

Swisspreneur Show
Swisspreneur
The Swisspreneur Show is a podcast series of in-depth, candid conversations with some of Switzerland’s most successful founders, business leaders and innovators. By getting to the heart of these leaders’ stories - their successes, their failures, their must-have advice and greatest regrets - we hope to both inspire and guide the next generation of Swiss entrepreneurs. Each episode deconstructs and showcases one person’s personal and professional background and provides advice and recommendations for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in Switzerland.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 30, 2024 • 47min
EP #449 - Jürg Jost: Time-of-Flight Tech, from Here to the Moon
Timestamps:
8:03 - Time-of-flight technology
15:43 - Whom do semiconductor companies sell to?
19:14 - Changing from CEO to CTO
29:54 - Managing investor expectations
32:54 - Going to the moon
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.
Don’t forget to give us a follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin, so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Oct 23, 2024 • 43min
EP #448 - Gaëlle Andreatta: The Alchemists Turning Metal into Foam
Timestamps:
4:38 - Gaëlle’s craziest year
9:56 - Turning metal into foam
16:34 - High innovative customers
25:23 - Hiring people as a 6 month year old company
29:03 - Having the team be 2/3s women
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.
Don’t forget to give us a follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin, so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Oct 20, 2024 • 48min
EP #447 - Stefan Schärer: Building and Exiting a PropTech Startup in Switzerland
Stefan Schärer, co-founder and former CEO of the proptech startup Houzy, shares his journey from real estate newcomer to CEO. He discusses the significance of SEO in user acquisition and successful revenue streams. The challenges of operating in Switzerland's small market and the excitement of being acquired by UBS and Baloise are key highlights. Additionally, Schärer reflects on his current role as President of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation, where he aims to innovate the sport and engage the community.

Oct 16, 2024 • 1h 9min
EP #446 - Fabio Ronga: The Hard Road to a $300M Valuation
Fabio Ronga, co-founder and CEO of beqom, shares his journey from corporate roles at Hyperion to building a successful cloud-based compensation management solution. He discusses the importance of market validation and the unique advantages of Switzerland as a headquarters. Fabio emphasizes the significance of instilling strong company values and the evolution from a hands-on CEO to a strategic leader. The conversation culminates in insights about the transformative impact of their recent $300M investment and the crucial dynamics between leadership and investors.

Oct 9, 2024 • 37min
EP #444 - Priyanka Dutta Passecker: What If You Healed Chronic Wounds With a Spray?
Priyanka Dutta Passecker, co-founder and CEO of Healiva, discusses her extraordinary journey from neuroscience to biotech. She highlights the staggering statistics surrounding chronic wounds and the critical need for innovative solutions. Priyanka reveals how Healiva utilizes codfish enzymes in a groundbreaking spray treatment for chronic wounds, aiming to make personalized therapies affordable. She also shares her experiences as an immigrant entrepreneur and the complexities of navigating the biotech landscape.

Oct 6, 2024 • 47min
EP #443 - Andreas Krümmel: Insurance in Switzerland, From the 80s Until Now
Timestamps:
6:05 - The value chain of insurance companies
14:26 - Why having a strategy is essential
20:22 - Is Switzerland digitized enough?
24:22 - Is digitization a generational issue?
35:15 - Being a board member at smzh
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.
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.
Don’t forget to give us a follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin, so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Oct 2, 2024 • 39min
EP #442 - Alessandro Ofner: How This Microcapsule Tech Can Change Pharma, Cosmetics & Cuisine
Timestamps:
6:45 - What is microencapsulation used for?
13:58 - Choosing a use case vs covering operating expenses
21:53 - Why trust matters most in B2B
27:04 - Why hire an external CEO
28:50 - Founders take themselves too seriously
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.
Don’t forget to give us a follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin, so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Sep 29, 2024 • 46min
EP #441 - Regula Buob: How Coaching Helps Swiss Startups Be Successful
Timestamps:
3:00 - Are education and entrepreneurship connected?
13:41 - Switzerland needs growth stage funds
26:20 - Failure culture in Switzerland
33:52 - Female entrepreneurship in Switzerland
41:30 - Where is the Swiss startup ecosystem headed?
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.
Don’t forget to give us a follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin, so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Sep 25, 2024 • 44min
EP #440 - Tobias Reichmuth & Marc P. Bernegger: Building Ventures, from Crypto to Longevity
Tobias Reichmuth, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Maximon, and Marc P. Bernegger, a startup investor, dive deep into the intersection of longevity and cryptocurrency. They discuss their journey in tackling longevity as a business model, emphasizing the role of science-based solutions for healthy aging. The duo shares insights on creating effective financial incentives in venture studios and the importance of collaboration in emerging fields. They also touch on practical longevity hacks and the transformative potential of AI in health innovation.

Sep 22, 2024 • 48min
EP #439 - Aurelia Frick: How To Make Your Country More Startup-Friendly
Timestamps:
15:12 - Do high income countries neglect culture?
22:59 - Do we need more societal role models?
24:33 - What role does education play?
30:00 - Liechtenstein’s total blackout
45:09 - What threats are coming Switzerland’s way?
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.
Don’t forget to give us a follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin, so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.