Ever wondered how frustration can spark groundbreaking innovation?
Back in the early 2000s, as the digital world began to reshape politics and social movements, Andreas Freimüller found himself at the heart of a technological revolution. “I remember watching the 2004 U.S. election with fascination,” Andreas recalls. “Howard Dean’s campaign was a wake-up call. It showed us that digital communication was about to change everything.”
For nearly two decades, Andreas dived deep into digital campaigning, witnessing the shift from traditional TV ads to dynamic online platforms. Along the way, he founded Kampaweb, a company providing digital CRM solutions to Swiss NGOs. But the experience left him frustrated. “The sector was slow to embrace change,” he admits. “It felt like we were stuck in the past.”
Refusing to accept the status quo, Andreas launched Campax, an NGO that quickly became Switzerland’s most influential digital campaigning force. “We wanted to prove it was possible to be agile and effective in the digital space,” he says. “And we did.”
Then came a pivotal moment in February 2022 during the Ukraine crisis. Campax spearheaded a campaign to house refugees, and with the help of low-code tools, the team built a CRM system on the fly to manage housing and donations efficiently. That success sparked a crucial insight. “It was a lightbulb moment,” Andreas recalls. “What if we could create a flexible, user-friendly CRM-not just for NGOs, but for all organizations?”
By late 2022, Andreas teamed up with Stefan Heer and Vladimir Stajilov to bring this vision to life. Their new venture, nowCRM, aimed high: a CRM powered by AI to create content, manage multiple communication channels seamlessly, and automate personalized interactions. “We weren’t just building a CRM,” Andreas emphasizes. “We were creating a system that could talk automatically to large audiences, in ways that felt personal. It’s about empowering organizations to make a real difference.”
Soon, the trio expanded their vision beyond nowCRM and founded nowtec solutions AG. They grew the team and broadened their product suite to meet diverse organizational needs-all while staying true to their core values of flexibility and ease of use. Today, nowtec offers:
And the innovation keeps coming. The nowtec team is currently developing a knowledge base powered by private large language models-a conversational bot designed to provide 24/7 support with minimal human intervention. An automated ticketing system based on this knowledge base is also in the works, promising to streamline customer service like never before.
“Our goal is to build a comprehensive ecosystem of digital tools,” Andreas explains. “Whether it’s managing relationships with nowCRM, analyzing data with NowBI, or sharing knowledge with NowWiki, we want to help organizations work smarter and faster.”
Today, nowtec solutions serves a wide range of clients-from small businesses and nonprofits to government institutions and multinational corporations. While their roots in the NGO sector remain a source of inspiration, their mission has grown. “We want to empower every organization, no matter the size or sector,” Andreas says. “Whether it’s a tech startup, a global corporation, or a local charity, our tools help them thrive in the digital age.”
At nowtec solutions, the mission is clear: transform ideas into impact. “Every challenge we faced, every frustration we encountered-it all led us here,” Andreas reflects. “We’re not just solving problems, we’re reimagining how organizations connect with their audiences in the digital age.”
Interested in how nowtec solutions is turning this vision into reality? Read our follow-up article Building Smart Tools for Data Management and Communications to discover our latest products and innovations.
