About us

Five what

FiveCo is dedicated to your innovation. Discover our Team, our history and our philosophy.

The founders

The origins of FiveCo stem from a group of engineers who are all graduates in micro-engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Their first project together was the interactive system of the robot guide, RoboX, for the Swiss National Fair in 2002. Following on from this remarkable initial collaboration, Antoine Lorotte, Xavier Greppin, Gilles Froidevaux, Antoine Gardiol and Mathieu Meisser decided to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure.

The root of their success is a “fusioned collective”. It is thanks to their multidisciplinary competencies and their common passion for innovating that they launched “by FiveCo”, a unique signature.

This is the base the firm stands on, and it continues to grow by recruiting new talents who will enable them to better respond to the daily growing demand of their clients.

Antoine lorotte
General manager
Gilles froidevaux
Purchase manager
Antoine gardiol
Financial manager
Xavier greppin
Technical manager

The Team

Our values

Our firm of engineers would like introduce you to the by FiveCo Spirit, a charter that encompasses the principles that we have committed ourselves to in order to better serve you.

“The two most important things in any company do not appear in its balance sheet: its reputation and its people.” Henry Ford

At FiveCo, the spirit of teamsmanship is their primary value. Without it, nothing would have come to be. Our company was birthed out of the initiative of five founders, all specialized in micro-technics. Our main core is propelled by the by FiveCo spirit and now moves forward to the rhythm of their common history since 2002. This set-up is an outstanding guarantee to you of our seriousness and stability that come to reinforce that initial confidence.

This is the well-established base on which we are building, allowing us to grow to a size that will enable us to respond to an increasing demand. Every one of our new recruits has been chosen according to two criteria: they have to be able to affirm themselves in their professional skills, and also in their capacity to integrate our team. This rigorous selection strengthens the quality of our services and customer support. Lastly, it is thanks to the flexibility and multidisciplinary know-how of their team that FiveCo is able to adapt to the ambition of your industrial projects, however grand.

“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all.” Bill Gates

FiveCo’s main activity is to outsource your innovative engineering project, whether your organisation is in the industrial, medical, luxury or any other field. We will completely devote ourselves to your projects and you will be at the center of our innovative journey. We are attentive from the very beginning and will analyze your needs and mobilise our multi-skilled team in order to innovate with you and for you.

At a time when most great innovations are the fruit of a process of co-creation, the notion of a spirit of service is fundamental. For your part, it means that you can be assured of a product that corresponds exactly to your expectations and those of your clients. At each step of our “innovative pathway”, we will interact and communicate with you in real time. This signifies on our part that we are attentive and completely open-minded. Our only aim is your satisfaction.

«The companies that will survive tomorrow are those which encourage creativity today.” Maurice Zeldmann

Today’s business leaders are all in agreement when it comes to making innovation the keystone of success. Bernard Arnault, the president of LVMH, likes to remind his teams that “today’s innovators will become tomorrow’s leaders.” Since its creation, FiveCo has been grooming the spirit of innovation. In the hierarchy of our values, we could even say that this is the spirit that motivated its founding members to unite to work together. Pushing back limits, avoiding all compromise, being in a place where nobody expects us to be, breaking away from the establishment…

These are the challenges that are propelling our desire to move forward. The by FiveCo spirit of innovation stands out today in the two following ways: innovating for you in the framework of our outsourcing services (industrial, luxury, watchmaking businesses…) and innovating in the launch of original brands such as “Mémoire du Vin” or “Art of Secret”.

With each of our innovative activities, we can distinguish degrees of “creation”:

  • The “co-created” innovation. Our teams are at your service to develop an innovative solution that matches your requirements.
  • The “re-created” innovation. For example, using a concept dating back to Renaissance times to launch a collection of furniture with secret compartments.
  • The “created ex nihilo” innovation. We birthed out of nothing every part of a cellar management system called “Mémoire du Vin”. There is no antecedent. It is the fruit of our imagination and our passion.

“The details make the perfection, and the perfection is not a detail.” Leonard de Vinci

Affirming that the quest for excellence and a sense of detail are primordial values for a firm of engineers is obvious. It isn’t vain to insist upon it, because for us, it is an essential value and not just publicity. Many of our clients work in the industrial, medical and luxury fields and FiveCo takes pride in keeping their promises when it comes to the quest of excellence and the sense of detail.

This entails going through a whole series of internal processes which are then integrated into our pathway of innovation and quality control. All our team members are sensitive to this aim for perfection. The spirit of innovation is dear to us and comes out of this mindset, because it is based on the quality of our service in solving problems and overcoming hurdles that we can innovate and improve day by day our by FiveCo know-how.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw

The “Swiss-made” brand is probably one of the most respected in the world. It originated in the 17th century when the corporation of Geneva watchmakers decided to add a hallmark to their watches to certify their quality. Today, it is no longer just for watchmakers, but extends to virtually all sectors of trade. Among the rising number of logos playing on the identity brand of “Swiss-made”, we need to be able to retrace their trustworthiness. In a market where internationalisation is essential, we need to be assured of the origin. But how to verify authenticity and how it will benefit the client?

FiveCo can guarantee their clients that their productions are Swiss-made. The human size of our company and our insistence on the by FiveCo signature are the guarantee of how much we respect our commitments. Even when we need to lean on outside competencies to complete the palette of our know-how, we will favor local partners. Our claim on the Swiss-made brand is founded on our desire for transparency. For us, it is also our way of establishing the roots of our by FiveCo signature.

“The nobility of a thing is its eternity.” Leonardo Da Vinci

How is it possible to be at the height of innovation when it comes to micro-processors and on-board electronics and at the same time, claim to be a respecter of tradition? This is the paradox that our company aims to solve through our by FiveCo innovations.

At a time when programmed obsoleteness is coming more and more under fire from the critics, it is essential for technological innovations to be written into a long-term vision.

In saying this, we are not putting aside past achievements and don’t hesitate to take our inspiration from concepts that have stood the test of time. These constitute the solid foundation for our developments.

Through our brands, “Mémoire du Vin” and “Art of Secret”, we have created a collection of unique items that reconcile technological innovation and traditional trades. The ambition of by FiveCo is in creating an exclusive signature where you will find tradition within innovation and vice-versa.

“I’ve done the maths. The results match the opinions of the experts: our concept is impossible. There is only one thing to do now: do it.” P.-G. Latécoère

Having existed for more than 15 years, FiveCo have shown their capacity to move forward. The variety and diversity of our client base show our versatility and ability to be involved in all areas of business – from the industrial to the luxury – and maintain an active core. Year after year, FiveCo has grown to be able to better respond to demand, yet keeping a human size. The vision of our company is written into the longevity of an adventure. Our aim: to set up by FiveCo as a recognised brand that will become the stamp for your innovations and the brands we are developing.

This means having a taste for adventure. Our ability to innovate is driven by this condition. If we don’t take even the least risk, we will never be able to go beyond what exists already. The by FiveCo DNA is an ongoing initiative aiming always to push back the boundaries of what is possible, with you and for you.

“Thinking always ahead brings a state of mind in which nothing is impossible.” Henry Ford

The sense of industry is being able to anticipate how the smallest innovation will develop. The notoriety of the industrial portfolio that has put their trust in FiveCo speaks much of the guarantee of our competency in the field. The diversity of the fields of activity of our industrial clients (medical appliances, rail industry, robotics, show-business, optical…) shows the transversal reach of our know-how as well as our ability to adapt.

Our sense of industry is integrated into our pathway of innovation. This is how we are able to accompany and advise our clients from the upstream of the industrialization of the prototypes to the downstream of the commercialization phase.

“You see things; and you say “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?”» George Bernard Shaw

In the area of luxury, it is essential to seek exclusivity. As FiveCo is familiar with the culture that goes with this field, they apply the same rule to all their projects. This is how we are able to bring totally new solutions to our clients and have created two exclusive brands – “Mémoire de Vin” and “Art of Secret”. We also believe that there are an infinite number of exclusivities still to be created and we long to be able to co-create them with you and for you.

“Luxury is all about money. Elegance is a question of education.” Sacha Guitry

The summit of our charter is design and appearance. Even if certain projects don’t necessarily require it, we nonetheless pay particular attention in collaborating with recognized design agencies who will work in harmony with our team. Our aim is to always bring together engineering and design. An innovation is always beautiful in itself, but we consider it magnificent when it has also been created in line with aesthetic criteria. This is the philosophy of by FiveCo.

History

2023

Bulgari
  • Innovation : Based on a 8-bit microcontroller, FiveCo has developed a trajectory controller for a tiny watch stepper motor. 
  • Success : FiveCo has developed a case that not only winds but also automatically sets the world's thinnest watch by Bulgari.

2022

Panoret
  • Innovation : Ocular imaging device which will facilitate the detection of ocular tumors within the framework of a clinical study in preparation.
  • Innovation : The 5 values Totem of EHL in large version.
  • Anniversary : FiveCo celebrates its 20th anniversary !

2021

Connexion opto-électronique à très haut débit
  • Success : FiveCo gets a new look with a brand new website
  • Innovation : The high speed opto-electronic connection, a project that required all FiveCo's expertise, with skills in optics, mechanics, electronics and embedded firmware.

 

2020

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  • Success : Around Five new collection 20-21
  • Success : New client SAFRAN Colibrys
  • Innovation : THEye project, developed by FiveCo, this Bluetooth module allows the temperature and humidity to be measured securely.

 

2019

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  • Innovation: V|OAK machine: Automatic sharpener that allows cold sharpening of chainsaw chains in a perfectly regular and precise way while maintaining the sharpening angles
  • Innovation : The secured C-Ring (Free Access), rotating version, aims to present a watch in an aerial way with a high level of security
  • Brand : FiveCo founded the Around Five brand in collaboration with PilotDesign

2018

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  • Innovation: The Immersion watch display with IR sensors that activate the closing of a diaphragm in case of an intrusion
  • Success: The iTag display, with a new anti-theft system, offers interactive technology for watch sales displays
  • Innovation: The Totem of the 5 values of the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne

2017

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  • Innovation : Magic Box display without glass with motion detection and protection of the watch in case of intrusion
  • Innovation: Fusion, the rotating, secure and glass free display allows a real proximity to the watch exhibited
  • Anniversary: FiveCo celebrates its 15th anniversary

2016

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  • Innovation: The Carrousel showcase for the Dubail boutique
  • Innovation: Sequencer for Raptor II. This module allows video, lighting and mechanical movement to be synchronized

2015

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  • Innovation: The Emperador cigar chest, a unique combination of high technology, mechanics and 100% Swiss know-how
  • Innovation: The iPad application for endodontics: X-SMART iQ

2014

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  • Innovation: The BMS automotive battery manager
  • Innovation: The motorized watch stand (H/V)
  • Foundation: FiveCo moves into its new offices in Budron in Mont-sur-Lausanne

2013

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  • by FiveCo brand: The executive desk reveals its secret drawers
  • Innovation: Ghost film allows to control its transparency on request
  • Innovation: SMT (Screen Motion Technology), this system allows you to give movement to a screen and synchronize it with video

2012

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  • Innovations: The Electro Label and the Raptor Loupe to highlight watch showcases
  • Anniversary: FiveCo celebrates its first 10 years
  • by FiveCo brand: “Art of secret” is a unique brand of secret furniture

2011

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  • Innovation: Communication and energy transfer by induction
  • Innovation: This high-tech display unit is a sphere that displays video on its surface

2010

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  • Foundation: Label Suisse Passion
  • by FiveCo brand: Secret of Night is the first piece of furniture of Art of Secret, a brand in creation signed by FiveCo
  • Innovations: The Watchtester; the motorized watch holder; and also the dynamic caption on the Oled screen

2009

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  • Innovations: Cases with LCD Glass or Camera
  • Innovation: The PulsoGraph amplifies the natural sound of a watch

2008

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  • Innovation: A retractable post to control access to vehicles
  • Innovation: The Fusion Explorer allows you to view the smallest details of an object, at distance
  • Foundation: FiveCo moves into its new offices in Renens

2007

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  • by FiveCo brand: Launch of "Mémoire du Vin", a new brand signed by FiveCo
  • Innovation: the Discover case

2006

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  • Success: The Raptor is a secure watch display stand, capable of retracting the object back into its compartment in 1/10 of a second

2005

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  • Innovation: Way-T Electronic hourglass

2004

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  • Fondation: Swiss Mobile Robotics Consortium
  • Innovation: LPR (License Plate Recognition)
  • Innovation: Development of an automatic number plate reading application

2003

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  • Success: Genilem Label
  • Innovation: Development of an MP3 player

2002

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  • Success: Interactive system for the robot guide RoboX for the Swiss National Fair
  • Foundation: FiveCo is set up at the Science Park of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
  • Innovation: The Minirover, a mobile robot with very low consumption