papaia@zurich:~$ ./unblock --challenge "your hardest problem"

when innovation stalls,
we ship movement.

// stdout: a zurich crew that takes the product problem nobody can move and returns engineered evidence — fast. no theory, no decks. a thing that runs.

daysto first evidence, not quarters
ethbuilt in zurich's deep-tech core
1 teamwho scope it also build it
[01_proof]

output > promises.

we'd rather hand you a working rig than a roadmap of intentions. snapshots below are placeholders — swap in live builds.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
6 wksidea → validated prototype
faster than the legacy build
10 daysvague brief → go/no-go
case_01 · hardware.poc
hardware · poc

stalled sensor question → working rig

a feasibility call that had been parked got built, instrumented, and answered.

6 wksidea to validated prototype
case_02 · product.reinvent
product · reinvention

aging product, re-engineered

new architecture plus a prototype of where the product should head next.

faster than the old system
case_03 · software.sprint
software · sprint

fuzzy brief → clear path

framed the real problem and shipped a demo that unblocked the decision.

10 daysto a go/no-go verdict
[02_what_we_do]

we compile uncertainty into evidence.

three moves, run end to end: we frame the problem, we build the most promising path for real, then we test it against the world. every run terminates in something tangible you can keep building on.

design.sh
// frame & imagine

design

we sharpen a fuzzy challenge into a buildable spec and surface directions actually worth chasing.

build.sh
// make it real

build

hardware, software, or both — the strongest direction becomes something you can hold and run.

prove.sh
// test vs reality

prove

we stress it against users, performance, and constraints — then report what is true, not what we hoped.

[03_process]

challenge in, evidence out.

no endless discovery, no proof-free theory. each stage emits an artifact you can act on.

[ challenge ]──>[ concept ]──>[ prototype ]──>[ evidence ]──>[ direction ]
01 / challenge

frame it

we pin down the real problem with you, fast.

→ sharp problem statement
02 / concept

explore it

we generate directions and probe feasibility.

→ ranked concepts + paths
03 / prototype

build it

we build the most promising direction for real.

→ working prototype
04 / evidence

test it

we test against reality and report what's true.

→ test results + verdict
05 / direction

decide it

you leave with a confident call: build, scale, pivot.

→ roadmap + recommendation
[05_why_papaia]

small process. serious firepower.

engineers, technologists, and builders rooted in the eth ecosystem — one of the densest pools of technical talent anywhere. fast enough to move at startup pace, rigorous enough to be trusted with hard engineering. no account layers, no filler — the people who pitch you are the ones with hands on the problem.

fast

startup cadence, not consultancy cadence.

technical

real engineering depth, not slideware.

imaginative

we attack the problems others route around.

hands-on

we build it, test it, and prove it.

[06_team]

whoami → the people in the room.

no managers between you and the work. a tight set of eth-trained engineers and builders — the same crew that scopes your challenge designs, builds, and proves the solution.

JGJeremia Geigeroperations · innovation

Jeremia Geiger

operations & innovation
MSc ETH Mechanical Engineering · BEng Production Management

raised inside two industrial family businesses, jeremia leads ambitious multidisciplinary teams — from product design and software to data science. he turns industrial complexity into momentum.

linkedin
CEDr. Claas Ehmkesystems · electronics · robotics

Dr. Claas Ehmke

systems, electronics & robotics
PhD & MSc ETH Robotics, Systems & Control · BSc Electrical Engineering

built his first robotic system in high school and never stopped. an electronics and embedded expert with deep hands-on hard- and software skills, and an affinity for medical tech and autonomous systems.

linkedin
YHYaohui Huangrobotics · intelligent systems

Yaohui Huang

robotics, control & intelligent systems
MSc ETH Robotics, Systems & Control · Willi Studer Prize & ETH Silver Medal

turns advanced models into robust real-world behaviour. award-winning work in mechatronics and soft robotics, with analytical clarity and a sharp systems perspective on hard problems.

linkedin
DWDavid Werderembedded · sensor electronics

David Werder

embedded systems & sensor electronics
MSc ETH Electrical Engineering & Information Technology

bridges hardware, sensing, and reliable implementation into compact, robust systems. a structured, detail-driven engineer who gets concepts to working prototype.

linkedin
DGDaniel Gislerproduct · rapid prototyping

Daniel Gisler

product innovation & rapid prototyping
MSc ETH Robotics, Systems & Control · BSc Mechanical Engineering

innovation manager at align technology. turns early ideas into testable concepts fast — reducing uncertainty through experimentation and building the first functional version of complex systems.

linkedin
VSViacheslav Sydorarobotics · learning control · ai

Viacheslav Sydora

robotics, learning control & ai
BSc RWTH Mechanical Engineering · Max Planck Institute · ETH Multi-Scale Robotics Lab

connects analytical depth with hands-on implementation, from learning-based control to robotic systems that make complex algorithms tangible. research-driven, practically minded.

linkedin
papaia@zurich:~$ ls ./advisors 2 entries
PKadvisor

Philipp Kopp

advisor · development team lead, align technology
MSc ETH Robotics, Systems & Control · BEng Mechatronics

a natural leader with entrepreneurial drive and deep-tech expertise in software, computer vision, and machine learning. co-founded his first deep-tech startup before graduate studies.

linkedin
JZhonorary advisor

Jasan Zughaibi

honorary advisor · phd candidate, eth & mpi tübingen
MSc ETH Robotics, Systems & Control · BSc Physics Engineering

an expert in control theory and its applications, with a portfolio of award-winning robotics projects. researching at eth's multi-scale robotics lab and the max planck institute.

linkedin
[07_edge_cases]

when to call us.

some challenges don't fit a roadmap — they stall inside normal process. these are the conditions that page us in.

case 01

no technical path

the idea exists, but there's no clear route from concept to something that actually runs.

case 02

an aging product

it's losing ground while competitors move — it needs reinventing, not another patch.

case 03

a team at capacity

your people are brilliant and fully booked. the new challenge has nowhere to land.

case 04

a deferred question

"is this even feasible?" keeps slipping to next quarter. the decision stays blocked.

[08_run]

bring us the challenge your team can't stop thinking about.

tell us where you're stuck — or where you want to go. we'll tell you fast what's possible and how we'd build it.

papaia@zurich:~$ cat contact.txt → zurich, switzerland · hello@papaia.ch · +41 78 984 65 68