Spark Group - Spark Group

What we do |

Spark transforms tech companies by implementing our trademarked process, Product-Led Transformation™. We believe successful corporate transformations use the product as the catalysis for renewal and growth. “Without a profitable, customer value-driven product, you can’t have a profitable, valuable company,” that’s our motto.

A Spark transformation is a cross-functional project executed rapidly, energizing the organization, streamlining workflows, igniting interactions between functions, bringing forth the best ideas and ability to achieve high ambitions.

Our approach of working shoulder-to-shoulder with your team allows you to accelerate change beyond typical incremental improvements, thereby achieving your more ambitious sales, market share, and profitability goals.

Spark is about thinking competitively, communicating your product’s value, and working with speed.

How it works |

Explore map Ignite
Capital Raise

Corporate transformations are never simple nor straightforward. There are always unexpected challenges and unforeseen problems to solve, and they require more than one person to lead change throughout the company. The most sustainable transformations engage an experienced team representing the core functions in a company, who have domain knowledge of which levers to pull to get the desired results.

Spark Group brings you that team with energy, enthusiasm, and speed.

Spark’s recipe for successful transformations:

Ambitions, opportunities, and challenges are shared between the board, CEO, and Spark.
A thorough assessment of the current state as the starting point.
Strong emphasis on getting buy-in and sponsorship from CEO and management team.
A transformation project including all functions in the company.
Product success is in focus during the entire project.
Recognizing that the Product Management function has a crucial role in the transformation.
A co-creative shoulder to shoulder approach.

4 steps to transform

Step 1: Explore

Our starting point is you and your ambitions. Where do you want to take the company? How fast is your industry growing? What is your ambition level? Spark takes on the role of a ready-made, operative team, so it is vital to align early on to your expectations for the company’s growth.

Step 2: Assess

In the second phase, we assess and analyze the issues that prevent the company from operating at its peak. We do a quick due diligence within Sales and Marketing, Product Management, Development/Engineering, Services, and Support to gain insights into the measures needed and funding required to transform the company.

Spark’s Product-Led Assessment:

A value-creating activity that gives insights into the challenges holding back your company.

An independent analysis of the inner workings, product performance, and the company’s position in the market.

A proven methodology that discovers and targets critical areas for improvement.

An assessment performed by experienced functional specialists.

A report that clearly describes critical areas to target and to help in decision-making.

All it takes is one spark

Step 3: Transformation

We start the Product-Led Transformation™ by working with the management team to determine the execution phase’s goals, strategies, and implementation plans. We design targets and develop workstreams for each functional area in the company; all focused on making the product more successful.

As we build the values for the product, the value messaging, segmentation, and strategies for each of the functional groups, the company is determined to become more valuable. This is when the company’s teams and Spark shift into high gear to ensure a seamless implementation of the strategic plans.

Key benefits of Spark’s Product-Led Transformation™:

Key factors for product success discovered.

Product success implemented in everyday work.

Better leverage from investments in R&D.

Well-targeted Marketing and Sales deliver higher hit rates.

Delivery and Support increase customers satisfaction and loyalty.

Motivated and driven personnel contributing to a common goal.

Capital Raise

In parallel to the transformation, we will work with our network of investors willing to investing in technology companies at different phases of development.

Spark will build a strong business case for raising growth capital with a solid, structured plan for growth.

Our job is to match you with an investor with the most applicable background and industry knowledge and assist you with raising capital.

When Spark |

“A mighty flame Followeth a tiny spark”

– Dante

You as an investor

As an investor, you probably want to support your portfolio company with an infusion of get-it-done resources and energy. Maybe you’re looking for new ideas, strategies, and outside influence to bring the company to the next level. Are you looking for new working capital to help on this journey? Have you tried a few directions and are just not getting the results you want? Spark can help.

You as a CEO

Being a CEO, you are likely looking for a team to help you build a tech-savvy business that is driven and product orientated. We have tech-relevant backgrounds, work deep within the organizations, and make lasting change while you run the business.

“A mighty flame Followeth a tiny spark”
– Dante

Who we are |

Our specialist and your team

Who we are

Spark Group is a consulting company that specializes in corporate turnarounds and assessments of small and medium-sized hardware/software tech companies. We are a group of transformation managers with deep domain experience across technology landscapes and geographic regions.

Achieving ambitious sales, product strategy, and profitability goals, our clients’ stock value, and shareholder’s positions have developed exceptionally well – doubling and tripling the values.

Spark transforms tech companies by implementing a proven, trademarked process called Product-Led Transformation™, embedding the product’s success in all functions throughout a company. The approach is practical and hands-on, leveraging our decades of working in successful tech companies operating in Silicon Valley, Europe, and the Nordics.

The Spark team has decades of combined experience igniting change and transforming small, and mediums sized companies around the globe. Our consultants have more than 50 new-product launches, led four mergers, implemented 12 sizable corporate transformations, directed 36 product transfers in manufacturing, increased production efficiency on a European level, and created six leading-edge, digital B2B customer acquisition programs.

Many of our consultants have previously held executive management positions at major technology companies in Palo Alto, New York, San Francisco, and Stockholm and CEO positions at Silicon Valley venture-backed start-ups.

Our mindset is competitive, product-oriented and we move with speed.

Beth Topolovsky
Operations

beth@sparkgroup.se

Sherry Thomas-Zon
Marketing and Product Strategy

sherry@sparkgroup.se

Rich Mironov
Product Management and development

rich@sparkgroup.se

Christian Meincke
Sales and Marketing

christian@sparkgroup.se

Per-Ola Andersson
Product Management

per-ola@sparkgroup.se

Thomas JOhansson
Product Strategy

thomas@sparkgroup.se

Peter Hamberg
Product Management

peter@sparkgroup.se

Breaux Norris
Sales and Operations

breaux@sparkgroup.se

Tord Johnsson
Production and Logistics

tord@sparkgroup.se

Michael Aronowitz
B2B Sales and Managed Media

michael@sparkgroup.se

Charles Lafage
Market and competitive analysis

charles@sparkgroup.se

Carol Hargrave
Brand Strategy and Product Marketing

carol@sparkgroup.se

Thomas Nordén
Marketing Communications

norden@sparkgroup.se

Where we are |

In modern times we are where you are

Stockholm, Sweden

Beth Topolovsky
Torbjörn Klockares Gata #23
113 30 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: +46 70 563 4315
beth@sparkgroup.se

San Francisco, CA

Sherry Thomas Zon
49 Missouri Street
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 415-845-4330
sherry@sparkgroup.se