The #1 You’ve Never Heard of

SoftwareOne is one of Switzerland’s most successful companies—and one that hardly anyone has ever heard of. From the seemingly mundane business of software licensing, it grew within just a few years into a global corporation with more than 10,000 employees and customers around the world. Four founders, each with a completely different personality, shared one bold vision: to conquer the world of software from the small Swiss town of Stans. But SoftwareOne’s story is about far more than business success. It is a story of entrepreneurship and friendship, speed and hubris, spectacular triumphs and painful mistakes. The sudden death of co-founder Patrick Winter shakes the company to its core. The founders lose control of the business they built, become entangled in power struggles and crises, and ultimately fight to reclaim what was once theirs. An extraordinary entrepreneurial story—and a remarkable chapter in Swiss business history.