e-Potek was created in 2018 to help make the experience of getting a mortgage simpler, more transparent, and faster. We combine the power of our digital platform with the expertise of our advisors to guide prospective homebuyers through their entire financing process, making the experience stress-free. We assist private clients in financing and renewing the financing of their primary residence, secondary residence or investment property, as well as real estate professionals. 

The e-Potek interface gathers all lenders' criteria and instantly identifies the different possibilities. Its numerous algorithms allow for global advice (equity, interest rate, tax optimization, amortization strategy, etc.) and quality, in line with the client's profile and needs. The latter can, for his part, follow the progress of his file and consult the proposals received online. This innovative digital approach has allowed us to quickly establish ourselves in Geneva and the canton of Vaud, which is why we are beginning to extend our activities to the whole of Switzerland.

Who is Romain Dequesne, the new CEO of e-Potek?

Romain Dequesne is a native of Le Locle and graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne in Physics. He specializes in innovation and growth strategy as well as the implementation of digital transformations and the support in the creation of new companies, particularly in the financial sector. 

Romain Dequesne in joining e-Potek after 10 years with the strategic consulting firm McKinsey where he was a Partner, based in Zurich. For many years he advised companies in the financial sector (banking, insurance, asset management, wealth management) in Switzerland, Europe and Asia. As a passionate entrepreneur, he has also created an insurance group in Africa and is involved in several companies in the Lake Geneva region as a founder, investor or member of the Board of Directors. 

Why this change at the head of the company?

"Many people think that as a co-founder of e-Potek, I must necessarily remain the CEO, but I really don't agree with this vision. Until now, running a small business while contributing to strategy, production and customer consulting was not a problem. However, this year we have grown to 20 employees, with projects in the Valais and in the German-speaking part of Switzerland starting up, which will quickly double our workforce. In order to be able to continue to add value to the company in terms of strategy as well as financial consulting and to focus on the development of the premium clientele, it has become fundamental to recruit a person who is fully dedicated to the expansion of e-Potek." - Yannis Eggert, co-founder and former CEO of e-Potek

"Often a change of CEO is a sign that something is wrong. Here, it's quite the opposite! e-Potek is no longer a start-up, but a scale-up and the challenge of accelerating a successful model is very stimulating.

The Swiss market is lagging behind when it comes to independent financial advice and there is a very strong potential for growth: almost 85% of clients go directly to their bank, whereas this figure is less than 40% in markets where independent advice is highly developed, such as the United Kingdom or the United States. On the other hand, it's about helping customers make the right choices the purchase of a lifetime - it's a natural need that we meet. Many are very intimidated by the complexity of real estate financing and too few use the simple mechanisms of tax and financial optimization.

What immediately appealed to me about e-Potek was the 3 years of investment in technology and working methods that are, in my opinion, several years ahead of the competition. e-Potek has created a "marketplace" that qualifies mortgage applications and then places them very selectively and efficiently with the best lenders. This technology now allows us to raise the level of advice. The culture in place is very agile, fast-paced and combines a valuable mix of technology, finance and real estate experience. Despite significant investments, the company is profitable, thanks in particular to an important share of complex and premium clients, for which e-Potek has built an impressive reputation in Switzerland. The quality of the investors and the board is also noteworthy and includes a base of reputable shareholders in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, with significant ambitions, skills and means.

The agreement with the co-founders was also an important point. Yannis, Florian and I had a lot of discussions, because it was important for me to understand their real motivations and I didn't want to take their place if they didn't want it. But the message was very clear and the reception of the employees is very warm. I am very excited about this new challenge!" - Romain Dequesne, CEO of e-Potek

What does the future hold for e-Potek?

The main challenge is to continue to innovate, while solidifying and expanding the current model. Expanding into the German-speaking part of Switzerland is a priority, but many start-ups in the French-speaking part of the country have not succeeded in doing so. This will be an important challenge for the beginning of next year and the fact that the new CEO is based in the region is an advantage. Other projects, notably franchising, are currently being tested.

3 elements are priorities:

• Continued improvement of the hybrid consulting process and the recruitment and training of the best consultants and developers.

• Expansion and development of the online platform, with more partners and improved matching algorithms, to satisfy both clients and lenders.

• The development of financing solutions to cover complex cases where there is a high demand. This is the case, for example, of the solution recently introduced to reduce the equity required for the acquisition of a property through the partnership with Evahomes.ch.