Technology programme, business and contracting consultancy

Taking ambitious ventures to their highest point.

Apogee Advisory helps technology companies plan and deliver complex programmes, win and manage contracts, enter new international markets and scale their teams. We bring structure, commercial sharpness and calm execution, so your engineers can stay focused on what they do best.

AustraliaSwitzerlandUnited KingdomProjects worldwideRemote or on site

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BoutiqueSelect specialists working with a few clients at a time

GlobalClients, partners and suppliers worldwide

TRL 1 to 9Experience at every stage of technology readiness

DeliveredProgrammes, products and market entries taken to completion

What we do

Six ways we move your business forward

From leading an entire programme to opening a new market or putting the right people in your team.

Programme delivery

Complex technical programmes planned, governed and delivered on time and on budget.

International business development

Market entry, partner search and cultural adaptation for growth abroad.

Contracting and commercial

Tenders, contracts, IP and negotiation that win work and protect value.

See all services

How we work

Modern tools. Experienced people. A global network.

We use AI where it makes us faster and keep experienced people in charge of every output. Behind each engagement stands a team that leans on each other, and a network of partners around the world.

See how we work

Case studies

Recent results

Market entry

A Swiss engineer's path into Japan

Market, competitor and cultural review for an industrial SME.

A board ready entry strategy and roadmap

Product development

New product for a global tech brand

Programme support for a consumer technology product.

Teams and suppliers aligned on one plan

Deep tech

Drone startup, concept to prototype

Contracts, PMO and negotiations for a university partnership.

TRL 2 to TRL 6, heading toward production

Client statements

What our clients say

Statements from leaders we have delivered for. Names are kept confidential.

“He was very adept at balancing the needs of the multiple projects under management at any one time, always being very timely and efficient in his work.”

Technology General ManagerUniversity and industry R&D program · Engaged for project management services

“Both our clients and I have been extremely impressed with [the] work ethic, including his assistance and leadership in the areas of finance, procurement, contract management, scheduling, stakeholder management and contributing to team morale.”

Managing DirectorDefence and space consulting firm · Engaged for finance, procurement and contract management

“Extremely conscientious, pro-active … This enabled [our lead] to provide benefit to the Program, from the strategic through to the technical levels.”

Deputy Program LeaderGovernment science and technology organisation · Engaged for a full PMO build and program support

“[Apogee’s lead] was passionate about achieving the outcomes and goals for the Program, and did his best to drive the program in the right direction.”

Deputy Program LeaderGovernment science and technology organisation · Engaged for program leadership

Ready to reach your next milestone?

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Services

What you can engage us for

Pick one service for a defined piece of work, or combine them into a full programme partnership.

Programme and project delivery

Scope, schedule, budget, risk and reporting for complex technical programmes.

Integrated plans and milestone control
Steering committee and investor reporting
Recovery of slipping projects

International business development

Grow into new countries with a plan that fits the market and its culture.

Market entry and competitor reviews
Partner, distributor and customer search
Cultural adaptation of sales and messaging

Contracting and commercial

Win the work, then keep the commercial side clean and fair.

Tenders, bids and pricing models
Contracts, licensing and technology transfer
Variations, claims and negotiation

PMO and governance

A programme office that gives leaders one clear view and faster decisions.

Governance, reporting and risk frameworks
Portfolio dashboards
Process and system rollout

Supply chain and compliance

Hardware sourced on time, with regulation handled early.

Supplier search and qualification
Long lead and custom items
Export controls and ITAR reviews

Interim managers and support staff

Experienced people embedded in your team for as long as you need them.

Interim programme and operations managers
Project coordinators and business support
Cover for growth, launches and leave

Pricing

Fair fees, built for growing tech companies

As a small firm of select specialists we keep overheads low, so our rates stay reasonable and competitive for startups and smaller technology firms.

See how we price

Sectors we serve

SpaceAerospaceDefenceConsumer technologyIndustrial engineeringPhotonicsQuantumAI and dataDronesInfrastructureUniversities and research

How we work

A modern crew, built for hard problems

We combine the speed of modern AI tools with experienced people who know exactly where those tools help and where they fail. Around that core sits a team that leans on each other and a network of partners that spans the world.

Your mission at the centreEverything we do is measured against your goals, your budget and your timeline.
A core team that works as oneProgramme, commercial and market specialists who share knowledge and lean on each other to get the job done.
Human review of every outputAI tools and new methods come in fast. Nothing reaches you until an experienced person has checked it.
A trusted network on the outer orbitAssociates, industry and research contacts, and international partners we bring in when a challenge needs them.

Our principles

What makes our way of working different

01

AI powered, human led

We are a modern consultancy and we use AI tools every day for research, analysis, drafting and planning. Our people understand both the power and the problems of these tools, from hallucinated facts to hidden bias and data privacy. Every output is actively reviewed, challenged and owned by a person before it reaches you.

02

One team, one network

No one on our team works alone. We actively draw on each other's strengths and on a network built across industry, research and government, so you get the right expertise for each problem, not just the person in front of you.

03

Always looking for a better method

We actively seek out new methodologies, frameworks and tools, from agile hardware delivery to modern procurement and portfolio practice, and bring the ones that genuinely work into your programme.

04

International when it matters

When a challenge crosses borders, we engage international partners, local experts and suppliers to make sure the job succeeds. Every engagement also grows our network, which makes the next one stronger.

Every engagement

Four steps from first call to handover

ListenWe learn your goals, constraints and the people involved before proposing anything.
ShapeA clear scope, timeline and commercial approach that fits your stage and budget.
DeliverHands on delivery with honest reporting and early warning on risks.
EmbedWe leave behind processes and people that keep working after we step back.

Across the lifecycle

With you from first idea to market

Engagement

Concept and bid

Development

Qualification

Market and service

Deep tech startup partnershipTRL 2 to TRL 6

Consumer technology productProduct development programme

Lunar optical sensorQualification route to ESA

Satellite tenderBid strategy and costing

Defence programme officeGovernance and procurement

Japan market entrySwiss industrial SME

TRL means Technology Readiness Level, the 1 to 9 scale used by ESA and NASA to show how mature a technology is.

Pricing

Clear pricing for every kind of support

We are not a large firm, and we do not price like one. Low overheads keep our fees reasonable and very competitive for startups and smaller technology companies. Every engagement starts with a written proposal that sets out scope and fees before any work begins.

Service lines

What we offer and how it is priced

Each service can be booked on its own or combined. Rates depend on scope, seniority and location, and are confirmed in your proposal.

Project management services

Experienced project and programme managers who plan, govern and deliver your work.

Planning, scheduling and milestone control
Risk, budget and stakeholder reporting
Recovery of slipping projects

Priced byDay rateMonthly fee

Direct support labour

Skilled people embedded directly in your team: coordinators, analysts, procurement and business support.

Fast start, flexible duration
Cover for growth, launches and leave
Scale up or down as you need

Priced byHourly or day ratePer person

Analysis reviews

Independent, structured reviews with clear findings and recommendations.

Programme health and schedule reviews
Budget, cost and risk analysis
Contract, supplier and market reviews

Priced byFixed fee per review

Business development planning

A growth plan you can act on, from target markets to pipeline and pitch.

Market entry and expansion plans
Customer, partner and distributor targeting
Pitch, proposal and tender strategy

Priced byFixed fee per planOptional retainer

Third party international management

We manage overseas suppliers, partners, distributors and subcontractors on your behalf.

Supplier and partner coordination across time zones
Performance, quality and delivery tracking
Cultural and language bridging

Priced byMonthly management fee

Contracting and tender support

Win the right work on the right terms.

Bid strategy, writing and pricing models
Contract review and negotiation support
Variations and claims

Priced byFixed fee per bidDay rate

PMO setup and governance

A programme office built for your stage, with the frameworks to run it.

Governance, reporting and risk frameworks
Portfolio dashboards and tools
Training your team to run it

Priced byFixed fee setupOptional monthly support

Supply chain and procurement

Hardware and services sourced on time, with compliance handled early.

Supplier search and qualification
Specifications and purchase packages
Export control and ITAR reviews

Priced byFixed feeDay rate

Interim leadership

Senior programme or operations leaders who step in and take ownership.

Interim programme and operations managers
Leadership through change or rapid growth
Structured handover to a permanent hire

Priced byMonthly rate

Strategic advisory

An experienced sounding board for founders, boards and leadership teams.

Regular advisory sessions
Investor and board preparation
On call support for key decisions

Priced byMonthly retainer

Engagement models

Choose the way you want to work with us

Project

Fixed scope

A defined deliverable such as a bid, a market entry review or a PMO setup, priced up front.

Part time

Fractional

Senior programme or commercial support one to three days a week.

Contract

Interim and staffing

Full time people on your team for a set period, from weeks to a year or more.

Ongoing

Retainer

A set number of advisory hours each month, used when and where you need them.

Reasonable fees

Small firm, small overheads

You pay for experienced people and their work, not for a large firm's offices and layers of management.

Transparent

Scope and fees agreed first

A written proposal sets out what we will deliver and what it will cost before any work starts.

Startup friendly

Built around your stage

Start small with a single review or a few days a month, and grow the engagement as your company grows.

Request a proposal

Case studies

What we have accomplished

A selection of client engagements. Names are kept confidential.

International business

Expanding a Swiss engineering company into Japan

Switzerland to Japan · Market entry review

Challenge: A Swiss industrial technology SME wanted to grow in Japan, a market where trust, long term relationships and local presence decide who wins.
What we did: Sized the opportunity across two priority industrial use cases, profiled the largest potential customers, and mapped six Japanese and European competitors. We then assessed how the offer, sales approach, pricing and communication would need to adapt to Japanese business culture, including relationship led selling, the role of local partners and distributors, and the long decision cycles of large industrial buyers. The same framework was used to compare a second expansion market.
Outcome: A board ready market entry strategy and visual roadmap showing where to start, who to approach first and how to build relationships for the long term.

Services provided

International business developmentMarket entry reviewCompetitor analysisCultural adaptationStrategy roadmap

Product development

Product development for a global technology brand

Switzerland · Programme support

Challenge: A global consumer technology brand needed structure around the development of a new product, with design, engineering and supplier teams working in parallel.
What we did: Apogee provided programme planning, cross team and supplier coordination, and clear progress reporting to help decision makers keep the product on track.
Outcome: One shared plan and a steady rhythm of decisions as the product moved toward launch.

Services provided

Programme deliveryProduct development planningSupplier coordinationProgress reporting

Deep tech

Taking a drone startup from concept to prototype

Australia · Commercial and programme lead

Challenge: An early stage company, then a team of one in a small office, had a promising uncrewed aerial system concept and needed a research partnership, contracts and a programme to mature it.
What we did: Led the contracting, PMO and negotiations on the research side of the partnership, structured the work packages and kept industry, academics and funders aligned as the system matured.
Outcome: A proven TRL 6 prototype heading toward volume production.

Services provided

Contracting and commercialPMO setupNegotiationPartnership management

Space

A lunar optical sensor on its way to ESA

Australia, Luxembourg, ESA · Programme support

Challenge: A university spin off needed a route to qualify a novel fluorescence sensor for a lunar mission.
What we did: Coordinated the pathway through a space qualified partner in Luxembourg and on to ESA, supported the contracts and export considerations, and kept researchers and partners working to one plan.
Outcome: A clear qualification route for a sensor destined for the Moon.

Services provided

Programme supportInternational partner coordinationContractsExport controls

Photonics

Equipping an advanced laser facility

Australia, France, Canada · Supply chain

Challenge: A 3,000 line list of custom crystal and laser optics for a confidential research programme, with lead times from the usual suppliers running to a year.
What we did: Turned technical needs into specifications, purchase packages and contracts, qualified new suppliers in France and Canada, and coordinated a full facility upgrade covering cleanroom, power, cooling, vibration and shielding.
Outcome: Stronger supply resilience, much shorter lead times and a facility ready for highly sensitive equipment.

Services provided

ProcurementSupplier qualificationSpecifications and contractsFacility upgrade coordination

Defence

Building a programme office from scratch

Australia, US, UK · Embedded consulting

Challenge: Communications, networks and airborne systems programmes running without a shared delivery framework, with large technology procurements to run under strict government rules.
What we did: Built the PMO: governance, reporting, schedule and risk frameworks. Ran large technology procurements, sat on evaluation panels and designed a transparent scoring matrix for a ten contractor, three year selection. Managed project controls on major aircraft mission system upgrades.
Outcome: One clear view of a portfolio of concurrent projects, a contractor selection that held up to scrutiny, and a software package delivered well ahead of schedule.

Services provided

PMO and governanceProcurement and tendersProject controlsRisk management

About us

Built for the missions people say can't be done

Apogee Advisory exists for the founders, engineers and dreamers who look at an impossible problem and ask, why not?

Why we started

We grew up looking up. Rocket launches, moon landings, and late nights watching Star Trek, where a small crew of specialists from every corner of the galaxy solved problems no one had solved before.

That idea never left us. A diverse, trusted crew. Real curiosity. The confidence to try what others say is impossible, and the discipline to actually make it work.

Over the years we have worked on lunar sensors, satellites, drones, lasers, defence systems and consumer technology. Again and again we saw brilliant teams held back not by the science, but by plans, contracts, suppliers and markets. So we built the company we wished those teams had: a small crew that takes on the hard, unglamorous work of delivery, so the breakthrough can happen.

Technology and space are not just our sectors. They are our passion. We want to work with clients, partners and people who feel the same way, and who would rather attempt something extraordinary than settle for what has been done before.

An astronaut walking on the Moon during the Apollo program

Why Apogee

The highest point, and the moment that changes everything

In orbital mechanics, the apogee is the point where a spacecraft is farthest from Earth. It is also where mission planners make their most efficient move. A short, precisely timed engine burn at apogee, known as the apogee kick, lifts the low point of the orbit and sets a satellite into its final, stable home.

Small, expert effort, applied at exactly the right moment, raises the whole trajectory. That is what we do for technology companies.

Leadership

Hamish Earl
Founder and CEO

Hamish founded Apogee to bring space grade discipline and a startup's energy to ambitious technology teams. He brings over 16 years of experience across space, aerospace, defence, engineering and technology, delivering programmes, contracts and partnerships for governments, global companies, universities and startups.

He holds an MSc in International Business from a leading Swiss business school and is an accredited project management practitioner.

What we believe

Our values

Ambition

We say yes to hard problems and bold goals, then build the plan that makes them real.

Honesty

Clear reporting and early warnings, so there are no surprises for you or your investors.

One crew

We lean on each other, share what we know and bring in the right partner wherever in the world they are.

Ownership

We treat your programme as if it were our own, and stay until the job is done properly.

Join the crew

Passionate about achieving the impossible?

We are always glad to meet specialists, partners and clients who share our love of technology and space. If you are building something people say can't be done, we want to hear from you.

Get in touch

Contact

Let's talk about your next milestone

Australia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are our home ground, and we take on projects worldwide, remote or on site.

Get in touch

EmailHamish.Earl@Gmail.com

Phone+41 77 287 06 50

LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/hamishearl

“Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in the cradle forever.”

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, pioneer of rocketry

Every ambitious venture outgrows its cradle. Tell us where you want to go next, and we will help you get there.

Taking ambitious ventures to their highest point.

Six ways we move your business forward

Programme delivery

International business development

Contracting and commercial

Modern tools. Experienced people. A global network.

Recent results

A Swiss engineer's path into Japan

New product for a global tech brand

Drone startup, concept to prototype

What our clients say

Ready to reach your next milestone?

What you can engage us for

Programme and project delivery

International business development

Contracting and commercial

PMO and governance

Supply chain and compliance

Interim managers and support staff

Fair fees, built for growing tech companies

A modern crew, built for hard problems

What makes our way of working different

AI powered, human led

One team, one network

Always looking for a better method

International when it matters

Four steps from first call to handover

With you from first idea to market

Clear pricing for every kind of support

What we offer and how it is priced

Project management services

Direct support labour

Analysis reviews

Business development planning

Third party international management

Contracting and tender support

PMO setup and governance

Supply chain and procurement

Interim leadership

Strategic advisory

Choose the way you want to work with us

Fixed scope

Fractional

Interim and staffing

Retainer

Small firm, small overheads

Scope and fees agreed first

Built around your stage

What we have accomplished

Expanding a Swiss engineering company into Japan

Product development for a global technology brand

Taking a drone startup from concept to prototype

A lunar optical sensor on its way to ESA

Equipping an advanced laser facility

Building a programme office from scratch

Built for the missions people say can't be done

The highest point, and the moment that changes everything

Hamish EarlFounder and CEO

Our values

Ambition

Honesty

One crew

Ownership

Passionate about achieving the impossible?

Let's talk about your next milestone

Hamish Earl
Founder and CEO