Umanova, a service and software provider founded by Jean-Luc Marbot in 2011, has grown into a boutique firm through its unique approach to partnerships, co-sourcing, and innovation.
Geneva, Switzerland, June 05, 2024 – April 2024 marked 13 years of Umanova, a software developer and service provider based in Geneva, Switzerland. Since its establishment, the company expanded its offering, grew its team exponentially, and achieved impressive milestones while maintaining human-centric values and promoting collaboration and shared interests.
In 2011, Umanova began as a one-man-show run by Jean-Luc Marbot, the Managing Partner and Founder. Though, at first, the focus was purely on services, consulting, and acting as a team extension for Switzerland-based multinational companies, Umanova navigated the complexities of startup growth masterfully, eventually entering the uncharted software development territory.
The person who inspired that shift was Luka Kurelic, currently a Managing Partner at Umanova with years of experience in IT and software development. Leveraging Luka’s expertise, Umanova enriched its on-demand service offering by creating its own cutting-edge products. That decision was detrimental to the company’s growth, turning Umanova into a boutique company offering elite services created specifically for the client’s needs.
Expanding into Croatia symbolized another crucial milestone; fueled by Luka’s expertise, the newly opened branch in the Balkans played an essential part in collaborating with several Fortune 500 companies and international organizations, establishing long-term relationships. An example of this is when the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance for public service media organizations responsible for programs like the Eurovision Song Contest, partnered with Umanova. After completing its team extension services, Umanova offered the EBU further optimization through a near-shoring model—providing resources and services from Croatia. The model, revolving around short-distance services within the same timezone as opposed to relying on cross-continent off-shoring, enabled Umanova to adapt to the 24/7 stable operations requirements and optimize the EBU within four weeks, an achievement unheard of in the IT field.
That project sparked the expansion of the service offering and cemented Umanova’s trust in co-sourcing. For Jean-Luc, the firm’s mission goes beyond high-tech and streamlined processes; the company believes in the power of people and environments where transparency, trust, and shared interests are paramount.
“Usually, companies opt for outsourcing or insourcing,” adds Jean-Luc. “We want to hit that sweet spot in the middle and work as an extension of companies. By doing that, both sides of the contract maintain independence while working together toward a shared goal.”
In addition to the branch in Croatia, Umanova, led by Marijana Elenova, opened Umanova Dooel in Skopje, Macedonia. Marijana and her team are in charge of international recruitment, marketing, and business development activities within the Umanova conglomerate.
Though 13 years of excellence and bringing visions to life earned Umanova renown and loyalty, the company remains grounded and focused on keeping the startup spirit alive. Since 2011, the company diversified its offering, opening three Umanova sectors: Umamed, software for custom healthcare solutions; Umalytics, a market intelligence tool; and Umabiz, a solution streamlining retail.
Looking into the future, Jean-Luc and Luka aim to maximize the powerful fusion of tech acumen and people-centrism to improve Umanova, expand its portfolio, and deliver a platform that will trailblaze through the IT software realm, leaving no stone unturned, profits with purpose and with love in every byte.
