An engineer's craft, an industrialist's vision
From high-tech idea to industrial product — through feasibility studies and prototyping — Fiveco delivers tailor-made solutions in microtechnology engineering. Its strength? Technological mastery combined with unfailing pragmatism. Yet Antoine Lorotte, director and founder, insists there is no recipe for success…
Left, top to bottom: Antoine Gardiol and Xavier Greppin. Right, top to bottom: Gilles Froidevaux and Antoine Lorotte. Photo: Ariane Arlotti
Alongside Genilem's support, you have a board of mentors. Why surround yourself like that?
I strongly believe in the principle of mentorship. In September 2002, we founded Fiveco. All five of us were EPFL graduates with a degree in microtechnology, and we already had some professional experience — one member at Motorola, the others in Professor Siegwart's autonomous systems laboratory, which was developing interactive guide robots. From that point on, we had everything to prove. So why not surround ourselves with specialists who could, drawing on their business and management expertise, play devil's advocate and offer experienced counsel? Not because we wanted to be hand-held or to avoid responsibility — but it was our way of maximising our chances.
So starting a company defies all logic…
Yes, and we are living proof of that. With no fully defined offering, we were certain of just one thing at the time: we wanted to work together. We did everything back to front… In my view, the human factor is not given nearly enough credit. Investors, bankers, and clients tend to focus on the technology and the business plan to assess a project's quality. But what about the people — those who, through their intelligence and skills, will actually be able to carry it through?
What holds a team like that together?
Complementarity, trust, and honesty. Everyone respects each other's work while taking on a dual role: Gilles Froidevaux handles engineering and purchasing, Antoine Gardiol manages finances, Xavier Greppin oversees technical studies, and I take care of the commercial side. And above all, we listen to each other.
Fair enough, but isn't the real challenge differentiation?
Making your mark — absolutely, that's non-negotiable. In the early days, our location at the Ecublens Science Park led clients to associate us with an EPFL laboratory, when in fact we have always been an independent engineering firm specialising in embedded electronics and image processing. To break that perception, we had to build the credibility of a company that guarantees budget and deadline compliance, confidentiality, and quality.
And how did you go about that?
By applying an industrial vision to engineering solutions — in practice, by developing industrial products. After creating licence plate recognition software for the Vaud cantonal police, we worked on compact Ethernet servers (half a credit card in size), motor control boards using the Ethernet bus for remote operation (for microscopes or production lines, for example). All alongside an active commercial push targeting industry players, design agencies, and distributors. Today, our network spans 800 companies and 22 distributors, from the United States to Korea and across South America.
Moving from services to products — which is harder?
Being patient. Accepting that things don't move as fast as you'd like. A start-up is fragile, and its reputation takes more than two months to build. That's why we have always relied on synergies between specialists. For example, the partnership we formed with Dietlin, a display-case designer for the watchmaking industry, which enabled us to develop a glass-free display case for the Hublot watch brand. Or the industrial robotics consortium we belong to alongside two other companies. Our complementary skills in simulation, mobile robotics, mechanics, and electronics allow us to target projects of international scope. The trickiest thing remains building a reliable network of subcontractors who understand our clients' quality and deadline requirements.
And the future?
Rebalancing our activity from 70% services and 30% products to 50% each. And nurturing that engineering freedom that lets us work across biotech, industry, watchmaking, robotics, telecoms… Intellectually, it's addictive, I can assure you.
Interview by Sandrine Mottier — Genilem, a support structure for innovative companies in French-speaking Switzerland
