Meet our Premium Member: Andreas Akeret, CEO and Board Member JAROWA

Andres, could you please give a brief description of Jarowa?

JAROWA AG was founded in Zug, Switzerland in May 2017 and is a privately owned Swiss Tech company. We offer insurance companies, property managers and leasing companies access to a digital marketplace in the areas of mobility, property & trades, healthcare, and legal advice. In the case of a claim, JAROWA’s clients profit from fully automated coverage checks, damage calculation, and a wide range of analytical data insights to improve their business.

After the claim assessment, an appropriate and trusted service provider is selected and commissioned to handle the order. The settling of the claim is processed digitally for all parties involved. The use of our solution leads to measurable, significant benefits like cost reduction and high customer satisfaction.

Over 60 principals are working with the JAROWA solution. We have well-known customers in Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy.

At the moment, we have approximately 50 talented individuals within our team. In view of the expansion of our business, we are working on strengthening our headcount in Europe to about 70 employees in the coming months.

What has been the biggest success that Jarowa has achieved?

Our biggest success so far has been becoming market standard in our home market Switzerland. We are very proud that over 60 insurers, property managers, and leasing companies place their trust in our services in Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy.

JAROWA strongly supports the successful digitisation of claims and order management handling, helping companies become more efficient and ready for the future. Our newest service is the fully automated coverage check, damage calculation, and a wide range of analytical data insights. This is a true game changer for the industry and enables businesses to improve their customer service, processes, and products. In addition, we are very proud to have been able to grow such a strong and talented team. Our company’s culture and well-being are key to our overall success.

After closing a significant funding round, what are your plans for 2023, and what is your long-term strategic vision?

Our series A funding round was conducted to be able to grow our offering within Europe. As I shared earlier, we are already present in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. We want to further strengthen our presence in these countries. Currently, we are also identifying new, additional European markets and are in the process of discussions with potential clients.

Jarowa is an international company with multiple bases in different nations (Switzerland, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom). How did you manage to scale up the team? What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture?

We are fortunate to have a healthy network in place within the main areas of our business. This doesn’t take away the hard work of finding the right people to scale up but it does support the process tremendously. We believe in empowering our customers and employees equally. Values such as security, respect, reliability, fairness, honesty, and trust are the key cornerstones of our foundation. This makes us not only an interesting partner but also a valued employer.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently? What are your biggest learnings?

We have truly been fortunate, and our strategy has worked very well. Therefore, I wouldn’t change too much. Obviously, we have had many learnings. Building up a business from scratch requires quick learning and constant adjustment to new situations. You must be open to change. On the other hand, you have the unique chance of doing things your way without having to take legacy into account. It is important to stick to your goals, be accountable and take ownership of your topics. We always say, let’s surprise our clients by offering more than expected, things like delivering early, giving access to unexpected benefits, design elements, or other additions.

What motivates you to continue your business every day?

In general, building a business from scratch is very exciting. There are no boring moments, and my work life has never been so rewarding. Everything we do, we do with the conviction that it really makes sense. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing it. This is the main difference to working in large corporates, where it sometimes might be difficult for employees to understand why a certain task needs to be done. Our team is super motivated, and it is fun to work with so many talented individuals. I don’t want to miss a day.

What’s one piece of advice on how to take your startup international?

My advice is to keep your brand clean, be able to explain your story in a simple way, and offer true benefits. And at the end of the day, having a healthy network in place is essential. Don’t be hesitant to throw several balls into the air at the same time. You’ve got to keep things moving and you need to develop a feeling for each market.

What’s one piece of advice for someone who is just starting out with their startup?

Have a good plan in place, work hard and talk about what you are doing to as many people as possible. If you don’t get the word out, you will not be heard, and you won’t get the necessary feedback on how to shape your business model. Obviously, you must be convinced of what you are doing, and the quality must be good. Stay concentrated, use your network, and ask for help if you need it. Generally, people like to support if they can, especially other former start-up companies like us.

What does it mean to you to be a member of the Swiss Startup Association? Would you recommend joining the Swiss Startup Association, and why?

We have only just joined the Swiss Startup Association. Members of our team will be joining some of the events at the end of the year. We joined the association because we believe in its cause and want to support it. It is important for young entrepreneurs to be able to get support from organisations like yours. It is great to be part of the family and as mentioned earlier, a healthy network is valuable.

A big thank you to Andreas Akeret and the JAROWA team for sharing your story with us! If you want to know more about JAROWA, find more information. Would you like to be portrayed as well? Become a premium member now, and our team will contact you shortly!