The Swiss start-up ecosystem is known for its innovative environment and strong support systems, yet 50% of Swiss start-ups fail during the scaling phase. Their complex challenges necessitate a comprehensive understanding of both the ecosystem and existing tools like the ABILI-platform, which assists companies in their digital transformation and strategy formulation. This study aims to develop a maturity assessment tailored to Swiss start-ups in the scaling phase. Based on the existing ABILI-platform, the assessment seeks to identify and categorize these start-ups' challenges and provide a structured approach to overcoming them, thereby enhancing their chances of success.

The research follows a design science methodology involving both desk and field research. Key methods include a systematic literature review, expert interviews with start-up founders, and online feedback from start-up coaches. The developed tool is then tested through a pilot project with a Swiss start-up, eligamo AG, to evaluate its practical applicability and effectiveness.

The study has successfully identified critical challenges across five areas: market, strategy, finance, organization, and culture. The developed maturity assessment, implemented on the existing ABILI-platform and refined based on feedback from start-up ecosystem participants, has proven its worth. The pilot project with eligamo AG demonstrated that the tool provides valuable insights and practical guidance for start-ups, enabling them to align internally, prioritize strategies, and manage resources more effectively. Future research should focus on continuously identifying new challenges and improving the usability and design of the ABILI-platform, such as adding progress indicators and tailoring questions based on start-up profiles.