Nuavo closes its first deal! We’re proud to announce that Nuavo acquired a stake in Domofen, a Jura-based leader in Swiss-made PVC windows, doors, and sliding doors. Learn more
Nuavo’s 1st deal! Nuavo takes stake in Domofen. Learn more
As baby boomers retire, owner succession is challenging for many Swiss SMEs.
The Problem
companies have to be sold to new owners in the next 5 years
95'000
of SMEs cannot be passed on to the next generation
30%
We provide seamless succession plans while empowering companies to continue achieving their full potential. Here’s how:
Our solution
Preserving tradition,
unlocking potential
Scaling Swiss SME's through owner succession, people development, growth enablement and best in class technology
Nuavo takes a flexible approach to acquisitions, acquiring businesses either fully or through majority stakes. Each transition is crafted as a partnership with the current owner, ensuring their personal goals and vision shape the process.
Existing management teams are supported to ensure business continuity, with Nuavo adding strategic guidance and resources when needed. If the owner has been actively leading the company and wishes to step away, Nuavo collaborates to find the best path forward. This may involve strengthening the current leadership team or, when necessary, bringing in a new CEO through a structured selection process inspired by Google’s leadership assessment methods.
Whenever possible, Nuavo encourages owners to remain involved as shareholders, fostering long-term continuity and shared success.
Acquiring majority stakes and ensuring strong leadership
The current labor market is under pressure due to the scarcity of skilled workers. Additionally, young people and talents tend to prefer large corporations or startups, often ignoring SMEs.
To change this narrative, our People & Culture Program aims to prioritize people. By putting employees first, we can retain them for the long term, attract new talent when necessary, and ultimately grow our business and profitability.
Our program is built on the following principles:
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Recognizing employees and enabling them to grow and succeed
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Involving employees and encouraging them to participate
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Caring deeply about employees and their wellbeing
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Regularly communicating and fostering open dialogue with employees
We put employees at the center of everything we do
Unlike most Private Equity firms, we share your background and understand your challenges. Our extensive expertise spans startups, SMEs, national champions, and large multinationals.
At Nuavo, we are entrepreneurs ourselves
About Us
Philipp grew up in an 50 year old SME printing family business. Thanks to his background spanning large corporations like Google and HP, as well as small startups and mid-sized SMBs, Philipp is a versatile professional experienced in business development, general management, board chairmanship, and angel investing.
Founder
Philipp Ries
Raphael has spent more than a decade growing and scaling small and medium businesses. He co-founded and led one of the most successful tech startups in Switzerland. Leveraging his vast experience in growth, digitalization and operational excellence, Raphael has more recently supported several companies as a chairman or advisor.
Founder
Raphael Gindrat
Gregor is a seasoned investor with a broad background spanning multiple industries. He is the CEO and investor at Pagameno Invest, and a board member at SKAN Group and Bonacasa Holding. Gregor studied law at the University of Basel and has held significant management roles at UBS in IT, sourcing, risk management, and HR.
Founder
Gregor Plattner
As a Coach and Consultant, Jeanine facilitates change in corporate cultures, drives HR strategy and personal development. Before her career in HR, she led the Google SME Sales business for Switzerland & Austria, empowering SMEs to leverage digital marketing and technology. Prior she has worked for Coca-Cola and a tech startup.
Culture & HR Advisor
Jeanine Taveras
Our portfolio
We invest in strong, locally rooted Swiss SMEs, helping them grow while preserving their values and independence
Domofen
Our first portfolio company, Domofen is a well-established manufacturer of Swiss-made high-quality PVC windows and doors. The company is headquartered in Courgenay, Jura.
Founded 25 years ago, Domofen has built a strong reputation for craftsmanship and energy-efficient products in the building materials industry. The company prides itself on its customer-focused service and will continue to uphold the same standards of excellence under the partnership with Nuavo.
Are you a business owner, a potential SME CEO or an investor interested in the Swiss economy?
We would love to hear from you
Get in touch
We take a pioneering step in the SME sector by introducing our bespoke in-house accelerator, a concept widely successful in the startup world. Our accelerator is designed to enhance digitalization and streamline operations for SMEs to achieve sustainable growth.
Focusing on critical growth areas, we offer:
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Innovative marketing and sales strategies
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Roadmaps for international expansion
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Enhanced customer experience
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Advanced integration of data science, automation, no-code and AI
We enhance operations and digitalisation with our in-house accelerator
