From Aubep to bangr.: SME software propels an EPFL spinoff to a European group

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Aubep – now called bangr. – is a Swiss enterprise software developer that has grown over the past 20 years thanks in part to its close ties with the EPFL ecosystem. That relationship continues to pay off as the company moves forward.

Text : Raphaël Pomey

In April, Aubep changed its name to bangr. – a stylized version of a word that’s popular among young people. The move marks a break with the firm’s intentionally low-key, engineering-oriented culture. Based at the Y-Parc technology park in Yverdon-les-Bains, bangr. develops enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. With its new identity, the firm intends to build on its reputation for excellence and position itself as the provider of “an ERP system that truly understands our customers’ business processes and is at the forefront of innovation.”

Since spinning off from an EPFL lab, bangr. has gradually gained market share in Switzerland thanks in part to features tailored to small businesses. Its strong bonds with customers also play a role: the firm provides close support in the areas of accounting, HR management, project management and production. All of bangr.’s employees are based in Switzerland. 

Despite its new look and feel, bangr.’s roots run deep. The company has been working closely with the EPFL ecosystem for two decades, establishing a genuine win-win relationship. “When we were first creating our business, we participated in local startup support programs such as Venturelab and Venture Kick,” says Jean Bourgeois, the chairman and founder of bangr. “Of course, we didn’t win all the competitions, but being in that environment taught us a lot about starting a company: how to write a business plan, speak with banks and manage our affairs in general. We also learned what the common pitfalls for founders are and how to avoid them.”

Helpful support for startups

The firm is grateful for these kinds of programs, as well as the additional support it’s received from EPFL throughout its journey. Bourgeois notes that EPFL has consistently been very accommodating, such as in allowing bangr. to market technology initially developed under the guidance of EPFL Professor Emeritus Claude Petitpierre, an expert in programming languages. Did he see this entrepreneurship potential in bangr.’s founders when they were his students? “Actually, they were the ones who saw the potential in what our research group was doing,” says Petitpierre. “I was happy to see someone take our technology to market. I’ve often had big ideas, but they aren’t always easy to turn into a business case.” 

bangr. has maintained close ties with EPFL in a number of ways. For instance, it has taken part in initiatives associated with the EPFL ecosystem, such as Trust Valley. Through these initiatives, bangr. has been able to shore up its digital capabilities, especially in the area of cybersecurity. Bourgeois also enjoys serving as a mentor to students developing their own projects. “We’re always flattered when they ask for our help, and it gives us an opportunity to pay it forward,” he says. “Some of the good advice we received when we were starting out is still very relevant to students today, even though the technology itself has evolved very quickly.”

HR a prime example 

And then there are the many benefits to bangr. in terms of its workforce. The firm was founded by three EPFL alumni and continues to work with EPFL students as part of their degree projects. “Every year we work on projects in conjunction with student interns coached by EPFL professors,” says Jonathan Payot, the technical director at bangr. “EPFL has a great in-company internship program that deserves to get more attention. We’ve seen that we can go really far with these students. That’s why we’ve been hiring interns and supporting students’ projects continuously for the past 20 years.” 

Today bangr. has a CEO from a completely different background, Mirela Filipovic, who will help Bourgeois with the firm’s European expansion. In addition to its bold makeover, bangr. recently formed a partnership with In Extenso, a key provider of accounting services for microenterprises and SMEs in Europe. Based in Lyon, In Extenso has over 7,300 employees and more than 280 offices in France, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg. “Even though I come from a different industry, I can say without a doubt that none of this would have been possible if bangr. hadn’t maintained its relationship with EPFL from the beginning,” says Filipovic.