Sebastian Chiappero: an entrepreneur who has adapted to the digitalization of business interactions
Originally from Argentina, Sebastian grew up in Geneva. After a Bachelor's degree in management and an eMBA, he set up his first company, Sponsorize, in 2007. Interview with an entrepreneur who has adapted to the digitalization of business interactions.
What services do you offer?
Our company Epwise S.A. offers two tools designed to streamline and save time in the organization of physical and virtual events with Eventwise, and to manage requests and make decisions in record time, using Partnerwise's RoboAdvisor.
The first enables centralized event management on a single platform. An InnoSuisse project is currently underway with HE-Arc Neuchâtel to integrate artificial intelligence into Eventwise. This will create a virtual event assistant to organize the various tasks involved in running a successful event, and to submit the right suppliers. We're creating a sort of booking.com for events.
Our second tool assists investors in evaluating start-ups, as well as all types of applications (grants, sponsorship, sponsorship). The tool weighs up various factors and thus helps in the decision-making process.
In April this year, we are aiming to launch Immowise, dedicated to the digital management of condominium owners' general meetings, for both face-to-face and remote meetings.
Who are your main customers at present?
We are positioned as a software company, targeting Business to Business (B2B) customers such as cantons, the Swiss Confederation, universities and colleges, as well as banks, real estate agencies and industrial services.
Our added value lies in a simplified architecture for users and highly personalized support.
Currently based in Zurich, you've decided to move your company to the Canton of Neuchâtel.
The historic partnership with HE-Arc to develop intelligent agents and the pragmatic, results-oriented approach of the economic department were the two factors that convinced me to settle in the canton. Generally speaking, Switzerland's framework conditions and economic and political stability are great assets for entrepreneurship.
What is your five-year development strategy?
We want to expand our customer portfolio in Switzerland. By being located in Neuchâtel, we are as close to the French-speaking part of Switzerland as we are to the German-speaking part. IT jobs will be located in Neuchâtel, while our sales force will be concentrated in urban centers.
How do you see events evolving in the wake of the Covid pandemic?
Digital interactions via applications such as Zoom have shown their limits in terms of social interaction. People need real encounters. For my part, I see the continuation of meetings in a hybrid form. Guests will be able to choose between physical and/or digital participation. We're already hearing requests for additional functionalities, such as immersion, 3D make-up and the ability to interact more with the room and the participants.
Source: Neuchâtel Economic Department
