MSc BIS Field Trip

Silicon Valley

2025

The Diary

Where business dreams come true...

The FHNW organizers welcome you to the diary of the Silicon Valley 2025!

Prof. Dr. Knut Hinkelmann

Dr. Uri Nahum

Prof. Dr. Andreas Martin

The MSc BIS Field Trip 2025 to Silicon Valley Diary structure is such that for each company/university presentation there is an article, followed by its authors (i.e. students to whom the visit was assigned), and some photos taken during the talk. For each extra activities, only photos are shown. Presentations are shown in chronological order from the first event to the most recent one.

Enjoy, and let yourself inspire!

Silicon Foundry • 02.09.2025

On first day we visited Silicon Foundry, a membership-based innovation advisory firm in San Francisco. Founded in 2017, Silicon Foundry has built a reputation as a trusted partner for corporations seeking to connect with the innovation ecosystem and drive transformation. The firm operates at the intersection of startups, investors, and enterprises, helping its members anticipate disruption and uncover new opportunities.

Our session began with an overview of Silicon Foundry’s mission and model. Unlike traditional consulting firms, it emphasizes building long-term partnerships with members by serving as their “eyes and ears” in Silicon Valley. The team highlighted how they provide connections, market intelligence, and facilitate strategic engagements with startups, venture capital firms, and emerging technologies.

We learned about some of the subject areas Silicon Foundry tracks closely, including artificial intelligence, fintech, and health innovation. Case examples demonstrated how members have used these insights to accelerate digital transformation, launch new ventures, or expand into adjacent industries.

A key part of the discussion was the firm’s role as a connector. Rather than simply analyzing trends, Silicon Foundry actively orchestrates collaborations, arranging briefings, startup showcases, and strategic workshops tailored to members’ needs. This approach enables companies not just to observe innovation, but to act on it effectively.

Overall, the visit highlighted how Silicon Foundry positions itself as a catalyst for corporate innovation, combining ecosystem knowledge, strategic guidance, and curated connections to help organizations stay ahead in a rapidly changing world.

https://sifoundry.com

Authors:

Kevin K.

Patrick

Swisscom Outpost• 03.09.2025

On Wednesday moring, we visited Swisscom Outpost, Swisscom’s innovation antenna in Silicon Valley. Founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, the Outpost was one of the first European corporate outposts in the Valley. With a small team of around six employees the Outpost scouts emerging technologies and business models, evaluates new ventures, connects Swisscom and Swiss companies with the local ecosystem, and inspires a more risk-taking mindset back home.

The session began with an introduction to their “Scout, Evaluate, Connect, Inspire” framework.

Scout: identify new technology trends and promising startups, also feeding into Swisscom Ventures.

Evaluate: conduct proof-of-concepts (PoCs), pilots, and idea validation, often in partnership with venture capital firms.

Connect: facilitate introductions between startups, Swiss corporates, and accelerators such as Plug & Play.

Inspire: host showcases to help Swiss companies embrace a faster, more risk-tolerant innovation culture.

We learned that since its founding, Swisscom Outpost has initiated over 50 projects, created 10 strategic partnerships, and supported more than 75 startups through programs like “Bring Your Startup to Silicon Valley.” Its impact extends beyond Swisscom, also serving partners such as Italy’s Fastweb and Vodafone.

During the visit, the team gave us an inside look into Silicon Valley’s current dynamics. We discussed how companies are still adjusting after pandemic-era over-hiring, how groupthink among CEOs and investors drives trends, and how hype cycles (from Web3 to AI) shape venture activity. Another insight was how startups thrive on speed and global ambition — if a corporate like Swisscom asks a startup to “come back in six months,” the opportunity is already gone.

Other key takeaways included:

AI: While enterprise-level benefits remain unclear, startups see immediate gains. The demand for hardware will create bubbles of investment and obsolescence.

VC mindset: Investors back teams over products; failure is often seen as valuable experience. “VCs invest in something that has not yet been proven wrong.”

Cultural contrast: In Switzerland, hesitation and long decision cycles can limit opportunities. In the Valley, risk-taking, speed, and flexibility are survival skills.

Ecosystem factors: A thriving startup scene requires not just VCs and universities but also an environment that encourages risk and ambition.

We also heard from Alex Fries, an experienced venture capitalist. He emphasized that passion and team composition are the most critical factors in early-stage investing — never invest in a single founder and avoid niche markets. His perspective underscored that Silicon Valley remains the global hub for disruptive innovation, whether in AI, mobility, or food tech.

Culturally, the Outpost acts like a startup within Swisscom, while also bridging to Switzerland’s more cautious business culture. The big question that emerged from our discussions was whether Swisscom Outpost is about technology scouting alone, or also about importing the mindset of speed, ambition, and risk-taking that fuels Silicon Valley.

https://outpost.swisscom.com/

Authors:

Kevin K.

Tony

Econoventure / Alpana Ventures • 03.09.2025

Description

https://alpana-ventures.ch/

Authors:

Melbin

Kate

Stanford University • 03.09.2025

On our third day of our study trip we visited the d.school at Stanford University. Stanford University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Founded in 1885, it is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and is regarded as a powerhouse for innovation in science, technology, and entrepreneurship.

The d.school (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford) is an interdisciplinary center that teaches and applies Design Thinking as a method for creative problem-solving. It brings together students from various disciplines to work collaboratively on hands-on innovation projects.

Our presenter Dr. Andrew Milne is a lecturer at the Stanford d.school (with a background in Mechanical Engineering) and has a research focus on applications of technology for distributed teams. He combines his entrepreneurial background with research and teaching at the intersection of technology, teamwork, and design thinking.

Our visit began at Stanford’s central main square, where we were warmly welcomed by Dr. Andrew Milne. He greeted us with a brief introduction to the history and campus life of the university, right at the main entrance - an impressive setting with sandstone arches and palm trees. Our first stop was the famous Stanford Memorial Church, a historic landmark of the campus. After a short glimpse inside the building, we headed off for our lunch break. During this time, we had the opportunity to explore the campus on our own. The diverse range of food options was especially impressive, ranging from fast-food chains like Subway, Starbucks, and Panda Express to a supermarket.

After the break, we met again with Dr. Milne, who guided us to the d.school building. Right at the entrance, we encountered several prototypes developed in previous courses, which Dr. Milne briefly explained. He noted as we entered the building that the d.school follows a particularly open and experimental teaching style that fosters creativity and initiative. Inside, one eye-catching feature was an old car that had been transformed into a mobile meeting cabin. Some classrooms appeared like frozen workshops caught in the middle of a creative process: chaotic, colorful, post-its, whiteboards, and prototypes. Dr. Milne then led us into one of the classrooms, where he gave a presentation about the d.school’s teaching model. The room was surrounded by posters of past projects, including collaborations with companies such as BMW and Volvo. One particularly example was a BMW project that focused on the aerodynamics of convertibles - specifically, how to redirect airflow so that the driver and passenger remain unaffected by the wind.

He explained that a typical course at the d.school spans nine months and is project-based. Students work in interdisciplinary teams and go through all phases of the design thinking process. Theoretical input sessions accompany the practical work, and the course concludes with an exhibition where the groups present their results. Following the presentation was a lively Q&A session. Topics included, for example, the role of artificial intelligence in the design process - such as how AI might influence various phases of design thinking and whether this is already happening in practice. After Dr. Milne’s presentation, the group split up: some students went to the Hoover Tower to enjoy the panoramic view over the Stanford campus, while others visited the university library. The library featured a wide selection of books, an extensive range of Stanford-branded merchandise, and a small café.

This visit offered a compelling glimpse of Stanford and d.school‘s unique learning culture. Above all, we saw how Stanford empowers its students through an exceptional global network that connects them with leading voices from academia and industry.

https://www.stanford.edu/

Authors:

Kevin M.

Melbin

AIEA Lab @ UC Santa Cruz • 04.09.2025

Our visit to UC Santa Cruz began with a short campus walk to get a first impression of the university and its forest surroundings. We then gathered in a large classroom, where everyone introduced themselves with their background, work, and study interests.

Professor Leilani H. Gilpin, head of the AI Explainability & Accountability (AIEA) Lab, welcomed us and shared her academic journey. Her introduction also opened an interactive discussion, where we compared the Swiss and European study systems with those in the U.S., including differences in grading traditions, tuition fees, and academic culture. She then explained the lab’s research focus on understanding why errors occur in AI systems such as large language models and autonomous cars, and on developing explainable grading methods that provide reasons for results and mistakes.

We also attended two student research presentations: Oliver Chang presented his work on reinforcement learning for autonomous driving, and Priyesh Vakharia introduced his project on knowledge base validation for large language models. These talks illustrated the lab’s combination of technical research with accountability and explainability.

Afterwards, students guided us on a larger campus tour, where we saw the library, the sports field, many redwood trees, and even a few deer. The visit concluded with dinner and drinks at the campus food court, rounding off an insightful and memorable day at UC Santa Cruz.

https://www.ucsc.edu/

Kevin M.

Jannick

Got It • 05.09.2025

During the first week in San Francisco, we gathered at Swissnex’s space on Pier 17 (venue only, no program involvement) for a presentation by Dr. Hung Tran, founder of Got It, Inc. He began with a brief overview of his path from AI and data-mining research to entrepreneurship, mentioning earlier Got It projects as career milestones.

About Got It: Founded in 2011 in Silicon Valley, Got It, Inc. set out to make expert help available on demand. Early products included PhotoStudy (snap-a-problem, human-expert homework help) and Excelchat (real-time spreadsheet support). Both relied on routing and machine learning to match users with the right expert quickly. Over time, this tutoring DNA and operational know-how paved the way for today’s focus: MathGPT.

The session then shifted almost entirely to MathGPT, his current focus. Hung framed MathGPT as an AI tutor and teaching assistant designed to foster real understanding rather than quick answers. He positioned it clearly: “MathGPT.ai is an Instructor-Led, Holistic, AI-Powered learning platform.” The value proposition is two-sided. For instructors, there is an AI-powered Assignment Manager with auto-grading, a Course Builder to create classes in minutes, and LMS sync. For students, the system offers cheat-proof, conversational tutoring that is judgment-free and always available, with Socratic questioning and unlimited practice. In the live demo, we saw MathGPT turn a problem prompt into an interactive dialogue with clarifying questions, structured reasoning, and gentle checkpoints that nudged the learner forward. He also demonstrated how instructors can adjust availability, attach class resources, and review student interactions for targeted support.

Our key takeaways were twofold. First, speed is everything for him right now. Expanding beyond the U.S. market too early would slow execution—and in Silicon Valley, losing speed is fatal. Second, entrepreneurship is not for everyone: “keep fighting.” After losing his co-founder, he kept pushing the idea forward alone, and that persistence is a big reason MathGPT is succeeding today.

https://www.mathgpt.ai/

Kiril

Marc

Swissnex• 05.09.2025

Our visit to Swissnex San Francisco started with a warm welcome and a first presentation by GotIT (covered in a separate entry). Afterwards, Sarah Burckhardt introduced us to Swissnex’s mission of connecting Switzerland with the global innovation ecosystem, highlighting their role in supporting startups, researchers, and universities abroad.

We were then given a tour of the office by Sarah and Benjamin, where the “Start-Up Wall” particularly stood out — a visual showcase of the many Swiss startups that have taken their first steps into the Silicon Valley ecosystem through Swissnex’s programs. Following the tour, we returned to the meeting room for a final presentation and an engaging Q&A session, where we had the chance to dive deeper into Swissnex’s activities and impact.

Before leaving, we thanked Sarah with a small gift as a token of appreciation for her time and insights, rounding off an inspiring and informative visit.

https://swissnex.org/

Jannick

David

Celonis • 08.09.2025

On Monday, September 8th, we visited Celonis, a process mining and process intelligence company with a major office in Redwood City. Founded in Munich in 2011, Celonis has grown into a global leader with over 1300 customers and 23 offices worldwide. Our session began with an introduction to the company’s journey — from its academic roots in process mining to becoming a multi-billion-dollar enterprise helping businesses optimize and automate their operations.

We learned about Celonis’ core technology, which visualizes real-time processes using data from IT systems, and its recent innovation, Object-Centric Process Mining (OCPM). This approach allows companies to analyze complex, interconnected processes across multiple systems. The team also highlighted how Celonis integrates AI into its platform, with tools such as CoPilot and automation features that enable customers to act on insights directly.

The discussion included examples of common use cases like Order-to-Cash, Procure-to-Pay, and Inventory Management, particularly in industries such as manufacturing, logistics, pharma, and SaaS. Celonis’ “Find, Frame, Fix” methodology stood out as a structured way to identify inefficiencies, measure business impact, and implement solutions.

We also gained insights into the company’s culture. Employees, called “Celonauts,” are guided by values such as sustainability, customer value, teamwork, and ownership. Post-COVID, the Redwood City office operates in a hybrid model, with efforts to encourage collaboration through events and shared spaces.

Overall, the visit illustrated how Celonis has turned process data into a powerful driver of business transformation, combining advanced analytics, automation, and AI to deliver measurable value for its clients.

https://www.celonis.com/

Loris

Celine

Oracle • 08.09.2025

On Monday afternoon we visited Oracle at their Redwood Shore campus. Its campus consisting of well-known buildings is a landmark of the area and was even featured in movies such as Terminator. We were welcomed by the four speakers Beda, Gerald, Maria and JP who shared their insights into Oracles philosphy, its approach on the topic on AI as well as their major new developments.

Oracle was founded in 1977 in Silicon Valley and quickly became a pioneer with its relational database. Over time, it expanded into enterprise software, cloud, and hardware, and today ranks among the world’s leading ERP providers with a market value of over $660 billion.

What became clear during our visit is that Oracle positions itself as one of the “adults” of Silicon Valley. Unlike startups chasing every trend, Oracle focuses on long-lasting, stable, and secure products—something their risk-averse customers like banks, governments, and airlines depend on. This mindset also explains their emphasis on sustainable support for products that thousands of people rely on.

A major discussion point was Oracle’s point of view on AI. The speakers stressed that structured data is the foundation for any AI application, yet most companies still keep around 85% of their information in unstructured formats like PDFs or emails. To bridge this gap, Oracle is developing Vector Search, which transforms unstructured data into numerical vectors that can be combined with traditional database queries. Their new release, Oracle 23ai, integrates such methods into GenAI and LLM workflows through retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), while maintaining strict data security and access control. Beyond that, they see promise in so-called “Agentic AI” that enables more complex reasoning and trustworthy results in business contexts.

Overall, Oracle impressed us as a company that has matured from its database roots into a global technology provider, combining caution with innovation. They may not jump on every hype, but they continuously adapt new technologies into their long-term enterprise environment, balancing stability with progress.

Hanna

Kerstin

Google • 09.09.2025

During our recent visit to Google headquarters, Nilay, a Program Manager in Developer Relations, gave us an inside look into life at Google and how the company has evolved in recent years.

Nilay works in Developer Relations, where she and her team organize events that showcase Google’s products to developers and partner companies. These events are designed to encourage adoption and build a strong developer ecosystem around Google technologies. She highlighted how work–life balance has shifted over time. Whereas long hours used to be common, today employees generally leave on time and manage their schedules more flexibly. Since the pandemic, the company has adopted a hybrid model: two days in the office combined with three remote days. In addition, Googlers receive two weeks of paid vacation and may work from anywhere in the world for up to four additional weeks. This reflects a broader trend we also found in external reports: Google emphasizes flexibility, stability, and internal mobility. Employees benefit from the resources of a large enterprise while still having opportunities for innovation. Nilay noted that Google now operates with greater corporate structure. Tasks that were once simple, such as ordering a new computer for a new hire, now require restrictions and long lead times, sometimes up to six months. This illustrates how the company balances scale with efficiency. Recent studies on Google’s internal systems show similar developments, such as the consolidation of hundreds of internal tools to improve productivity across its global workforce.

Employees at Google work within defined pay grades and benefit from two types of bonuses. This structure provides clarity and stability while rewarding individual contributions. Combined with access to large-scale projects and continuous learning opportunities, Google remains attractive for those seeking career development in the tech industry.

Our visit revealed a company that continues to balance its innovative culture with the realities of being a global leader. The well-known perks and collaborative atmosphere are still present, yet they are complemented by corporate structures designed to manage growth. From our perspective, this combination shows how Google is redefining its identity: not only as a place of creativity and experimentation, but also as a mature enterprise shaping the digital economy.

Christian

Jilson

Qualcomm • 09.09.2025

Description

Christian

Jilson

Databricks• 10.09.2025

On Wednesday 10 September, we visited Databricks, a software company that provides a cloud-based platform for data analytics and artificial intelligence. Databricks was founded in 2013 by seven researchers from UC Berkeley, who were also the original creators of Apache Spark, the engine for large-scale data processing. Headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices such as Sunnyvale, the company employs over 8,000 people worldwide and became a unicorn in 2019.

The company’s core offering are its Lakehouse Platform, which combines the scalability of data lakes with the reliability of data warehouses and the Delta Engine, a high-performance query engine built on Apache Spark, and on top sits the Data Intelligence Platform. This platform enables organizations to manage and analyze both structured and unstructured data for business intelligence, ETL, data science, and AI applications. It integrates with major cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and SAP, and supports a wide ecosystem of technology partners such as Tableau.

Databricks has expanded its AI capabilities in recent years and acquired the database company Neon in 2025 to strengthen support for AI-driven workloads and agent deployment.

Additionally, Neon with it's server less postgres databases support Databricks' Appstore development, where developers can design from high-code to no-code interfaces for their companies.

Today, more than 15’000 organizations, including over 60% of the Fortune 500, use Databricks’ platform. The company has also been recognized for its workplace culture, earning a place on Fortune’s list of “Best Large Workplaces for Millennials” in 2021.

Our session was led by Andre Landgraf, who joined Databricks through the Neon acquisition. He demonstrated the Data Intelligence Platform, showing how it supports data pipelines, analytics, and AI use cases at scale. At the end of the visit, we each received a Databricks jacket as a souvenir.

Tony

Celine

Omnilabs• 10.09.2025

On Wednesday afternoon, our group had the opportunity to visit the robitics company OhmniLabs. It was founded in 2015 and was acquired by Symbotic in 2024. OhmniLabs mission is to unburden healthcare teams through robotics and AI, and they do this through products like OhmniClean, an autonomous UV-C disinfection robot, and OhmniCare, a mobile telehealth robot that enables virtual care.

What stood out to us was how their team operates. With just six engineers, each person contributes to every step of the process, from software development and documentation to testing, servicing, and user support. They keep meetings to a single weekly strategy session, so the rest of their time can be spent building and maintaining robots. Their process is highly disciplined, with every robot fully inspected, simulated with digital twins, and tracked through an electronic device history record.

During the tour, we saw a 3D print farm for rapid prototyping, production stands with digital step-by-step guides, and a demo of their latest UV-C disinfection robots. The upgrades were clear: better wheels, smarter navigation, and higher disinfection efficacy. For hospitals and clinics, these improvements translate into faster room turnover, more reliable cleaning of high-touch surfaces, and fewer missed areas, helping reduce hospital-acquired infections.

We also heard the personal story of our speaker, who started in technical theater before moving into robotics. His journey showed that following your interests and learning by doing can lead to unexpected and fulfilling careers.

The visit gave us a fascinating look at how robotics and AI are shaping healthcare, and how a small, focused team can create technology with a real impact.

Kate

Kerstin

San Jose State University • 11.09.2025

Our visit to San José State University began with an introduction by professors Janet Tan and Dave Czerwinski who provided an overview of the university system and its core competencies. It quickly became clear that SJSU is not only an academic institution but also closely connected to the culture of innovation in Silicon Valley. Research, practical application and industry collaboration are seamlessly interwoven.

Afterwards we attended a lecture on the “AI Revolution in Marketing” from professor Dhar Subhankar who demonstrated how artificial intelligence already shapes today’s business environment. Big Data, increasing computing power and advanced algorithms enable machines to take over complex tasks and support data driven decisions. The presentation showed that AI is not treated as an abstract idea but as a practical tool with immediate applications.

Building on this we gained insights into the university’s diverse career readiness programs. Digital platforms such as V-Mock for résumé feedback or PitchVantage for interview training complement traditional mentoring and coaching. This revealed how SJSU prepares its students to succeed in the highly dynamic labor market of Silicon Valley.

The visit concluded with a tour of the Innovation Labs which serve as creative spaces for experimentation with VR and AR, prototyping and entrepreneurial thinking. The open atmosphere conveyed the sense that new ideas can come to life at any moment and reflected the spirit of innovation that defines Silicon Valley.

Overall the day offered a vivid impression of a university that combines academics, career orientation and innovative energy and made the unique character of the region tangible.

https://www.sjsu.edu/

Christian

Kiril

Kanoscale • 11.09.2025

Description

Jilson

Patrick

Testa Rossa• 11.09.2025

Description

Loris

Lukas

Plug and Play• 12.09.2025

We had the pleasure of being hosted by Roja Amrollah at Plug and Play, a global innovation platform that connects startups, corporations, and investors to drive

technological advancement and entrepreneurship. Plug and Play is widely recognized for its accelerator programs, early-stage investments, and its role in building strong ecosystems where startups can scale quickly and sustainably.

The program is highly structured and already fully booked on Fridays until February 26. Activities are divided into two main session formats: on Wednesdays, the focus is on collaborations with universities and schools, while Fridays are dedicated to sectorspecific themes. These Friday sessions rotate monthly between four key areas - money, smart technologies, health, and commerce - ensuring a broad spread of industry focus.

Investment activity is central to the model. Each session features many startups presenting their ideas, from which the team examines about seven to ten more closely. From this group, one or two are typically selected for investment. On average, Plug and Play makes one investment per week, always targeting early-stage companies that already demonstrate some level of traction, such as revenue streams, fundraising history, or market validation. Solo-founder startups are excluded, as the emphasis is on strong, trustworthy teams that can fit seamlessly into the network - what they call a “plug and play” fit.

The investment approach is collaborative. Rather than leading rounds, Plug and Play prefers to co-invest alongside others, usually taking a two percent equity stake. The responsibility for follow-up with portfolio companies rests with legal and general partners. This light-touch yet supportive model allows Plug and Play to maintain trust and flexibility in its relationships. In addition to its investment activities, Plug and Play is deeply committed to fostering community. It organizes two large summits each year, each attracting around three thousand participants, and offers a residency program where startups are accelerated on-site for three months. A particularly valuable aspect of the network is the participation of returning founders - entrepreneurs who have already achieved successful exits and are now building their next ventures within the Plug and Play ecosystem.

As part of our visit, we were able to attend online startup pitch sessions with around 42 start-ups, where each participating company had three minutes to present their ideas. The time limit was enforced very strictly and ended abruptly after three minutes, even if the presenter had not yet finished. After the pitching sessions, the start-ups moved into single rooms to enable direct networking with companies and investors.

In addition, representatives from Plug and Play attended the sessions and actively evaluated the companies. This setting provided a dynamic and direct insight into the breadth of innovation supported by Plug and Play.

https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/

Hanna

Lukas

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