# Ampersand

> A small, senior-led Zurich engineering studio. Since 2019 we've helped founders, owners and teams turn ideas into real software, and looked after the products already in their customers' hands.

## Studio at a glance

- Type: Independent software studio, senior-led
- Founded: 2019, Zurich, Switzerland
- Headquarters: Ampersand Labs, Fluelastrasse 10, 8048 Zurich, Switzerland
- Network: Senior collaborators across seven European cities, pulled in per project
- Founder & principal engineer: Davide Morotti. Shipping software since 2009; previously CTO at Habitects AG and Head of Software Development at eyeonX AG
- Site: https://ampersand.ch
- Contact email: hello@ampersand.ch
- Free 10-min intro call: https://calendar.app.google/ACr27AHZyBmPLuS69
- Founder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmorotti
- Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ampsand
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ampersand.ch

## How we work

- Every project is led by a senior engineer with at least ten years of real-world experience
- No account managers, no marketplace strangers. The senior who picks up your first call owns delivery
- Honest weekly written updates, visible plans, transparent trade-offs
- We build for year two: foundations meant to last, not demos meant to impress
- We measure success by how independent your team becomes, not by how long you keep us around
- Hourly floor: CHF 180/h for the smallest engagements; CHF 150/h on the largest volume packages

## Languages and URL structure

The site is published in three languages, each with its own localized path segments. Every page exists in all three, cross-linked with hreflang and self-canonical per language.

- English: `/en/...` (x-default)
- German: `/de/...`
- Italian: `/it/...`

Segment map (en / de / it):

- about: `about` / `ueber-uns` / `chi-siamo`
- services: `services` / `leistungen` / `servizi`
- case studies: `case-studies` / `referenzen` / `casi-studio`
- pricing: `pricing` / `preise` / `prezzi`
- lab: `lab` / `lab` / `lab`
- contact: `contact` / `kontakt` / `contatti`
- imprint: `imprint` / `impressum` / `note-legali`
- privacy: `privacy` / `datenschutz` / `privacy`
- articles: `articles` (unprefixed, `/articles`) / `artikel` / `articoli`

Service detail slugs are localized too, for example `/en/services/monthly-support`, `/de/leistungen/laufender-support`, `/it/servizi/supporto-mensile`. Case study slugs are client names and stay identical in every language.

## Pages

- [Home](/en) Overview of the studio and what we do
- [Services](/en/services) Nine ways we work with you
- [Case studies](/en/case-studies) Seven recent projects, with what we did and what came of it
- [Pricing](/en/pricing) Every service, every tier, published openly
- [The Lab](/en/lab) Swiss-hosted online tools we build, run and use ourselves (page was formerly "Products")
- [About](/en/about) Team, principles, tech stack, locations
- [Contact](/en/contact) Send a message or book an intro call
- [Imprint](/en/imprint), [Privacy](/en/privacy) Legal
- [Articles](/articles) Linked from the footer. Practical articles on building software, working with AI and keeping products healthy after launch. English lives at `/articles/<slug>` (no language prefix); German at `/de/artikel/<slug>`, Italian at `/it/articoli/<slug>`. The full current list is appended at the end of this file under "Articles".

## Services

- [Rent-a-CTO](/en/services/rent-a-cto) Interim CTO, also called CTO ad interim, fractional CTO or part-time CTO. Senior tech lead for founders without a full-time CTO: roadmap, hiring, investor diligence, big technical decisions. One day rate of CHF 1'500; below 6 days a month it is CHF 2'250. CHF 4.5k/mo (advisory, 2 days/month) to CHF 9k/mo (embedded, 6 days/month) to CHF 18k/mo (full embed, 12 days/month). Minimum 3 months; typical 6-12. No equity taken, no search fee, starts within a week.
- [Development](/en/services/development) Websites, web apps, mobile apps, platforms and MVPs designed, built and launched end to end. From CHF 4k for a marketing site (1 week to 2 months), from CHF 20k for an MVP with auth + payments (1-6 months), from CHF 45k for a multi-tenant platform (4-12 months). Two weeks of free post-launch support.
- [Monthly Support](/en/services/monthly-support) Ongoing care for live software: bug fixes, security patches, infrastructure, small features. CHF 3.6k/mo for 20h (Starter), CHF 8k/mo for 50h with 4h response (Growth), CHF 15k+/mo for 100h+ with 2h response and on-call (Scale). WordPress and Laravel welcome.
- [AI Automation](/en/services/ai-automation) Hand repetitive work to software that reads, decides and acts: document handling, support triage, reporting, data entry. From CHF 8k for one workflow live in production (2-3 weeks), from CHF 22k for 3-5 connected workflows with a usage dashboard (6-10 weeks), CHF 1.5k/mo optional run and improve.
- [Integrations & APIs](/en/services/system-integrations) Connect the systems you already pay for: shop, CRM, ERP, accounting. Built with monitoring, retries and a plan for when a vendor changes their API. From CHF 3k for a single connection (1-2 weeks), from CHF 12k for 3-5 systems (4-6 weeks), CHF 750/mo optional run and monitor.
- [Migration & Replatforming](/en/services/legacy-migration) Move off software that holds you back, without losing data or stopping the business. Assessment first, fixed plan, phased cutover with a way back at every step. From CHF 5k for a website migration (2-4 weeks), from CHF 22k for one business system (6-12 weeks), from CHF 45k for a full phased replatform (3-6 months).
- [From Idea to Product - Guidance](/en/services/from-idea-to-product-guidance) Weekly 1:1 guidance from idea to live product, for anyone with an idea: hobby, side project or future startup. No coding background required: we help you pick between no-code (Lovable, Bubble, Webflow) and custom code. CHF 799/mo (weekly sessions + 24h written reviews) or CHF 1,999/mo (intensive: unlimited reviews + always-on chat). Single trial session at CHF 129. Capped at four active clients at a time.
- [Consultancy & Audits](/en/services/engineering-consultancy) Architecture reviews, AI audits, tech due diligence, security and accessibility reviews. Written reports a board can act on. From CHF 9k (architecture review, 2 wks), from CHF 10k (AI audit, 2-3 wks), from CHF 12k (tech due diligence, 3-4 wks). Mutual NDA day one.
- [AI Masterclass](/en/services/ai-masterclass) Half- or full-day facilitation with leadership teams. Cut through hype, pick the one AI bet worth building, leave with a 30-day plan. CHF 3.5k half-day (remote, 4h), CHF 6k full-day (on-site, 8h). Optional 2-week working-prototype add-on from CHF 12k, pairs with either masterclass.

## Case studies

- [Habitects AG](/en/case-studies/habitects-ag) Rent-a-CTO, 8 months, 2020-2021, Zurich. Part-time CTO for a bathroom renovation platform: kept the B2B shop running while conceiving, staffing and shipping a form-to-render configurator, then handed everything over when the company merged into Conreal AG. 5 months to first release, 3 working versions, 4 hires placed.
- [Arthouse Kinos](/en/case-studies/arthouse-kino) Development & Monthly Support, ongoing since 2024, Zurich. New website and online ticket shop replacing an ageing WordPress site, design by Unstated International, ticketing built against an undocumented XML API. Laravel, Livewire, Statamic. 7 months to launch, 3 cinemas, 5 screens, seat map visible without an account.
- [Die Mitte](/en/case-studies/die-mitte) Development & Monthly Support, ongoing since 2021, Switzerland. Custom WordPress multisite running 600+ party websites across languages, domains and local chapters from one place, wired into their CRM, served as static HTML with failover. Around CHF 560 and 80+ hours saved per website.
- [Mikron](/en/case-studies/mikron) Development, 2 months, 2019, Switzerland. Cross-platform Electron application for Windows and macOS that Mikron's people run at trade fairs to walk clients through a machine range too large to bring on a stand. Built with favon.io.
- [Atelier Crincoli](/en/case-studies/atelier-crincoli) Development & Monthly Support, ongoing since 2024, Switzerland. Custom CRM for a goldsmith: orders, work management, accounting, gold buying and card payments in one system, every piece QR-scanned at every step, plus a mobile app for the bench. Laravel, Livewire, Alpine.js, React Native. Administrative work down 60%.
- [Repa Immobiliare](/en/case-studies/repa-immobiliare) Development & Monthly Support, 3 months to launch, since 2026, Switzerland. Windows application for property managers: repairs, deadlines and owners' meetings across a portfolio, synchronised between machines without ever connecting to the internet, with central update delivery. Electron.
- [NeuroMynds](/en/case-studies/neuromynds) From Idea to Product Guidance, 5 months, 2026, Switzerland. Took a founder's WordPress site to production readiness: subscriptions, mentor management, newsletter and Google Calendar integrations, plus coaching so she could run it herself. 15x faster, a third fewer plugins, zero lines of code written by the founder.

## The Lab, Swiss-hosted tools we build and run

- [Managed WordPress hosting](https://hosting.ampersand.ch) Built end to end for serious speed
- [Social media scheduler](https://socials.ampersand.ch) Schedule once, post everywhere
- [Encrypted secret sharing](https://secrets.ampersand.ch) One-time, end-to-end encrypted links for passwords and credentials
- [Banner production & approval](https://banners.ampersand.ch) Design display banners and get them approved without the email chaos
- [Cookie consent management](https://consent.ampersand.ch) A cookie banner that blocks trackers until visitors choose, plus a site scanner and a consent log for auditors
- [Free everyday tools](https://tools.ampersand.ch) Email signatures, business cards, link-in-bio pages, NDAs, briefs and more

## Tech stack

- Frontend: TypeScript, React, Next.js, TanStack, Vue.js, Nuxt.js, Astro, Alpine.js, Livewire, Filament, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui
- Backend & runtimes: PHP, Laravel, Node.js, Bun, edge runtimes, Python
- Mobile & desktop: React Native, Expo, NativePHP, Electron
- Data: Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB, Firebase, Supabase, Redis, Drizzle, pgvector, Pinecone
- CMS: WordPress, WordPress Multisite, Drupal, TYPO3, Kirby, Statamic, Craft CMS, Sanity, Strapi, Ghost
- E-commerce: Shopify, WooCommerce, Prestashop, Magento, Shopware
- DevOps & hosting: Cloudflare, Vercel, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Hetzner, DigitalOcean
- AI: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, Vercel AI SDK, MCP, RAG, LLM pipelines
- Payments: Stripe, Paddle, Wallee, Worldline
- AdTech: Google Ad Manager, Campaign Manager 360, DV360, The Trade Desk, Adform, Innovid, Meta, Reddit Ads, Google Merchant Center
- Security & monitoring: Akamai, Aikido, Sentry, New Relic, Datadog, Netdata

## Selected clients

UBS, Wirz, Die Mitte, Arthouse Kinos, City of Lugano, Mikron, Stuzh38, Gin Bisbino. Also Habitects AG, Atelier Crincoli, Repa Immobiliare and NeuroMynds, covered in the case studies above.

## Previously worked with

Lidl, Audi, Netflix, Ovomaltine, Royal Canin, Land Rover, Mercedes, Swisscom, Migros, Samsung, Huawei, Mediacom, Omnicom, Jung von Matt, Webrepublic, Audienzz, Ringier, Tamedia, Goldbach.

## Good fits, who we help most

- Founders and owners launching their first software product (MVP done properly)
- Companies that need ongoing care for live software without hiring a full-time team
- Seed / Series A startups raising rounds without an internal CTO
- Scale-ups bridging between CTO hires
- Businesses whose systems don't talk to each other, or who are stuck on software past its support date
- Teams losing days a month to repetitive, rules-based work that AI could take over
- Boards, investors and CTOs needing senior outside opinions before expensive decisions
- Non-technical idea-havers who want to build with no-code or AI builders

## Not a fit

- Teams that need an army of junior developers
- Agency-style account management
- Equity-only or unpaid pilot deals
- Pure brand identity, copywriting or paid-ads work
- 24/7 on-call cover (only available in the Scale support tier)

## Redirects currently in place

- `/products`, `/en/products` to `/en/lab`
- `/en/works` to `/en`
- `/en/privacy-policy` to `/en/privacy`
- `/en/services/solo-builder-coaching` to `/en/services/from-idea-to-product-guidance`
- `/en/services/idea-to-product-coaching` to `/en/services/from-idea-to-product-guidance`
- `/de/leistungen/coaching-solo-builder` to `/de/leistungen/von-der-idee-zum-produkt`
- `/it/servizi/coaching-costruire-da-solo` to `/it/servizi/dall-idea-al-prodotto`
- `/en/services/ai-workshops` to `/en/services/ai-masterclass`
- A service URL in the wrong language 301s to the current language's form

## Articles

- [Fix Six WCAG 2.2 AA Gaps: Developer Checklist with Tests & Fixes](/articles/wcag-22-checklist) WCAG 2.2 developer checklist that prioritizes the six new AA criteria. One-line pass/fail tests, concrete fixes, and a sample workflow you can run in a... Published 2026-09-25. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/wcag-22-checklist, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/wcag-22-checklist, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/wcag-22-checklist
- [90–180 Day Pilots Reduce Risk: Legacy System Migration for Swiss IT](/articles/legacy-system-migration) Swiss guide: staged legacy system migration with 90–180 day pilots, EDÖB/FADP safeguards, and senior led delivery to cut risk and total cost of ownership. Published 2026-09-24. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/legacy-system-migration, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/legacy-system-migration, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/legacy-system-migration
- [Stop Downtime: 7 Step Strangler Pattern Migration for Architects](/articles/strangler-pattern-migration) Architects: replace a legacy monolith without downtime. A façade first 7 step plan, four required components, CDC and outbox safety, plus a senior led... Published 2026-09-23. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/strangler-pattern-migration, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/strangler-pattern-migration, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/strangler-pattern-migration
- [Avoid 74% Rollbacks: AI in Customer Support Built for Enterprise Ops](/articles/ai-in-customer-support) Run an operational-first AI pilot for enterprise customer support: shadow one workflow, stage authorizations, enforce governance, and integrate APIs to... Published 2026-09-22. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/ai-in-customer-support, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/ai-in-customer-support, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/ai-in-customer-support
- [3 Month POC for CRM ERP Integration: Senior Led Swiss Rollout](/articles/crm-erp-integration) Prove CRM and ERP sync with a three month proof of concept led by senior engineers. Practical checklist, architecture options, and Swiss compliance notes. Published 2026-09-21. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/crm-erp-integration, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/crm-erp-integration, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/crm-erp-integration
- [4 Questions and Governance to Choose Fixed Price or Time and Materials](/articles/fixed-price-vs-time-and-materials) Four questions plus governance controls to decide fixed price or time and materials. Includes when to run a short discovery sprint before you price the work. Published 2026-09-20. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/fixed-price-vs-time-and-materials, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/fixed-price-vs-time-and-materials, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/fixed-price-vs-time-and-materials
- [Scale AI Business Automation: Swiss Leaders' Senior Led Path](/articles/ai-business-automation) Swiss informed leadership playbook for AI business automation. Run senior led 90–120 day pilots, ground models in systems, set governance, and scale. Published 2026-09-19. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/ai-business-automation, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/ai-business-automation, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/ai-business-automation
- [Match Method to Uncertainty: Software Project Estimation for Teams](/articles/software-project-estimation) Match estimation method to what you don't know, produce defensible P50/P70/P90 ranges, and calibrate quotes with your past projects using Ampersand Labs'... Published 2026-09-18. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/software-project-estimation, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/software-project-estimation, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/software-project-estimation
- [Stop Cutover Failures: 8 Stage Data Migration Plan for IT Teams](/articles/data-migration-plan) Senior led 8 stage data migration plan for IT teams and PMs. Includes a seven item preflight checklist, gates playbook, dry runs, cutover runbook, and... Published 2026-09-17. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/data-migration-plan, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/data-migration-plan, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/data-migration-plan
- [Swiss Employers: One Page AI Policy for Employees, FINMA Aligned](/articles/ai-policy-for-employees) Ready to paste a one page AI policy for employees in Switzerland. FINMA and FADP aligned, with data tiers, rollout steps, a template, and practical next... Published 2026-09-16. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/ai-policy-for-employees, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/ai-policy-for-employees, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/ai-policy-for-employees
- [Engineers: System Integration Testing Focused on Environment Parity](/articles/system-integration-testing) A practical, risk based SIT guide for engineers: ensure environment parity, set clear entry and exit gates, and run disciplined triage. Includes a 600+... Published 2026-09-15. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/system-integration-testing, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/system-integration-testing, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/system-integration-testing
- [PMs: 7 Step Software Maintenance Plan, Audit, Assign Lead, Set MTTR](/articles/software-maintenance-plan) Audit your system, name a Maintenance Lead, and set MTTR and a patch window. A seven-step, operations-first playbook that turns the four maintenance types... Published 2026-09-14. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/software-maintenance-plan, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/software-maintenance-plan, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/software-maintenance-plan
- [Busy PMs: Prevent Scope Creep with a Five Step Playbook](/articles/prevent-scope-creep) Concise playbook for busy project managers: copy a five step change control workflow, ready templates, and weekly checks that stop scope creep. Published 2026-09-13. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/prevent-scope-creep, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/prevent-scope-creep, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/prevent-scope-creep
- [Pilot in 2–4 Weeks: Automate Invoice Processing for Swiss ERPs](/articles/automate-invoice-processing) Run a Swiss compliant invoice automation pilot that protects your ERP and delivers ERP integration and MWST reporting in 2–4 weeks. Published 2026-09-12. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/automate-invoice-processing, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/automate-invoice-processing, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/automate-invoice-processing
- [AWS vs Azure for Swiss IT Teams: Decide with a 2–4 Week Pilot](/articles/aws-vs-azure) Swiss IT teams: model identical workloads, run a 2–4 week pilot, and choose AWS or Azure based on cost, identity integration, and AI fit. Published 2026-09-11. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/aws-vs-azure, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/aws-vs-azure, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/aws-vs-azure
- [Founders: 12-Point Web App Security Checklist, Exact Proof to Request](/articles/web-app-security-checklist) Nontechnical checklist for founders hiring agencies. What exact evidence to request, which controls block go live, and how often to verify. Published 2026-09-10. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/web-app-security-checklist, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/web-app-security-checklist, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/web-app-security-checklist
- [AI Email Triage for Tech Teams: Senior Led Vendor Agnostic Pilots](/articles/ai-email-triage) Practical plan for tech teams to deploy AI email triage safely: senior led, vendor agnostic pilots, 10–30 category taxonomies, and governance guardrails. Published 2026-09-09. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/ai-email-triage, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/ai-email-triage, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/ai-email-triage
- [When 5+ Years Matters: Build or Buy Software for Product Leaders](/articles/build-vs-buy-software) Scoring matrix and Swiss case study to help product leaders decide whether to build, buy, or blend software. Covers TCO, 30–90 day timing, and 5+ year... Published 2026-09-08. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/build-vs-buy-software, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/build-vs-buy-software, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/build-vs-buy-software
- [Keep the Monolith Until 150 Engineers: Why Microservices Cost 30–50%](/articles/microservices-vs-monolith) Default to a modular monolith. Use team-size gates and the 30–50% distributed-system tax as the decision gate, with a migration checklist and readiness... Published 2026-09-07. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/microservices-vs-monolith, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/microservices-vs-monolith, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/microservices-vs-monolith
- [Six Patterns Architects Use to Prevent Salesforce Integration Outages](/articles/salesforce-integration-best-practices) A pattern-first playbook for architects: use the six core Salesforce integration patterns, default to asynchronous designs, and follow a runbook and... Published 2026-09-06. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/salesforce-integration-best-practices, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/salesforce-integration-best-practices, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/salesforce-integration-best-practices
- [Avoid Costly Replatforming: Choose a CMS by Governance, TCO, and AI](/articles/choosing-a-cms) An operational-first approach to choosing a CMS: prioritize governance, build a real TCO, and enforce AI auditability. Practical PoC steps and... Published 2026-09-05. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/choosing-a-cms, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/choosing-a-cms, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/choosing-a-cms
- [Senior Led Playbook: Protect Revenue During Ecommerce Platform Migration](/articles/ecommerce-platform-migration) Senior led migration playbook from a Zurich studio. Checklist-first runbooks for data parity, 1:1 redirects, staged rollouts, and SEO to protect revenue. Published 2026-09-04. Languages: en: https://ampersand.ch/articles/ecommerce-platform-migration, de: https://ampersand.ch/de/artikel/ecommerce-platform-migration, it: https://ampersand.ch/it/articoli/ecommerce-platform-migration