Envision – Market & Ecosystem Strategy

Create a shared understanding and learn the skills to effectively launch and scale a platform business.

What we do

With markets shifting and industries converging, future growth won’t come from doing more of the same — it will come from thinking beyond the core.

Envision is where we work with corporate leaders to identify and evaluate new growth opportunities that can define their next S-curve. We explore strategic pathways, assess ecosystem potential, and shape bold narratives — like “BeyondTire” or “BeyondFurniture” — that open up new spaces for value creation.

Instead of thinking in outdated industry boundaries, we use ecosystem strategies to map where your capabilities meet evolving customer needs — across domains like Life at Home, Mobility, Health, or Industry 4.0. The result is a clear growth agenda rooted in relevance, scalability, and strategic ambition.

Envision is your first step toward building what’s next — and leading where others follow.

What we achieve

Identify & Validate growth opportunities

In Envision, we identify high-potential growth opportunities beyond your core business and define the strategic direction for future ventures.
We deliver a clear innovation thesis, a prioritized portfolio of opportunity spaces, and a compelling growth narrative that aligns your organization around where to play next.

Duration

3 months program

Aim

Evaluate market ecosystems for new growth opportunities, clarify your strategic options to unlock new growth and define a new narrative.

Result

Market Ecosystem Strategy incl. business opportunities and narrative

Rigorous Validation of Platform Opportunity

1 Month

Educate

Create shared understanding among your team

2 - 4 Months

Envision

Identify business opportunities in market ecosystems and define your future portfolio strategy

2 - 4 Months

Explore

Validate business opportunities to fuel buy / build / partner decision making

6 - 12 Months

Embark

Build MVP, Launch, win customers and prepare to scale

2 - 24 months

Embrace

Scale via network effects and shape market

12 - 24 Months

Evolve

Expand your footprint and build super app capabilities

Ecosystem Strategy Process

Our 5-Step Ecosystem Strategy Process

With our “BeyondCore” program we help companies go identify new growth opportunities in future market ecosystems.

setting the foundation

1 Identify future customer needs

We always start with the customers in mind. Step 1 focus on the identification of future market / customer needs to identify whitespaces and strategic control points.

1. Scoping the Future Ecosystem

We map out the anticipated user journey, focusing on how users and stakeholders will interact with the platform, identifying key touchpoints and opportunities for innovation.

2. Understanding Needs

We delve deep into the needs of consumers and key stakeholders to ensure our platform solutions are highly relevant and valuable.

3. Analyzing Market Trends

By examining key market trends and forces, we position our platforms to be ahead of technological and consumer behavior shifts.

4. Evaluating Competition

A thorough competitive analysis helps us find unique positioning for our platform in the marketplace, ensuring it stands out.

Result: Deepen your understanding of future user needs and market transformations.

setting a clear direction

2 Create Ecosystem Vision

The second step in our process, “Create Ecosystem Vision,” involves refining our strategic focus and setting a clear direction for new ventures. This step includes:

1. Locating Value Pools & Innovation Whitespaces:

We identify areas within the ecosystem where unmet needs create opportunities for innovation, focusing on where value can be created or captured most effectively.

2. Locating Critical Control Points

Understanding where control points exist in the ecosystem allows us to strategize on how to influence or manage these areas to our advantage.

3. Defining an Integrated Ecosystem Vision

We craft a cohesive vision for the ecosystem that aligns with identified opportunities and control points, ensuring it serves as a comprehensive guide for development.

4. Evaluating & Selecting Strategic Ecosystem Moves

Finally, we assess potential strategies for entering or enhancing our position within the ecosystem, selecting the moves that align best with our vision and goals.

This phase is about shaping a clear and actionable vision for the ecosystem, guiding strategic decisions and ensuring alignment with market opportunities and ecosystem dynamics.

Result: Aligned vision of the future ecosystem and strategic plays.

Learn more in our brochure

Translating our ecosystem vision into offerings

3 Create an Ecosystem Offering Portfolio

The third step, “Creating an Ecosystem Offering Portfolio,” is pivotal in translating our ecosystem vision into a tangible set of offerings. This phase involves:

1. Creating an Integrated Ecosystem Offering Portfolio

We develop a comprehensive portfolio of offerings that are synergistic and reinforce the overall value proposition of the ecosystem. This portfolio is designed to meet the diverse needs of our users and stakeholders, ensuring a robust and attractive platform.

2. Defining Required Capabilities

Identifying the capabilities necessary to deliver on our portfolio is crucial. This includes both technical and organizational competencies that enable the creation, delivery, and scaling of our ecosystem offerings.

3. Understanding Existing Assets & Capabilities

A thorough analysis of our current assets and capabilities helps us leverage what we already have and identify gaps that need filling. This ensures efficient use of resources and informs our strategy for capability development.

4. Defining a 3 Horizon Roadmap

We outline a strategic roadmap that spans three horizons, from immediate wins to long-term transformative goals. This roadmap guides the development and scaling of our ecosystem offerings, ensuring alignment with our vision and the evolving market landscape.

By meticulously crafting an offering portfolio and aligning capabilities with strategic goals, this step ensures that our ecosystem is poised for sustainable growth and market leadership.

Result: Define your future offerings in the ecosystem and understand required capabilities / moves

getting more specific

4 Venture Validation & Definition

In the fourth step, “Venture Validation & Definition,” we move into the critical phase of validating and defining the specifics of our venture initiatives within the ecosystem. This step includes:

1. Defining Portfolio of Projects Including Platform Plays

We curate a portfolio of projects that encompasses platform-centric initiatives. Each project is assessed for its potential to drive ecosystem growth and enhance the platform’s value proposition.

2. Defining Platform Business Model(s)

Key to this phase is establishing the business models for our platform ventures. This involves identifying revenue streams, value exchange mechanisms, and scalability factors to ensure financial viability and market competitiveness.

3. Evaluating & Prioritizing Projects (Buy, Build, Partner, Join)

A strategic evaluation of how to best execute each project is conducted. Decisions on whether to buy, build, partner, or join forces with other entities are made to optimize resources, accelerate time to market, and leverage external expertise or technology.

4. Creating an Integrated Roadmap

An overarching roadmap integrates the timelines, milestones, and dependencies of all projects within the portfolio. This roadmap is designed to ensure cohesive progress across the venture initiatives, aligning execution with strategic objectives and market readiness.

This step solidifies the strategic direction for our ecosystem ventures, transitioning from planning to actionable projects with defined business models, prioritized for maximum impact and success.

Result: Define & select platform opportunities to accelerate transition from as-is to future positioning

from strategic planning to execution

5 Initiate Ecosystem Strategy

The fifth step, “Initiate Ecosystem Strategy,” marks the transition from strategic planning to execution, setting in motion the mechanisms to drive the ecosystem strategy forward. This phase encompasses:

1. Initiating Supervisory Board

Establishing a Supervisory Board is critical at this juncture. This board is composed of key stakeholders and experts who oversee the ecosystem’s strategic direction, ensuring alignment with the overarching vision and objectives. Their guidance is invaluable in navigating challenges and seizing opportunities as they arise.

2. Communicating Vision

Effective communication of the ecosystem vision to all stakeholders, including partners, investors, employees, and potential platform users, is vital. This ensures everyone is aligned, motivated, and understands their role within the ecosystem. Transparent and inspiring communication fosters a shared commitment to the vision and goals.

3. Initiating First Projects

With the strategy and supervisory structure in place, the first set of projects within the ecosystem portfolio is launched. These projects are selected based on their strategic importance, potential impact, and readiness for execution. Initiating these projects sets the pace for the ecosystem’s development and operationalizes the strategy.

4. Sourcing Required Resources

Identifying and securing the resources needed for the execution of projects is a crucial step. This includes financial investment, talent, technology, and any other necessary assets or capabilities. Efficient resource allocation ensures that projects are not only initiated but also supported adequately to achieve success.

By actively initiating the ecosystem strategy through these steps, the venture moves from the conceptual phase to tangible action, laying the groundwork for a thriving and dynamic ecosystem.

Result: Initiate first projects and implement right operating model