Project 1 — Building an Early IT Foundation for a Newly Founded Startup in Germany

Introduction

A newly founded startup in Germany was in the early stages of building its operations, with a small team of approximately eight employees. As the company began to grow, the founders recognized the importance of putting the right IT foundations in place early — before systems became overly complex and technology costs started to escalate. Zotech Advisory was engaged to help establish a clear, scalable, and secure IT structure from the outset.

Challenges

Like many early-stage startups, technology decisions were initially made with speed and convenience in mind. Multiple tools were being adopted to support collaboration and productivity, but without a unified strategy. The founders were concerned about rising subscription costs, unclear ownership of systems, and the absence of basic security controls. Without early intervention, they risked creating long-term technical and operational debt that would be difficult to unwind later.

Solution

We worked closely with the founders to assess their current tools, workflows, and risk exposure. Based on this assessment, we defined clear IT priorities and created a 90-day roadmap focused on structure, simplicity, and security. The engagement included selecting and organizing core collaboration tools, establishing basic access management, and implementing foundational security practices appropriate for a small but growing team. All recommendations were designed to remain lightweight while supporting future growth.

Impact

The startup gained clarity and confidence in its IT setup, with a structured environment that supported daily operations without unnecessary complexity. Technology costs were kept under control, security risks were reduced, and the team was able to focus on building the business rather than managing tools. Most importantly, the company now has an IT foundation that can scale naturally as the team grows, without needing to be reworked later.