200'000 CHF in exchange for 5%-10% equity

Our process to product market fit

At B-works, we understand that taking a start-up to product market fit can be a challenging and complex process. That's why we have developed a proven process that helps start-ups validate their ideas, develop their products and reach product market fit in a structured and efficient way.

By following this process, we help start-ups reduce risk, increase their chances of success, save time and money and reach product market fit faster.

01 —

Idea validation and business modeling

In this step, we help founders validate their ideas by conducting market and competition analysis, and by sharpening their value proposition.

2 months

02 —

Prototype development and problem-solution fit

In this step, we work with start-ups to design and validate a prototype, to determine if their solution fits the problem they're trying to solve.

1-2 months

03 —

MVP development and go-to-market

Once the problem-solution fit has been established, we help start-ups develop their MVP and go-to-market to reach product-market fit.

3-6 months

04 —

Scaling and independence

Once the start-up has achieved product market fit, we help to scale and become independent, helping find co-founders and offboarding ourselves.

1-3 months

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of joining the Novo venture building program?

The benefits of joining the Novo venture building program include access to resources, guidance and expertise in strategy development, user experience design, software development and market validation.

How much equity does B-works require from start-ups in the Novo program?

We require 7% equity from start-ups in the Novo program, in addition to a monthly fee of $9,000.

How much does the Novo Program cost?

We charge $9000 per month + 7% equity in the start-up. We require a minimum commitment of 6 months from the start-up.

How long does it take to complete the program?

The duration of the program varies depending on the needs of each individual startup, but it typically takes between six months to one year to complete – experience has shown that this is the time required to achieve product-market-fit.

How much time am I expected to invest as a founder?

The time required depends on the stage you are in. Typically expect to invest minimum 2 days/ week during the validation phase and expect to commit full-time once the idea is validated.

What happens after the 6-month commitment is over?

Our goal is to ensure your start-up achieves product-market-fit and becomes successful. We will work with you to reach product market fit as possible. Before the end of the 6 months we will assess whether to continue the program or whether your venture has all it needs to scale on its own. In the latter case B-works offboards.

Can start-ups in the Novo program work with other investors or venture builders?

Yes, start-ups in the Novo program can work with other investors or venture builders, as long as they are not providing duplicate services.

How does B-works help start-ups attract investment?

B-works helps start-ups attract investment through our network of investors and our proactive matchmaking services.

What kind of resources does B-Works provide to startups?

B-Works provides a range of services from mentor networking to startup workshops, and has extensive knowledge in areas such as product design and development, marketing strategy and data analysis.

How do investors participate in this venture building program?

In the co-build/ co-invest collaboration model, Investors provide investment capital for the venture building program in order to help startups launch their businesses with confidence.

Who is eligible to join the program?

The program is open to early-stage start-ups in the renewable energy, decarbonization and e-mobility sector.

Is there a cost to join the program?

This depends on which model you select. There is a cost only if you select the Co-Build model, where you chose not to give away any equity in exchange for funding. In this case the cost will be CHF 8’950/ month for 100 hours of B-works expert skills, from Business modelling, Validation, UX/ UI Design, Software and Product Development, to Marketing. In the Co-Build/ Co-Invest model, there will be no fee if an investor in our network decides to invest in the start-up, therefore also providing the funds for covering the B-works compensation.

What kind of support is offered once a participant completes the program?

After successful completion of the program, teams stay in touch with our network of experts in order to ensure continued success for their business ventures.

Are there any restrictions on what kind of start-up ideas can be pursued in this program?

We focous on early stage pre-seed and seed start-ups in the e-mobility, clean-energy and decarbonization area. In select cases we consider sustainability-focused start-ups which don’t fall in any of the above categories. Our focus is on start-ups with a focus on digital business models and an aim for a 1 B$ valuation.

Does successful completion of the venture building program guarantee success for my startup project?

No, successful completion of the venture building program does not guarantee success for your startup project. The goal of the program is to prove product-market-fit, to get traction and to onboard a complete team of co-founders to ensure your company is a scale-up with a strong upwards trajectory. This is achieved when you create significant value for your customers, experience strong growth rates, generate significant interest from top talent and from top tier investors. Our goal is to help your company become exactly this: an independent entity, built on strong, scalable foundations.

Apply for Novo today

Ready to take your startup to the next level with our Swiss army knife co-founder venture building skills? Apply now to join our program and let us help you bring your idea to life.