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This episode was co-produced by ⁠smzh⁠, your independent go-to partner in all matters relating to finance.

About Pascal Jenny:

⁠Pascal Jenny ⁠is the former managing director and current president at ⁠Arosa Tourismus⁠. He holds a BA in business administration from UZH and worked in Swiss sports television before founding Arosa Tourismus in 2008. He’s also the founder of tfy-consult, a company offering sustainability checks for other businesses, and is active as a board member at smzh. 

Pascal’s connection to the Arosa region is long-standing: he vacationed there every single Summer until he was 25, and his great-great-grandfather used to be a priest there, as well. As a young person, he always enjoyed Arosa, but found its tourism industry lacking in certain respects, which motivated him to create a business which not only functioned as a hotel but also hosted events and offered experiences, and, most importantly, which measured its results and iterated accordingly. 

Sustainability is a very important topic for Pascal, not only ecologically but also socially and economically. Arosa’s investors are aware that they’re unlikely to get back their investment, but still they offer their money because they want to build something beautiful. And when it comes to the relationship between Pascal’s business and the local Arosa population, clear and constant communication is key — and it served Pascal and his team well both when they came up with the idea to create a bear sanctuary, and when they thought of doing a gay ski week. Arosa Tourismus very intentionally does not invest much on social media marketing in order to avoid swaths of mass tourism coming their way.

Pascal stepped down from his managing director role in 2020 and is nowadays involved solely as president.

SMZH: tailor-made .holistic. for you.

⁠⁠smzh⁠⁠ is an independent financial services provider who is assisting both private and corporate clients with individual advice in the areas of finance & investments, pensions, mortgages, insurance, real estate and tax & law. Through a 360° Check-Up, smzh ensures that you receive customized and comprehensive financial planning according to your initial situation and with a view to achieving your wishes and goals, as well as being accompanied by our experts during implementation.

The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Pascal Jenny, founder Arosa Tourismus, Swisspreneur Podcast
November 18, 2024

EP #454 - Pascal Jenny: Building a Sustainable Tourism Business in Arosa

Pascal Jenny
46
English
Business Model
Growth & Scaling
Business Model
Growth & Scaling
No items found.

This episode was sponsored by ⁠smzh⁠, your independent go-to partner in all matters relating to finance.

About Samir Ounzain:

⁠Samir Ounzain⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠HAYA Therapeutics⁠, a precision medicines company targeting the regulatory genome for cardiovascular diseases, fibrosis and cancer. He holds a PhD from the University of Leicester and was previously a researcher at Imperial College London, University College London and CHUV Lausanne University Hospital before starting HAYA in 2019, together with his co-founder Daniel Blessing.

Early on in his academic career Samir studied the so-called “dark genome” (also known as the “regulatory genome”), which at the time of discovery (2001) was considered “junk DNA”, i.e. the 98% of our DNA that apparently did not make or in any way affect our genes. More recent scientific research has discovered that this regulatory genome is key to understanding how our genes interact with our environment, and can therefore be useful in targeting environment-caused diseases like heart failure and cancer.

HAYA’s lead therapeutic candidate is HTX-001, an antisense oligonucleotide targeting Wisper, which is a tissue and cell-specific cardiac lncRNA known to play a role in heart failure. The company is also developing a pipeline of lncRNA-targeting candidates for the cell-specific treatment of diseases in other tissues, including the lungs and the microenvironment of solid tumor cancers. The added benefit of their drugs is that by targeting the “dark” 98%, instead of the 2%, they result in zero side effects: conventional drugs help patients treat their diseases but they also produce secondary unwanted effects because the proteins that they are targeting (in our 2%) are also responsible for other functions — this same issue does not exist when it comes to drugs which interact with the dark genome.

They have raised a total of $25M in funding backed by a strong consortium of investors, including Broadview Ventures, Apollo Health Ventures, 4SeeVentures, BioInnovator, Bernina Bioinvest, Humboldt and Schroder Adveq.

This cover portrait was edited by ⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠

Samir Ounzain, co-founder HAYA Therapeutics, Swisspreneur Podcast
November 14, 2024

EP #453 - Samir Ounzain: Unlocking the Power of the Dark Genome

Samir Ounzain
41
English
Growth & Scaling
Market & Customers
Growth & Scaling
Market & Customers
No items found.

This episode was produced in collaboration with startup days, taking place next year on May 14th 2025. Click ⁠here⁠ to purchase your ticket.

About Pascal Weber:

⁠Pascal Weber⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠Manukai⁠, an ETH spin-off automating repetitive programming tasks by leveraging available production data. He holds a PhD in Computational Science and Engineering from ETH and worked at Harvard and the ETH AI Center before starting Manukai in 2023.

The Manukai name comes from the agglutination of “manu”, short for “manufacturing”, and “kaizen”, a Japanese term often used to refer to the principle of continuous improvement in manufacturing. Manukai’s goal is to take each and every task that a polymechanic may be responsible for and automate them, while still requiring confirmation from the technician — think of it like AI playing autocomplete, and you telling it “yes” or “no”. This technology will help improve quality in these processes and increase their speed. It will also free the polymechanic to spend more of his or her time doing creative work, instead of repetitive, manual drudgery.

This cover portrait was edited by www.smartportrait.io

Pascal Weber, co-founder Manukai, Swisspreneur Podcast
November 11, 2024

EP #452 - Pascal Weber: Why AI Will Free You From Repetitive Work

Pascal Weber
41
English
Early Stage
Early Stage
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This episode was sponsored by ⁠NordPass⁠. Use code “swisspreneur” at checkout to get 30% off Business and Teams plans.

About Nicole Kleger:

Nicole Kleger is the co-founder and CTO at sallea, a biotech startup enabling the cultivation of high-value, textured whole cuts of (lab) meat and fish. She holds a PhD in Materials Science from ETH and has been a Sports Instructor at Akademischer Sportverband Zürich since 2015. She started sallea in 2022.

sallea’s propriety scaffolds enable the cultivation of whole cuts of meat and fish, as opposed to the thin layers currently being produced. This in turn will enable the sale and consumption of these products in a non-processed way: we’ll be able to eat a lean fillet of lab meat, instead of eating lab meat sausage or ground lab meat. Furthermore, sallea’s scaffolding platform allows each of their customers to pre-define the texture, nutritional value, taste, and other key attributes of the end product.

They are currently raising CHF 2.2M in external funds. 

This cover portrait was edited by www.smartportrait.io

Nicole Kleger, co-founder sallea, Swisspreneur Podcast
November 7, 2024

EP #451 - Nicole Kleger: Why Lab Grown Meat Won’t Kill You

Nicole Kleger
31
English
Early Stage
Market & Customers
Early Stage
Market & Customers
No items found.

This episode was co-produced with ⁠smzh⁠, your independent go-to partner in all matters relating to finance.

About Gzim Hasani:

⁠Gzim Hasani⁠ is the CEO of and a partner at ⁠smzh⁠, an independent financial advisory company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. He holds a MSc in Banking and Finance and started his career working for Credit Suisse and Julius Baer, before venturing into entrepreneurship. In 2018, Hasani left the bank and founded Impegno & Partners, before then taking over smzh in 2019.

smzh’s goal is to join all types of financial advisory in one, thereby truly putting the customer in the driving seat, by allowing him or her to make holistic decisions. They offer advice in the areas of finance and investments, pensions, mortgages, insurance, real estate, and tax and law. smzh’s vision is to offer the best possible advice to all clients.

Gzim Hasani, CEO smzh, Swisspreneur Podcast
November 4, 2024

EP #450 - Gzim Hasani: Building A Holistic Financial Advisory Company

Gzim Hasani
53
English
Market & Customers
Legal
Market & Customers
Legal
No items found.

Check out our FREE ⁠go-to-market masterclass⁠ with Ankita Mehta and Soumya Dash.

About Jürg Jost:

⁠Jürg Jost⁠ is the founder, former CEO and current CTO of the semiconductor manufacturer ⁠Spacetek Technology⁠. He holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Berner Fachhochschule BFH. Prior to starting Spacetek, Jürg worked as Head of Electrical Engineering Space Research & Planetary Sciences at the University of Bern.

Spacetek designs and builds time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOF-MS), bringing space technology to Earth. Their focus is semiconductor manufacturing and the issues of process engineers, end-users (foundries) and OEMs (wafer fab equipment). In 2023, Spacetek closed its seed financing round with Swisscom Ventures and the Moonshot Fund (from Spectrum Value Management), and they also accelerated their commercial developments with leading semiconductor manufacturers.

Jürg Jost, co-founder Spacetek Technology, Swisspreneur Podcast
October 31, 2024

EP #449 - Jürg Jost: Time-of-Flight Tech, from Here to the Moon

Jürg Jost
44
English
Growth & Scaling
Market & Customers
Growth & Scaling
Market & Customers
No items found.

Check out our FREE ⁠go-to-market masterclass⁠.

About Gaëlle Andreatta:

⁠Gaëlle Andreatta⁠ is the co-founder and CTO of ⁠apheros⁠, a startup manufacturing metal foams for thermal, catalysis, and battery applications. She holds a PhD in Physics from Pierre and Marie Curie University and an MBA from ETH/HSG. Gaëlle worked for companies like Oxford Nanopore Technologies and CSEM before co-founding apheros in 2023.

apheros’ novel metal foams offer unprecedented properties due to their extremely high surface area and low density. The best way Gaëlle has of explaining how metal gets turned into a foam to people with little scientific background is through the metaphor of making meringue. apheros makes metal foams in a way that is “similar” to how you would froth your egg white. They foam their metal, shape it, and then use very high temperatures to set the shape. Their metal foam is useful for cooling down certain materials (in a similar way to how liquid cooling works), for kickstarting certain chemical reactions, and for ensuring the current collectors in lithium ion batteries work optimally. 

apheros is currently working closely with between 60 to 70 customers, and in talks with a dozen more. Their team is 2/3s women, which Gaëlle attributes not to any conscious decision on their part but to the fact that both co-founders are women, which probably encourages female applicants to apply.

Gaëlle Andreatta, co-founder apheros, Swisspreneur Podcast
October 24, 2024

EP #448 - Gaëlle Andreatta: The Alchemists Turning Metal into Foam

Gaëlle Andreatta
43
English
Market & Customers
Growth & Scaling
Market & Customers
Growth & Scaling
No items found.

This episode was co-produced with ⁠smzh⁠, your independent go-to partner in all matters relating to finance.

About Stefan Schärer:

⁠Stefan Schärer⁠ is the co-founder and former CEO of the proptech startup ⁠Houzy⁠. Stefan previously founded the software company Fairgate and the real estate project management company Neubau Portal, and was briefly the CEO of Moneyhouse AG, before founding Houzy in 2017.

Houzy offers services like property search, mortgage comparison, a renovation costs check and energy efficiency optimization. In the beginning they chose not to overspend on complex marketing tools and instead worked hard to optimize their SEO, which gradually became easier as they drew more users to the platform. Stefan credits Houzy’s great marketing and product teams, as well as their smart money investors, with the success of the company. 

In 2022 UBS and Baloise acquired a joint majority stake in Houzy, and one year later Stefan stepped down from his CEO role. Nowadays he’s the President of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. 

SMZH: tailor-made .holistic. for you.

⁠smzh⁠ is an independent financial services provider who is assisting both private and corporate clients with individual advice in the areas of finance & investments, pensions, mortgages, insurance, real estate and tax & law. Through a 360° Check-Up, smzh ensures that you receive customized and comprehensive financial planning according to your initial situation and with a view to achieving your wishes and goals, as well as being accompanied by our experts during implementation.

The cover portrait was edited by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Stefan Schärer, co-founder Houzy, Swisspreneur Podcast
October 21, 2024

EP #447 - Stefan Schärer: Building and Exiting a PropTech Startup in Switzerland

Stefan Schärer
47
English
Growth & Scaling
Exit
Growth & Scaling
Exit
No items found.

About Fabio Ronga:

⁠Fabio Ronga⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠beqom⁠, a cloud-based compensation management solution. He holds a master's degree in Business Information Systems from HEC Lausanne and previously worked at Hyperion (bought by Oracle) and Outlooksoft (bought by SAP) before starting beqom in 2008.

Together with his co-founders (including Tanya Jansen and Stephan Pohl, who are still active in the company), Fabio built beqom to solve HR problems he himself had encountered earlier in his career. Serendipitously enough, someone Fabio used to know from Hyperion was on the board of a French company who had built the exact tech that Fabio and his co-founders needed, but was using it for different purposes. beqom was born out of a partnership with that company. Later on, when beqom was coming into its own, it merged with this French company.

beqom started out with Swiss headquarters and maintains them to this day. Fabio thinks this helped them be global-minded about their product building from day one: since Switzerland is such a linguistically and culturally fragmented country, Swiss founders cannot rely on their domestic market to keep them in business, like US companies can.

In 2022 beqom received a strategic investment of USD 300M from Sumeru Equity Partners. A few years prior, beqom had received another investment from Goldman Sachs, in exchange of which they promised a favorable exit scenario — this was their motivation for the 2022 Sumeru investment.

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Fabio Ronga, co-founder beqom, Swisspreneur Podcast
October 17, 2024

EP #446 - Fabio Ronga: The Hard Road to a $300M Valuation

Fabio Ronga
69
English
Market & Customers
Growth & Scaling
Market & Customers
Growth & Scaling
No items found.

Check out our FREE go-to-market masterclass with Ankita Mehta and Soumya Dash.

About Priyanka Dutta Passecker:

⁠Priyanka Dutta Passecker⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠Healiva⁠, a biotech startup using advanced cell therapy to treat acute and chronic wounds. She holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Trinity College Dublin and worked for companies like UCB Pharma, Axol Bioscience Ltd and Bioseutica before starting Healiva in 2020.

2-3% of the elderly suffer from painful venous/arterial leg ulcers and nearly 25% of diabetics may develop diabetic foot ulcers in their lifetimes. This burden is borne by healthcare systems, which spend 2% of their budgets on wound management. Worst of all, about 60% of chronic wounds remain unhealed. That’s why Healiva is such a game changer: they use 3 non-virus-based enzymes from codfish pancreas, which, due to their provenance, are quite stable at room temperature, and therefore can be stored in a liquid form and used as a spray. They’re currently getting ready for pre-clinical studies to prove the safety and efficacy of their product.

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Priyanka Dutta Passecker, co-founder Healiva, Swisspreneur Podcast
October 10, 2024

EP #444 - Priyanka Dutta Passecker: What If You Healed Chronic Wounds With a Spray?

Priyanka Dutta Passecker
37
English
Early Stage
Growth & Scaling
Early Stage
Growth & Scaling
No items found.

This episode was co-produced with ⁠smzh⁠, your independent go-to partner in all matters relating to finance.

About Andreas Krümmel:

⁠Andreas Krümmel⁠ is the former CEO at Generali Switzerland and a current board member at ⁠SMZH⁠, an independent partner in all matters related to finance, insurance, real estate, tax and law, for both private and corporate clients. He holds an MBA from HSG and spent 20 years working in insurance, for companies like Winterthur Group, AXA and Generali. 

During his chat with Silvan, Andreas discussed his key leadership principles (which boil down to simplifying things to the maximum, and listening before deciding), reminisced over Switzerland’s slow digitization process from the 80s until now, and reflected on the role insurtech startups are playing in today’s landscape.

SMZH: tailor-made .holistic. for you.
smzh is an independent financial services provider who is assisting both private and corporate clients with individual advice in the areas of finance & investments, pensions, mortgages, insurance, real estate and tax & law. Through a 360° Check-Up, smzh ensures that you receive customized and comprehensive financial planning according to your initial situation and with a view to achieving your wishes and goals, as well as being accompanied by our experts during implementation.

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Andreas Krümmel, board member smzh, Swisspreneur Podcast
October 7, 2024

EP #443 - Andreas Krümmel: Insurance in Switzerland, From the 80s Until Now

Andreas Krümmel
47
English
Operations
Culture
Operations
Culture
No items found.

This episode was sponsored by ⁠NordPass⁠. Use code “swisspreneur” at checkout to get 30% off Business and Teams plans.

About Alessandro Ofner:

⁠Alessandro Ofner⁠ is the co-founder and co-CEO of ⁠Microcaps⁠, a startup developing breakthrough technology to naturally encapsulate ingredients and fragrances into visually appealing micro-capsules. He holds a PhD from ETH and started his company in 2018, as soon as he finished his postgraduate studies.

Microcaps’ use cases range from nutrition (natural encapsulation of nutrition products to protect ingredients and improve performance), to cosmetics (encapsulation solutions for ethanol-free perfume and serum products) and pharmaceuticals (a patented approach to sustained release with oral and injectable application). To protect their product, they’ve successfully applied for 11 different patents, which makes it so that their partners don’t have to worry about copycats. 

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Alessandro Ofner, co-founder Microcaps, Swisspreneur Podcast
October 3, 2024

EP #442 - Alessandro Ofner: How This Microcapsule Tech Can Change Pharma, Cosmetics & Cuisine

Alessandro Ofner
39
English
Market & Customers
Business Model
Market & Customers
Business Model
Female Founders Initiative

This episode was co-produced with the ⁠Female Founders Initiative⁠.

About Regula Buob:

⁠Regula Buob⁠ is the founder of ⁠SoftTec⁠, a consultancy that offers services related to both technical and soft skills. She is also a coach for early stage startups and scale-ups. Regula holds a master’s degree in Special Education and another one in Career Counseling. She founded SoftTec in 2009. 

Regula went into the education field because it was a way to convince her somewhat conservative father to allow her to study at university — in this field, she could reliably make money. Her background in education is what sets her apart as a startup coach. During her chat with our co-host Merle, Regula discussed why Switzerland supports its startups well in terms of education but not in terms of funding, why she thinks we should invest 1-2% of Switzerland’s pension fund into Swiss startups, and why there is an urgent need to change the Swiss “failure culture”.  

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Regula Buob, founder SoftTec, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 30, 2024

EP #441 - Regula Buob: How Coaching Helps Swiss Startups Be Successful

Regula Buob
46
English
Early Stage
Early Stage
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This episode was sponsored by ⁠⁠smzh⁠⁠, your independent go-to partner in all matters relating to finance.

About Tobias Reichmuth & Marc P. Bernegger:

⁠Tobias Reichmuth⁠ and ⁠Marc P. Bernegger⁠ are two serial entrepreneurs and startup investors who together have built ⁠Maximon⁠, an incubator for impactful, science-based and scalable companies providing healthy aging and rejuvenation solutions. Tobias holds a PhD in Business Administration from EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht, and Marc holds a master’s degree in Law from UZH.

Tobias’ interest in the longevity topic was first sparked back in 2016, when he was studying at the Singularity University, in California, and heard the process of aging referred to as a sickness — which, given the right tools and science, could be combatted. In 2021 he started Maximon together with his friend, Marc.

Maximon builds companies along the longevity value-chain, from enablers such as science-based supplements, genetic improvements, and personalized treatments, to necessities such as life-long learning, healthspan-insurances for centennials, to sustainable asset management solutions replacing today’s pensions and co-living for active and healthy seniors. Marc and Tobias also host a longevity conference, called Longevity Investors, which addresses the investor community and brings together science and capital. 

Maximon holds substantial shares in all of their ventures. This way there is no need for hidden fees, and the incentives of both Maximon and the founders are aligned: their common goal is to increase the value of company shares as much as possible. Founders also receive funding up to Series A, as well as hands-on operational support from Marc and Tobias. 

Marc and Tobias have invested CHF 10M of their own money into the Maximon fund, and they don’t pay themselves salaries. It’s the long term upside that interests them. 

SMZH: tailor-made .holistic. for you.smzh is an independent financial services provider who is assisting both private and corporate clients with individual advice in the areas of finance & investments, pensions, mortgages, insurance, real estate and tax & law. Through a 360° Check-Up, smzh ensures that you receive customized and comprehensive financial planning according to your initial situation and with a view to achieving your wishes and goals, as well as being accompanied by our experts during implementation.

‍The cover portrait was edited by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Tobias Reichmuth & Marc P. Bernegger, founding partners Maximon, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 26, 2024

EP #440 - Tobias Reichmuth & Marc P. Bernegger: Building Ventures, from Crypto to Longevity

Tobias Reichmuth & Marc P. Bernegger
44
English
Business Model
Early Stage
Business Model
Early Stage
No items found.

This episode was co-produced by ⁠smzh⁠, your independent go-to partner in all matters relating to finance.

About Aurelia Frick:

⁠Aurelia Frick⁠ is an advisory and board member and the former Foreign Minister of Liechtenstein. She’s got a PhD in Law, but her journey took some unexpected turns. After working in a big law firm in Zurich, she quickly realized that the life of a lawyer wasn’t for her. She felt isolated and bored, missing the chance to interact with people and make a real difference. So she leaped into politics, where she could actually see the impact of her work.

She spent 10 years in the government, tackling everything from foreign affairs to culture, and learned a lot about navigating complex environments. Now, she’s on the executive board at SMZH, a company helping people with finance, insurance, real estate, and more. She’s passionate about supporting startups, pushing for better education, and finding new ways to solve old problems. For Aurelia, it’s all about doing what matters and making a real impact, whether it’s in the boardroom or the classroom.

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ ⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠.

SMZH: tailor-made .holistic. for you.
smzh is an independent financial services provider who is assisting both private and corporate clients with individual advice in the areas of finance & investments, pensions, mortgages, insurance, real estate and tax & law. Through a 360° Check-Up, smzh ensures that you receive customized and comprehensive financial planning according to your initial situation and with a view to achieving your wishes and goals, as well as being accompanied by our experts during implementation.

Aurelia Frick, former minister Liechtenstein, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 23, 2024

EP #439 - Aurelia Frick: How To Make Your Country More Startup-Friendly

Aurelia Frick
48
English
Culture
Culture
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Über Beni Huggel:

⁠Benni Huggel⁠ ist Gründer und Head of Sales bei der ⁠Athlete's Network⁠, einer Organisation, die Athleten beim Übergang in ihre Nachsportkarriere unterstützt. Der ehemalige Profifussballer spielte für den FC Basel und die Schweizer Nationalmannschaft, für die er über 40 Länderspiele absolvierte. Nach seinem Rücktritt gründete er die Athlete's Network, um Sportler dabei zu unterstützen, ihre Fähigkeiten und Erfahrungen in die Arbeitswelt einzubringen.

Die Idee für das Athlete’s Network kam Beni auf einer Autofahrt im November 2019. Am nächsten Tag schrieb er einen LinkedIn Post darüber und erhielt nicht nur enormen Zuspruch, sondern fand auch seine späteren Mitgründer über diesen Weg.

Das Athlete’s Network unterstützt ehemalige Spitzensportler:innen und -sportler beim Einstieg in die Arbeitswelt nach der Sportkarriere. Mit über 2500 Athletinnen und Athleten und über 100 Partnerfirmen funktioniert das Athlete’s Netzwerk wie eine two-sided Plattform, bei der die Partnerfirmen explizit nach Spitzensportlern, weil sie davon überzogen sind, dass diese Fähigkeiten mitbringen, die man nur im Spitzensport lernt. Das sogenannte Athlete’s Mindset - Disziplin, Fokus, Ausdauer, Resilienz - ist für diese Firmen Grund genug, um über fehlende Arbeitserfahrung hinwegzusehen.

Das Titelbild wurde von⁠ ⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠ bearbeitet.

Beni Huggel, co-founder Athletes Network, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 19, 2024

EP #438 - Beni Huggel: Wie ein Athlete Mindset im Geschäftsleben nützlich ist

Beni Huggel
46
German
Early Stage
Hiring & Firing
Early Stage
Hiring & Firing
No items found.

This episode was co-produced/sponsored by ⁠NordPass⁠. Use code “swisspreneur” at checkout to get 30% off Business and Teams plans.

About Karolis Arbaciauskas:

⁠Karolis Arbaciauskas⁠ is the Head of Product & Business Development at ⁠NordPass⁠, a password management solution and part of Nord Security, the world’s leading cybersecurity company. He holds an MA in Economics from The Berlin School of Economics and Law and previously worked for companies like L'Oréal, Nordea and Danske Bank before joining NordPass in 2020.

During his chat with Silvan, Karolis tried to dispel the myth that cybersecurity concerns are a milestone which ought only be available to developed scaleups — he thinks being safe online should be something which startups tackle from day one. He also provided insight into the main causes of data breaches, spoke about how cybersecurity and the dark web are connected and introduced the concept of Ransomware as a Service, which basically consists of more skilled hackers building and selling software that less skilled hackers can use to hack their victims.

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ ⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠.

Karolis Arbaciauskas, head of product NordPass, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 16, 2024

EP #437 - Karolis Arbaciauskas: Why Cybersecurity Should Be a Startup’s 1st Priority

Karolis Arbaciauskas
36
English
Legal
Operations
Legal
Operations
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About Samantha Anderson:

⁠Samantha Anderson⁠ is the co-founder and CEO at ⁠DePoly⁠, a cleantech startup recycling hard-to-recycle plastic. She’s originally from Canada and holds a PhD in Carbon Capture and Storage from EPFL (her studies being the reason she moved to Switzerland). Sam worked as a researcher for some years before starting DePoly in 2019. 

DePoly tackles a very pressing issue: out of all plastics produced, 90% are not recycled, but instead get incinerated (resulting in atmospheric pollution), or end up in the ocean (which is how we get microplastics in our food), or simply become litter (and take 500 years to decompose). Only “easy to recycle” plastic items such as bottles or clean packaging are actually recycled.

DePoly’s cutting-edge recycling process converts plastics into high-quality raw materials without compromising their quality. Not only is it energy-efficient, but it also has the remarkable ability to handle even the most challenging streams of PET plastic and textiles, including mixed, dirty post-consumer and post-industrial waste that are traditionally considered unrecyclable.

This cover portrait was edited by ⁠www.smartportrait.io

Samantha Anderson, co-founder DePoly, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 12, 2024

EP #436 - Samantha Anderson: Creating a Circular Economy for Plastics

Samantha Anderson
36
English
Product
Product
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About Silvan Leibacher:

⁠Silvan Leibacher⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠Eggfield⁠, a startup replacing eggs in the food industry through plant-based and clean label ingredients. He holds a BSc in Business Management from ZHAW, and previously co-founded the bakery Leibacher Biber-Manufaktur AG in 2010 with his siblings, before starting Eggfield in 2020.

During his time at his family bakery, Silvan realized the impact that the use of animal products has on CO2 emissions. While there were well-known alternatives to dairy products, this was not the case for eggs, which motivated Silvan to search for a solution. He found it in History: back in WW2, soldiers were already using aquafaba (which is the water used for boiling chickpeas) as an egg substitute. 

Together with his food engineer co-founder, Silvan decided to build Eggfield, a company selling clean label egg alternatives based on aquafaba to other companies, which then use them to bake cakes or create sauces. They are not (at least for the moment) interested in going B2C or selling alternatives to scrambled or boiled eggs.                                      

Eggfield is currently fundraising through the Swisspreneur Syndicate. Check out ⁠their deal⁠ to learn more.

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ www.smartportrait.io⁠.

Silvan Leibacher, co-founder Eggfield, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 9, 2024

EP #435 - Silvan Leibacher: Making a Cost-Competitive Vegan Egg Alternative

Silvan Leibacher
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About Johannes Tiefenthaler:

⁠Johannes Tiefenthaler⁠ is the co-founder and co-CEO of ⁠neustark⁠, a cleantech startup deploying carbon dioxide removal technology. He holds a PhD from ETH and started neustark back in 2019.

neustark’s ambition is to remove one million tons of CO2 by 2030. After three years in business, neustark has 10 operational CO2 storage plants, and a dedicated team of over 50 professionals driving this mission forward. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C implies reaching net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 according to the IPCC, and next to substantially reducing emissions, this target will only be possible by globally deploying carbon removal (CDR) solutions at the scale of billions of tons of CO2.

They have received a Gold Standard certification for their CDR methodology and have raised a total of $20K in funding over 3 rounds, with Innosuisse and Technology Fund being their most recent investors.

The cover portrait was edited by⁠ www.smartportrait.io⁠.

Johannes Tiefenhaler, co-founder neustark, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 5, 2024

EP #434 - Johannes Tiefenthaler: Why We Need Carbon Capture to Save the Planet

Johannes Tiefenthaler
42
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About Christian Hirt:

⁠Christian Hirt⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠AtlasVR⁠, a startup harnessing the power of virtual reality for vocational training. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from ETH and previously worked for Rheinmetal Air Defence and the Swiss Armed Forces before starting Atlas VR in 2022.

AtlasVR provides a solution to complement and substitute industrial vocational training, while eliminating many challenges faced by traditional training. They achieve this by harnessing the potential of virtual reality technology, which allows trainees to learn and practice industrial tasks such as operating complex production machines in an interactive virtual environment.

AtlasVR has planned to raise a total of CHF 900K in 2024, of which CHF 200K have already been closed. They hope to close the remaining CHF 700K until the end of October, and will be doing so partially through the Swisspreneur Syndicate. Click ⁠here⁠ to learn more about the deal.

Christian Hirt, co-founder AtlasVR, Swisspreneur Podcast
September 2, 2024

EP #433 - Christian Hirt: Virtual Reality Training in Switzerland

Christian Hirt
15
English
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Market & Customers
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Product
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About Francisco Fernandez:

⁠Francisco Fernandez⁠ is the founder and former CEO of ⁠Avaloq⁠, a front-to-back software provider for financial institutions around the world. He holds a MSc in Computer Science from ETH, and was CEO at Avaloq until 2017, chairman from 2018 to 2021, and has been a board member since 2021.

Avaloq develops software that can be deployed flexibly through cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) or on-premises, and they also offer Banking Operations outsourcing through their Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) model. They have 160+ clients in 35 countries and currently employ over 2500 people. In October 2020, Avaloq was acquired by NEC Corporation for $2.2B.

Francisco Fernandez, founder Avaloq, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 29, 2024

EP #432 - Francisco Fernandez: The Universal Banking Platform

Francisco Fernandez
50
English
Growth & Scaling
Growth & Scaling
Female Founders Initiative

This episode was co-produced by the ⁠⁠Female Founders Initiative⁠⁠.

About Greta Preatoni:

⁠Greta Preatoni⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠Mynerva⁠, a startup developing a groundbreaking device for the treatment of neuropathy. She holds a PhD in Neuroengineering from ETH and started Mynerva in 2023, as soon as she finished her studies.

Neuropathy in general is a condition which causes both loss of sensation in the nerves and, paradoxically, chronic pain. It can be caused by diabetes, chemotherapy and even by COVID. Most of Mynerva’s patients are diabetics, who before accessing their solution were forced to rely on opioids with severe side effects. Despite relieving pain, the drugs also increased the likelihood of falls (from lack of sensation in the patient’s foot soles). 

The Mynerva team created Leia, a peerless non-invasive device with a sensorized insole that captures the information from the foot-ground interaction and translates it into electrical impulses delivered on the skin. The optimally designed electrode placement and shape, together with AI-based algorithms, are able to directly target the nerves and reduce neuropathic pain. All health-related parameters are collected by the sensorized insole and a wearable bracelet to drive data-driven individualized therapies.

At present, Mynerva is actively focusing on obtaining the necessary certifications for their medical device. 

Greta Preatoni, co-founder Mynerva, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 26, 2024

EP #431 - Greta Preatoni: How to Relieve Pain For Millions Worldwide

Greta Preatoni
45
English
Sales & Marketing
Product
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Product
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About James Rilett:

⁠James Rilett⁠ is the CPTO at ⁠Open Mineral⁠, a startup offering metal commodity trade solutions enabled by a commercial and market intelligence platform. He holds a BA in International History from The London School of Economics and Political Science and previously worked as a consultant and derivatives trader before joining Open Mineral in 2022.

Open Mineral advances the trade of base metal raw materials and secondary products using technology and analytics. They are based in Switzerland but operate worldwide, and have so far raised CHF 40M in funds. They mainly trade in copper, zinc, lead and gold, which are crucial for the current energy transition. They also take care only to work with reputable providers who follow the strictest ESG guidelines, so as to avoid things like arsenic poisoning for the people involved in the transportation of these metals. 

James Rilett, CPTO Open Mineral, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 22, 2024

EP #430 - James Rilett: Commodity Trading for the Energy Transition

James Rilett
28
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About Aurelio Perucca:

⁠Aurelio Perucca⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠Splint Invest⁠, an alternative investment platform. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Bern and previously worked for companies like Stryker and PwC before starting Splint Invest in 2021. 

Splint Invest’s mission is to make it possible for all private investors to invest in alternative assets, (almost) regardless of personal wealth. Alternative investments are all investments that are not in stocks, bonds or ETFs, i.e. investments in highly illiquid assets like real estate, crypto, collectibles and luxury items like paintings, cars and wine.

Since alternative investments have a low correlation to the global economy (meaning they perform well in recession phases, as well as during economic booms), they are a good choice to diversify your portfolio and make it more resilient. You should, however, be very careful about which alternative assets you invest in, as there is low transparency in the market. Splint Invest can help you there by doing all the due diligence work for you. 

Aurelio Perucca, co-founder SplintInvest, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 19, 2024

EP #429 - Aurelio Perucca: How to Make Money from Alternative Investments

Aurelio Perucca
36
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Click ⁠here⁠ to apply to join our Founders Slack.

About Jessica Farda:

⁠Jessica Farda⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠noriware⁠, a cleantech startup producing sustainable packaging materials based on seaweed. She holds a BA in International Affairs from HSG and founded her company in 2021, straight out of university. 

The noriwear idea came during a trip to Mexico, where Jessica for the first time found herself thinking more deeply about seaweed and its possible applications. Later on her research led her to discover plenty of interesting facts about this marine plant, such as that there are over 12’000 species of seaweed, that seaweed are divided into reds, greens and browns (which grow in different parts of the planet), and that some types of seaweed grow 1 meter per day without any need for freshwater, fertilizer or land. Further research then led Jessica to discover that polysaccharides can be extracted from seaweed, with which plastic granules can be made. 

At first, it was difficult to be taken seriously in the biotech/cleantech world, considering her background was in business and international affairs — but Jessica persisted, speaking to research paper authors, ETH professors and just about anyone she could find, until she was serendipitously connected to a polymers engineer, Stefan, who later became her co-founder.

Nowadays noriwear produces norifilm, a flexible packaging material that can be used for dry goods of any kind. It offers the texture and stability of a conventional plastic film, but differs in its durability and footprint on the environment. It also becomes entirely transparent when placed on an object, and after usage decomposes like a fruit, leaving no residual waste. While the noriwear team plans to expand their technology to other applications in the packaging industry, their focus now is on reducing the waste generated by plastic cups and packaging films. 

Jessica Farda, co-founder noriware, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 15, 2024

EP #428 - Jessica Farda: The Future of Green Packaging

Jessica Farda
50
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Early Stage
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About Kevin Baxpehler, Diego Braguglia, Harald Nieder & Mike Hobmeier:

⁠Kevin Baxpehler⁠ is the managing partner at ⁠Remagine Ventures⁠, a venture capital fund focused on media related technology investments in Israeli startups. ⁠Diego Braguglia⁠ is the managing partner at ⁠VI Partners AG⁠, a Swiss venture capital firm focused on healthcare and technology ventures. ⁠Harald Nieder⁠ is a general partner at ⁠Redalpine Venture Partners AG⁠, a sector-agnostic Swiss venture capital firm. ⁠Mike Hobmeier⁠ is the CIO at ⁠Verve Ventures⁠, a network and technology-driven venture capital firm headquartered in Switzerland.

During their chat with Silvan, these four VCs discussed how startups can know if they’re ready to raise VC money, what motivates investors to bet on companies before they have a proven track record, as well as the sectors for which Switzerland is famous, and where Swiss innovation truly comes from.

Kevin Baxpehler, Diego Braguglia, Harald Nieder & Mike Hobmeier, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 12, 2024

EP #427 - 4 VCs Discuss Growth Stage Funding

Kevin Baxpehler, Diego Braguglia, Harald Nieder & Mike Hobmeier
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Click ⁠here⁠ to apply to join our Founders Slack.

About Tillmann Lang:

⁠Tillmann Lang⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠Inyova Impact Investing⁠, an investment platform that enables you to achieve your financial goals by investing your savings in a way that is 100% consistent with your values and lifestyle. He holds a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Heidelberg and founded the Sustainability in Business Lab at ETH Zurich and Clean Peak Solutions before starting Inyova in 2017.

Although not a perfect system, capitalism is, in Tillmann’s opinion, the best economic system there is, in terms of correctly and efficiently allocating resources. But the free market is, of course, not enough — social progress has been achieved through regulations. 

At Inyova, he helps people make sure their money is going into causes they believe in, not helping to fuel unethical businesses. Customers can completely personalize their investment portfolio up to the single stock level, or they can simply choose to blacklist a number of companies, or they can leave it up to Inyova. Inyova is fully regulated in Switzerland and Germany.

Tillmann Lang, co-founder Inyova, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 8, 2024

EP #426 - Tillmann Lang: Can Capitalism Save The Planet?

Tillmann Lang
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Click ⁠here⁠ to apply to join our Founders Slack.

About Enzo Wälchli:

⁠Enzo Wälchli⁠ is the CCO at ⁠Anybotics⁠, a company providing autonomous robotic inspection solutions, and LinkedIn’s #1 Swiss voice in robotics. He holds an MA in Accounting and Finance from HSG and previously worked at Sulzer and Hilti Schweiz before joining Anybotics in 2021. 

Enzo has 70K+ followers on LinkedIn, where he posts cool robotics content and also shares some insights into Anybotics’ journey. He’s firmly convinced that every salesperson should be using LinkedIn to connect with prospects. This doesn’t mean that you need to go around shooting connection requests and sending cold messages — on the contrary, if you post interesting content consistently, prospects will come to you, which is of course a much better starting point for a sales discussion.

Enzo thinks making it big on LinkedIn is relatively simple. Considering that the vast majority of LinkedIn users don’t post anything but merely consume content, if you start posting, you’re already one step ahead. And then you just need to keep posting, consistently, every day. It doesn’t matter if at first you post low quality content, because any piece of online content gets forgotten after a week anyhow: it only matters that you stay consistent and improve over time. If you can find a niche topic like robotics, all the better.

Enzo also recommends striking a balance between highly viral content (like cool robot videos) and actually meaningful content (such as his behind-the-scenes perspective on Anybotics). A viral post might have incredible stats, but it probably won’t get people to follow you, whereas consistent meaningful content will. 

Enzo Wälchli, CCO ANYbotics, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 5, 2024

EP #425 - Enzo Wälchli: Building Your Brand on LinkedIn

Enzo Wälchli
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English
Sales & Marketing
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This episode was sponsored by ⁠NordPass⁠. Use code “swisspreneur” at checkout to get 30% off Business and Teams plans.

About Marcel Salathé:

⁠Marcel Salathé⁠ is a professor at ⁠EPFL⁠, startup founder and investor, as well as a digital epidemiologist. He holds a PhD in Biology and Environmental Sciences from ETH, and has taught at Stanford and Penn State. He is the founder of the ⁠EPFL Extension School⁠ and ⁠AIcrowd⁠, an AI challenge platform at EPFL.

When founding the EPFL Extension School, Marcel’s goal was to fulfill EPFL’s mandate of not only educating its students but the Swiss population at large — he believes the current educational system, which restricts education to childhood and adolescence, is outdated, and that Swiss people need to be learning continuously, especially considering the rapid acceleration of technological development. Self-learning has played a big role in Marcel’s career, who originally studied Biology but has since branched out to machine learning and generative AI.

During his chat with Silvan, he further argues that although Switzerland has done a great job in connecting innovation centers (such as universities) with the private sector, it’s done terribly at channeling this innovation towards the public sector as well, which is why this sphere seems to be 20 years behind the curve. Marcel thinks there must be a structural push towards this, just as there was a concerted political effort before to connect universities with the private sector. He is strongly against the recent budget cuts for education and innovation, because he considers this to be the “magic sauce” of Switzerland’s prosperity.

Marcel Salathé, professor EPFL, Swisspreneur Podcast
August 1, 2024

EP #424 - Marcel Salathé: Universities Are the Key to Switzerland’s Success

Marcel Salathé
49
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Culture
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About Thomas Crawford & Daniel Delouya:

⁠Thomas Crawford⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠Bind⁠, a startup providing AI-powered insurance targeting. He holds a BA in Geography and Economics from Durham University and previously worked for Zurich Insurance before joining Bind as a late co-founder in 2024.

⁠Daniel Delouya⁠ is the co-founder and COO of Bind. He previously co-founded two companies, the social discovery app Blume and the smart home automation platform G13, before starting Bind in 2022. 

Bind makes it easy for businesses to better understand and target customers with relevant insurance products at scale. Their proprietary AI technology is wrapped in a simple-to-use API that businesses can implement with ease. They strategically leverage Switzerland's central location to facilitate seamless access to global markets.

Bind is currently raising CHF 1.5M, part of which is being done through the Swisspreneur Syndicate. Check out our ⁠dealflow page⁠ to learn more about the deal.

Thomas Crawford & Daniel Delouya, co-founders Bind, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 29, 2024

EP #423 - Thomas Crawford & Daniel Delouya: Building AI-Powered Insurance

Thomas Crawford & Daniel Delouya
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About Viktor Calabro:

⁠Viktor Calabro⁠ is the founder and former CEO of ⁠Coople⁠, Europe's largest digital staffing platform. He previously worked for companies like Trivadis AG and Erlebniskultur GmbH before starting Coople in 2009.

Coople matches flexible workers to short- and long-term assignments in various roles in office, retail, logistics, hospitality, events and hotel. They increase their clients’ revenue by adjusting their team in real-time to match fluctuating demand, and reduce their client’s costs by outsourcing admin and payroll. 

One challenge that Viktor had to face during his time at Coople was finding out that they had scaled too early, before actually achieving true product-market fit, and seeing themselves being spread too thin. This, paired with the fact that Victor had been going all-in for Coople for almost a decade and no longer had the energy to meet the needs of his role, made him step down as CEO role in 2018. Nowadays, his focus is on coaching, training, and investing, as well as on spending quality time with his family and friends.

Viktor Calabro, founder Coople, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 25, 2024

EP #422 - Viktor Calabro: How Coople Became Europe's Largest Digital Staffing Platform

Viktor Calabro
45
English
Growth & Scaling
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Growth & Scaling
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About Sean Wassermann & Constantin Marakhov:

⁠Sean Wassermann⁠ is the CTO at ⁠Kidemis⁠, a Swiss feedtech company that applies mycelium-based fermentation to upcycle low-value side streams into high value protein for various industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts and was previously CTO at companies like Cibdol and Aquanta before starting Kidemis in 2022.

⁠Constantin Marakhov⁠ is the CEO at Kidemis. He holds an MBA from the University of Oregon and a PhD in Finance from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and previously worked as a business school professor and as head of business development at the WEF before starting Kidemis in 2022. He is also the CEO and founder of Hempfy, a Swiss cannabis startup.

Kidemis' solution is to use mycoprotein as a partial or complete replacement for fishmeal in aquafeed. Mycoprotein is a sustainable alternative to fishmeal and fish oil because it is produced from renewable resources. The fungi that are used to produce mycoprotein can be grown on a variety of substrates, including agricultural sidestreams. This means that mycoprotein will be produced without putting a strain on global fish stocks or the environment. In addition, mycelium’s immune-stimulating properties could decrease the usage of antibiotics.

Kidemis is currently raising a CHF 1.5M seed round, 30% of which have already been committed. Part of these funds are being raised through the Swisspreneur Syndicate — click ⁠here⁠ to find out more.

Sean Wassermann & Constantin Marakhov, co-founders Kidemis, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 22, 2024

EP #421 - Sean Wassermann & Constantin Marakhov: How to Farm Fish Sustainably

Sean Wassermann & Constantin Marakhov
28
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This episode was sponsored by ⁠NordPass⁠. Use code “swisspreneur” at checkout to get 30% off Business and Teams plans.

About Yves Béhar:

⁠Yves Béhar⁠ is a venture designer, the founder of the ⁠fuseproject⁠, co-founder of TELO, August, and Canopy, and Chief Creative Officer at Jawbone, August Home, and TELO. He holds a BSc in Industrial Design from the ArtCenter College of Design (in Pasadena, California) and worked in consulting for many years before starting fuseproject in 1999. 

fuseproject was born out of a wish to create an integral version of design: not just designing something within the boundaries of the industrial design discipline, but actually thinking about branding and about creating an experience as well. 

Yves is a big believer in working tirelessly at your dream even if you don’t show impressive amounts of native talent. He recalls that from his friends at ArtCenter, he was the worst draftsman, but his idea for what he wanted to do with design and his tireless work carried him far regardless. Yves thinks suffering is part of the creative process, and that it is worth pushing through, because pain is temporary, but “suck” is forever.

Out of his wish to work long-term with resource-strained startups came the concept of “venture designing”: instead of charging startups like a consultant, he co-founds their ventures. Throughout the years he’s worked with 90+ startups. He believes this is the most mutually beneficial form of collaboration, since excellent design is usually the product of long term work and coexistence.

Yves Béhar, founder fuseproject, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 18, 2024

EP #420 - Yves Béhar: Venture Designing, Entrepreneurship & the Human Spirit

Yves Béhar
58
English
Business Model
Business Model
Female Founders Initiative

This episode was co-produced by the ⁠⁠Female Founders Initiative⁠⁠.

About Myriam Lingg:

⁠Myriam Lingg⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠macu4⁠, a startup creating empowering ortho-prosthetics for the forearm and hand. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and previously worked for the European Center of Pharmaceutical Medicine and the think tank W.I.R.E before starting macu4 in 2020.

macu4 prosthetics are lightweight, breathable, affordable and individually tailored to the needs of people with a missing or limited grip function of the hand, thanks to their innovative modular design. macu4 is a for-profit venture, but is highly committed to manufacturing affordable prosthetics through their smart design and 3D printing technology.

Myriam Lingg, co-founder macu4, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 15, 2024

EP #419 - Myriam Lingg: Making Prosthetics as a For-Profit Company

Myriam Lingg
21
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Early Stage
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About Fajer Mushtaq:

⁠Fajer Mushtaq⁠ is the co-founder and CEO at⁠ Oxyle⁠, a cleantech startup with a game-changing water remediation technology. She holds a PhD in Micro- and Nanotechnology for Environmental Remediation from ETH and previously worked there as a BRIDGE Proof-of-Concept Fellow, before starting Oxyle in 2020.

When we usually think of water pollution, we think of things like cigarette butts, plastic bags, or perhaps even bacteria or viruses. But what most of us fail to consider are micropollutants (like hormones, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial waste, etc…), so called not because they’re found in small amounts, but because a small amount is enough to have a carcinogenic effect, or cause infertility or birth defects. 1 nanogram per liter (which is the equivalent of 1 drop in 20 Olympic-sized pools) is concentration enough to cause humans and their ecosystems harm. What’s more, these micro-pollutants are bioaccumulative (meaning if you keep drinking them, they keep increasing in concentration in your blood), and stay in bodies of water for decades on end unless treated appropriately.

That’s where the ETH spin-off Oxyle comes in. Oxyle works at the last stage of water treatment to remove these micro-pollutants through their innovative nanotechnology. They do so in a sustainable, scalable manner by getting in touch with big companies looking to remediate the harm they’ve caused and prevent any more harm from being done. This is equally as important in Switzerland as it is in other places: the water Swiss people drink has 17x the amount of carcinogenic pesticides that is safe to consume.

Fajer strongly believes that  fighting climate change is done not only through innovative startups like Oxyle, but also through regulation. We need to hold polluters responsible, and nowadays, due to the growing sophistication of water analysis techniques, we definitely can. This way we can both remediate the harm that’s already been done, and stop future pollution at its source. 

Fajer Mushtaq, co-founder Oxyle, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 11, 2024

EP #418 - Fajer Mushtaq: Deep Climate Tech in Switzerland

Fajer Mushtaq
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This episode was co-produced with ⁠Switzerland Global Enterprise⁠. Click ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ to learn more about the Swisstech pavilion at CES 2025, mentioned at the start of the episode.

About Céline Udriot & Karine Jeanmonod-Wittmer:

⁠Céline Udriot⁠ is the COO at ⁠Largo.ai⁠, a startup providing next-generation storytelling tools for the audiovisual industry using artificial intelligence. She holds an MBA from Vatel Switzerland and worked in the hospitality industry before joining Largo.ai in 2022.

⁠Karine Jeanmonod-Wittmer⁠ is a trade commissioner in charge of Startup Ecosystems & Partnerships at the ⁠Swiss Business Hub USA⁠, which represents Switzerland Global Enterprise in the US. She holds a master's degree in Economics & International Relations from the Geneva Graduate Institute, and had been working in the US for 14 years before joining Swiss Business Hub in 2018.

During their chat with Silvan, Céline and Karine discussed entering the US market as a Swiss startup, both from a founder’s perspective and from SBH’s perspective. Among other topics, they elaborated on why the US’ size, affluence and political stability make it the most attractive market for startups still today, and mentioned some of the challenges of breaking into this new market as a Swiss startup, namely networking “cliques”, unexpectedly high expenses, and cultural differences regarding the level of ambition.

Céline Udriot & Karine Jeanmonod-Wittmer, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 8, 2024

EP #417 - How to Break Into the American Market

Céline Udriot & Karine Jeanmonod-Wittmer
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About Liliane Ableitner:

⁠Liliane Ableitner⁠ is the co-founder and CEO of ⁠Exnaton⁠, a software provider for energy communities, allowing neighbors to trade renewable energy amongst each other. Before starting Exnaton, Liliane was a Doctoral Researcher at the Bits of Energy Lab at ETH Zurich. 

She met her two co-founders, Arne Meeuw and Anselma Würner, during her work on the research project “Quartierstrom“, funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. The project resonated well with all stakeholders involved and the three PhD students decided to spin it out into an independent company in 2019. In December 2020, they won the Investor’s Choice award at Energy Startup Days, which helped the company to gain exposure amongst relevant stakeholders. 

Contrary to some of their competitors, Exnaton doesn’t sell their software to end consumers. Rather, they cooperate with local utility companies and allow them to white label their solution and distribute it to their customers. Exnaton is greatly benefiting from the liberalization of European energy markets because it has been driving competition for innovative products between utility companies. They are hoping to further benefit from an opening of the Swiss market, which has traditionally been very protected.

Liliane Ableitner, co-founder Exnaton, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 4, 2024

EP #416 - Liliane Ableitner: Exnaton 2 Years On

Liliane Ableitner
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About Matthias Heuberger:

⁠Matthias Heuberger⁠ is the founder and CEO of ⁠BreezeLabs⁠, a startup developing a new way to track sports performance. He holds an MA in International Affairs from HSG and previously worked for Zurich Insurance Company and CSS Versicherung before starting BreezeLabs in 2022.

By using the built-in microphone in your headphones to record the audio signal during your runs, BreezeLabs delivers breathing rate tracking without any additional hardware. Their sophisticated AI models are capable of groundbreaking precision and accuracy in detecting breathing signals, which enables you to match your training plan precisely with the state of your body, thereby maximizing training efficiency and bringing you closer to achieving your ultimate performance goals.

They’re currently raising a maximum of CHF 500K through the Swisspreneur Syndicate. Check out our ⁠dealflow page⁠ to learn more about the deal.

Matthias Heuberger, founder BreezeLabs, Swisspreneur Podcast
July 1, 2024

EP #415 - Matthias Heuberger: Why Breathing is the True Sports Performance Metric

Matthias Heuberger
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Diese Folge war ursprünglich ein Live-Gespräch, das bei einer Veranstaltung des Sport and Business Network im Oktober 2023 aufgezeichnet wurde. Die Episode wird gesponsert von Properti.

About Mark Streit & Ben Küffer:

⁠Ben Küffer⁠ ist der Mitgründer der Schweizer Uhrenmarke ⁠NORQAIN⁠. Zuvor arbeitete er fast 12 Jahre lang als Brand Manager bei Breitling. Der junge Visionär hatte die Idee, eine neue Uhrenmarke zu gründen, als er feststellte, dass es in der Branche an erschwinglichen und qualitativ hochwertigen Zeitmessern mangelte. Im Jahr 2018 gründete er NORQAIN und stellte ein bemerkenswertes Team zusammen. Ted Schneider, ein Mitglied der Familie, die fast 40 Jahre lang Breitling besass, und die Schweizer Eishockey-Legende und Stanley-Cup-Sieger Mark Streit stiessen als Mitgründer und Mitglieder des Verwaltungsrats dazu.

⁠Mark Streit⁠ ist ein ehemaliger Schweizer Eishockeyspieler und Mitbegründer von NORQAIN. Der Verteidiger spielte insgesamt 820 Spiele für die Montréal Canadiens, die New York Islanders, die Philadelphia Flyers und die Pittsburgh Penguins in der National Hockey League und gewann 2017 mit den Penguins den Stanley Cup.

Mark Streit & Ben Küffer, co-founders NORQAIN, Swisspreneur Podcast
June 27, 2024

EP #414 - Mark Streit & Ben Küffer: Der neue Stern am Schweizer Uhrenhimmel

Mark Streit & Ben Küffer
38
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This episode was co-produced with ⁠Switzerland Global Enterprise⁠. Click ⁠here⁠ to learn more about the SWISS Pavilion at Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, mentioned at the start of the episode.

About Elena Maran & Angela di Rosa:

Elena Maran is the Global Head Financial Services at ⁠Modulos AG⁠, an ETH spin-off developing and operating AI products and services in a new regulated environment. She holds a MSc in Finance from Università Bocconi and previously worked at banks like  Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley and Citi Group before joining Modulos in 2022.

⁠Angela di Rosa⁠ is the Senior Consultant Southeast Asia and Fintech Internationalization Expert at Switzerland Global Enterprise, the official Swiss organization for export and investment promotion, which supports Swiss SMEs in their international business, and helps innovative foreign companies to establish in Switzerland.  

Modulos offers a Responsible AI Platform that seamlessly integrates AI governance, risk management, and data science, ensuring that your organization remains compliant while innovating. Platforms like these have become increasingly relevant ever since the passing of the EU AI Regulation Act back in March 2024. This AI Act is the most comprehensive effort at regulating AI so far, and punishes failure to comply with its requirements with a fine of up to 7% of a company’s annual turnover. Although Switzerland is not part of the EU, any Swiss company that deals with EU customers will be forced to comply with this new piece of legislation. 

Elena Maran & Angela di Rosa, Swisspreneur Podcast
June 24, 2024

EP #413 - Elena Maran & Angela di Rosa: Simplifying AI Compliance & Expanding to New Markets

Elena Maran & Angela di Rosa
51
English
Legal
Internationalization
Legal
Internationalization
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Click ⁠here⁠ to apply to join our Founders Slack.

About Franz Bittmann:

⁠Franz Bittmann⁠ is the founder and CEO of ⁠namuk⁠, the Swiss premium-quality and sustainable outdoor clothing brand for children. After his Matura, Franz started his first clothing brand, eleven GmbH, back in 1998, which lasted until 2011. He then worked in consulting for 5 years before starting namuk in 2016.

namuk was born out of a personal problem: Franz’ rambunctious, outdoorsy son would time and time again tear through his clothes and stay out in the rain for long periods of time. Franz quickly came to the conclusion that kids’ clothes were very cheaply made, and that he himself, as a tailor, could do much better. He was also rather concerned about the highly regimented routines of kids nowadays, which allow for very little play time outside. So he set out to make a kids’ clothing line which was both durable and outdoor-proof.

namuk clothes are breathable, durable and water-proof (while still avoiding unsustainable chemicals like PFCs), and come with neat additions like integrated suspenders and toilet zippers. To prevent mountains of trash made of fabric remnants, namuk uses recycled materials. The annual, limited upcycled collections are made completely out of fabric remnants from previous production. They’ve also launched their own repair service and provide a market for second-hand namuk clothes on their ReUse platform. That’s why every product features three name tags: each child who wears a piece of namuk clothing can leave their name and know other children will be able to inherit this wonderful product.

Franz Bittmann, founder namuk, Swisspreneur Podcast
June 20, 2024

EP #412 - Franz Bittmann: We Deserve Better Kids’ Clothes

Franz Bittmann
48
English
Business Model
Growth & Scaling
Business Model
Growth & Scaling
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About Lea von Bidder:

⁠Lea von Bidder⁠ is the co-founder and former CEO of ⁠AVA Women⁠, a femtech startup advancing women’s reproductive health by bringing together artificial intelligence and clinical research. Since 2022 she’s also the founder and CEO at ⁠expeerly⁠, a startup which makes it easy and efficient for companies to leverage the power of video without the hassle of production, editing, and distribution. She holds a MSc in Global Entrepreneurship from Emlyon Business School and Zhejiang University.

AVA Women garnered much fame and success in Switzerland from 2015 up until 2021 (more on that in ⁠Lea’s former episode⁠ with us), but unfortunately in 2021 they had their leading investor back out of their Series C round, which made the whole fundraising round fall apart. Since they did not have the money necessary to carry on for another 6-12 months, which would have been the time necessary to set up a new fundraising round, Lea and her co-founders decided to sell the company, and contacted CEOs they were personally acquainted with.  

Out of many potential buyers, they chose FemTech Health, because they believed in their vision to unite the fragmented femtech market. Sadly, FemTech didn’t not follow through with the promises they had made post-exit, and even stopped paying vendors and employees, resulting in a round of layoffs. At this point, Lea left the company herself.

She has since begun a new venture, expeerly, which she is bootstrapping. 

Lea von Bidder, founder AVA Women, Swisspreneur Podcast
June 17, 2024

EP #411 - Lea von Bidder: What Happened to AVA Women?

Lea von Bidder
40
English
Exit
Culture
Legal
Exit
Culture
Legal
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About Catarina Dahlin:

⁠Catarina Dahlin⁠ is the co-founder and managing director of ⁠Dagsmejan⁠, an innovative and sustainable sleepwear brand. She holds a MSc in Business Administration from Lund University and previously worked at Oriflame Cosmetics and Yves Rocher Group before starting Dagsmejan with her husband, Andreas Lenzhofer, in 2016.

In Catarina’s opinion, the greatest advantage of starting a business with your romantic partner is that you gain a co-founder who truly knows you — who’s right there beside you during the highs and the lows, and who understands your “obsession”. The disadvantage, however, is that if you don’t set up proper boundaries, it can sometimes feel like there’s no escaping the business. That’s why Catarina and Andreas occasionally make it clear that they want to steer clear of business topics at home. 

On the first day they met, Catarina and Andreas discovered that they shared the dream of someday starting a business. Years later, they took the plunge, and Dagsmejan was born. Their sleep products are based on natural materials, enhanced with technology to give it unique functional properties, namely dual moisture management: evaporative cooling to cool us down and moisture wicking to keep us dry. Thus, they tackle a very important factor when it comes to sleep quality: temperature! Other factors include our stress levels, whether we just ate a heavy meal, how much we exercise, alcohol consumption, and whether we use the computer just before bed. 

Dagsmejan is currently present in Switzerland, Germany, the US and the UK. 

Catarina Dahlin, co-founder Dagsmejan, Swisspreneur Podcast
June 13, 2024

EP #410 - Catarina Dahlin: How Pajamas Play a Role in Optimizing Sleep

Catarina Dahlin
35
English
Sales & Marketing
Sales & Marketing
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This episode was co-produced with ⁠UBS⁠ and ⁠ETH Zurich⁠, as part of the ⁠Entrepreneurial Backpack Series⁠.

About Flavio Rump:

⁠Flavio Rump⁠ is one of the co-founders of ⁠DeinDeal⁠, the famous Swiss eCommerce scaleup acquired by DeinDeal in 2011. He’s also a startup investor, board member and growth expert. He holds a BSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from ETH and has co-founded companies like Pigeon Apps Inc, Blue Chocolate Inc, and Bio2040.com, and the Student Biolab Zurich.

He credits DeinDeal’s success and quick growth to their early realization that sales do not equal profits, and to the fact that their team possessed a large number of extremely competent “specialists”. Here is a summary of some of the sales and marketing tips that he shared with our host Silvan:

  • The difference between sales and marketing is that marketing is a long-term endeavor to build trust and credibility, whereas sales is a shorter-term process where you understand customer needs and fit your product to them.
  • The sales channels that worked best for DeinDeal were Google Search, Facebook and Hyperlocalized Advertising. For this last one they created individual landing pages for certain queries (e.g., hairdressers in Zurich, restaurants in Zurich), in order to reduce the number of clicks a customer has to go through to get from query to conversion. Their conversion rates increased 50%.
  • A great way to start getting closer to customers and better understanding their needs is to create a live chat on your homepage.
  • Customer development should start as soon as research and product development start. Talking to customers while building your product helps you know which product to build in the first place, as well as which markets to go into.
  • Don’t be afraid to get candid with prospects during sales calls. Phrases like “Help me out here” are effective in getting people to open up and to explain how your product falls short. 
  • Don’t be afraid to ask your prospect to close the deal if your sales call is going really well. And if your sales call went well but you haven’t heard from your prospect since, don’t assume this means disinterest — often people are just quite busy. Follow up continuously unless they clearly state that they no longer intend to buy your product.

Resources Mentioned:

Flavio RUmp, founder DeinDeal, Swisspreneur Podcast
June 10, 2024

EP #409 - Flavio Rump: Lessons in Sales & Marketing from a DeinDeal Founder

Flavio Rump
44
English
Sales & Marketing
Sales & Marketing
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About Miller Mendoza Jiménez:

⁠Miller Mendoza Jiménez⁠ is the co-founder, CTO and Latin America Regional Manager at ⁠Grundo⁠, a technology advisory and analytics startup aimed at tackling sustainability challenges globally that can be solved using open data systems, technology-based tools, and services. He holds a PhD in Physics from ETH and worked there as a research assistant, senior research scientist and lecturer before starting Grundo in 2020.

Grundo aims to solve the issue of food security, which will become more and more relevant in the coming years due to climate change. This is because changes to the climate equal extremely unpredictable weather, ranging from heavy rains to heavy draughts. Weather instability is in general bad for crops, and heavy rains in particular damage the fertility of soils through erosion. Add to that the population increase, and it is estimated that by 2050, we will need to increase the agricultural output between 50-70% to have enough food for the global population.

Grundo answers critical food security questions like “How much wheat and corn can we expect from Germany in three months? How about in Europe, Asia or Africa?” They uncover the answers by building AI algorithms and using satellite data to provide insurance companies with data on which to tailor premiums for crop insurance, and to provide governments with data which enables them to efficiently subsidize sustainable farming practices.

Miller Mendoza Jiménez, co-founder Grundo, Swisspreneur Podcast
June 6, 2024

EP #408 - Miller Mendoza Jiménez: AI to Tackle Global Food Challenges

Miller Mendoza Jiménez
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Product
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Click ⁠here⁠ to enjoy three months of NordPass Business for free with the code “swisspreneur”.

About Jonas Karklys:

⁠Jonas Karklys⁠ is the co-founder of ⁠Nord Security⁠, and the CEO of its password management company ⁠NordPass⁠. He holds a BA in Business Administration and Management from Vilnius University, but before his university studies he was already an accomplished race car driver and had also run Infosport, a Lithuanian sports news website. After university, Jonas went on to co-found 50Garage and invest in F-1.LT before co-founding Nord Security and launching NordPass.

NordPass is a password management solution, part of Nord Security, the world’s leading cybersecurity company and the creator of NordVPN, NordLayer, NordLocker, and other well-known products in the market. Currently with offices/representatives in 26 markets, Nord Security offers its services globally, and is Lithuania’s second unicorn.

Resources mentioned:

Jonas Karklys, co-founder NordPass, Swisspreneur Podcast
June 3, 2024

EP #407 - Jonas Karklys: How Nord Security Became a Leader in Digital Security & Privacy

Jonas Karklys
48
English
Growth & Scaling
Growth & Scaling
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About Danny Chatziprodromou:

⁠Danny Chatziprodromou⁠ is the founder and CEO of ⁠REOR20⁠, a company developing the next generation of models providing highly accurate flood hazard information at a significantly lower cost. He holds a PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics and Mechanical Engineering from ETH. He worked for companies like Swiss Re and SAM Sustainable Asset Management before starting REOR20 in 2017.

The model Danny’s team developed is 100 000 times faster than traditional models, and his realization that the typical models were that simplified was precisely what motivated him to look into the issue. He also claims that his long and uneventful stay in corporate gave him the arrogance needed to believe he could build a business by himself. Reality, as it turns out, was more challenging, but REOR20 managed to be successful regardless.

Danny Chatziprodromou, founder REOR20, Swisspreneur Podcast
May 30, 2024

EP #406 - Danny Chatziprodromou: Breaking Out of the Golden Corporate Cage

Danny Chatziprodromou
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About Christoph Bertschy & Gaël Riesen:

⁠Gaël Riesen⁠ is a co-founder and the Head of Production/Distribution at ⁠Gratiswasser⁠, and his co-founder Christoph Bertschy is the owner of the company. Gratiswasser is a startup placing ads in free water bottles to be distributed in stores, at festivals, cafés and in general around town. They aim to offer companies a cost-effective advertising opportunity that also has a positive impact on the community.

Gaël and Christoph were motivated by the belief that water as a commodity should be free, but were also determined to make this possible in a market economy: so they decided to use water bottle labels as advertising slots! One of their partners, VIU eyewear, receives the water bottles at their stores and distributes them to customers who drop by.

Placing ads in free water bottles has the benefit of associating the advertisement to the positive feeling of getting free stuff, instead of to the frustrating 30 second wait before you can watch a video on Youtube. It also is a more trustworthy form of advertising than online advertising, which nowadays seems to have become riddled with deepfakes and other shady ecommerce practices.

Gratiswasser is currently fundraising CHF 500K, part of which is being done through the Swisspreneur Syndicate (the 2M mentioned in the episode is a goal for future funding rounds). Click ⁠here⁠ to learn more about the deal.

Christoph Bertschy & Gaël Riesen, co-founders Gratiswasser, Swisspreneur Podcast
May 27, 2024

EP #405 - Christoph Bertschy & Gaël Riesen: How to Make Water Free & Profitable

Christoph Bertschy & Gaël Riesen
23
English
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Fundraising
Business Model
Fundraising
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Click ⁠here⁠ to enjoy three months of NordPass Business for free by using the code “swisspreneur”. 

About Matthias Bryner:

⁠Matthias Bryner⁠ is the founder of ⁠findependent⁠, an app to make investing transparent, easy and beneficial for everyone, regardless of prior knowledge. He holds an MA in Banking and Finance from HSG and interned at Credit Suisse and at neon before starting findependent in 2018. 

findependent allows you to open an account online within approx. 15 minutes, easily select an optimally-tailored investment solution and get started with as little as CHF 500. Thanks to their investment app, findependent users are always informed transparently about their investments, earnings and fees. 

But first things first: why should you start investing? Basically, because of inflation and the compounding effect. Inflation rises at least 1% or 2% every year, which means that over the long run your savings will be significantly devalued. Similarly, if you start investing now, even if you invest only a little bit each year, this compounds over time and will make a significant difference in your life later on.

findependent encourages its users to invest in ETFs, which is basically like buying a very small percentage of the world economy, instead of investing in a specific stock. This derisks your investment. And even if the numbers in the market fluctuate daily, their overall historical tendency is upwards, so you can rest assured that your money is being put to good use. findependent currently has 12'000 customers.

Matthias Bryner, co-founder Findependent, Swisspreneur Podcast
May 23, 2024

EP #404 - Matthias Bryner: Why You Should Start Investing

Matthias Bryner
45
English
Product
Growth & Scaling
Product
Growth & Scaling
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