Timestamps

1:21 - Motivation for starting your own business

4:24 - Rocking with your friends

7:46 - Struggling with team management

10:54 - What is the Swiss Romandy ecosystem doing well?

16:07 - More about Sébastien

Biography

Sébastien Jaffaux is the founder and CTO of the Swiss Solar Boat Association, a project created by engineering students from EPFL and HEIG-VD. Swiss Solar Boat aims to create a solar powered racing boat from scratch, to compete in contests such as the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge 2021. Swiss Solar Boat is not your typical startup. It emerged from the EPFL Hydrocontest Team which represented the EPFL at the Hydrocontest competition for maritime energy efficiency. Sébastien started out as communication manager at the Hydrocontest Team and became president of the association in 2018. As president, he led the transition from Hydrocontest to Swiss Solar Boat in 2019. Today, the Swiss Solar Boat Association is made up of over 60 students from various technical backgrounds who work together to create a solar powered boat from scratch, including producing the individual boat parts. Currently, Sebastien lives and breathes his project and enjoys pulling off such a challenging feat with some of his closest friends. But due to the nature of the association, he will be handing over his responsibilities as CTO and Vice President once he finishes his Masters degree in mechanical engineering at EPFL in the Summer of 2021.

Memorable Quotes

"The Swiss Romandy is missing a place where all entrepreneurs can meet to exchange know-how and enrich their perspective."

For more marine tech episodes, check out our conversation with Christian Fehr.

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