Startup Nights – The biggest startup event in Switzerland

Speakers at Startup Nights 2025

Discover the thought leaders, innovators, and industry pioneers who will take the stage at Startup Nights.

Meet our inspiring speakers

Discover bold ideas and fresh perspectives from industry experts and innovators.

On Day 1, everything centers around Impact Tech, Deep Tech, and Health Tech, while Day 2 dives into founding in Switzerland, growth, internationalization, and scaling, all under this year’s theme: Dare to innovate.

On stage at Startup Nights 2025

Jürg Schwarzenbach

Investor from Höhle der Löwen Schweiz & Startup Board Member

Jürg Schwarzenbach

He’s a Board Member in numerous digital companies like Payrexx, Carvolution or AVA, and well known as one of the investors in the Swiss Sharktank “Höhle der Löwen Schweiz”. Jürg also is president of Aare Ventures.

He built a company to 200 employees and led it to a successful exit to then become an accomplished startup investor with his investment company Marcaro.

Catarina Dahlin

Co-Founder & CEO of Dagsmejan

Catarina Dahlin

Catarina Dahlin turned a simple question—can sleepwear improve your sleep?—into a global brand. Today, she leads one of Europe’s most innovative direct-to-consumer startups.

Jeremias Meier

CEO of Paymira & Co-Founder Bexio

Jeremias Meier

I’ am a Swiss serial founder (bexio, Paymira, session, …) and in love with startups, technology, growth and good people.

Petter Made

Partner EWOR & Co-Founder SumUp

Petter Made

Petter Made is an entrepreneur and angel investor. He co-founded SumUp which is a €8B fintech empowering 4M+ SMBs in 36 countries with POS solutions and payments acceptance. He is today a full time Partner at EWOR, the accelerator built by founders for founders, giving the brightest minds an unfair advantage in building companies that matter on a global scale.

Tony Beltramelli

Head of Product for AI at Miro

Tony Beltramelli

Tony is Head of Product for AI at Miro. Previously, Tony was the co-founder and CEO of Uizard, the world-first AI-powered product design tool, which was acquired by Miro in early 2024. Tony has been working on applications of machine learning and AI since 2016 and his work on applied deep learning was recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2019.

Roger Dudler

Founder & CEO at Frontify

Roger Dudler

Founded in 2013, Frontify is now 300+ people strong and supports 10,000+ clients – including global brands like Uber and Microsoft.

Adrian Locher

Founder & General Partner
Merantix Capital

Adrian Locher

Adrian Locher is Co-founder and General Partner of Berlin-based Merantix Capital, an early-stage AI investor and venture studio currently investing out of its second, €100M fund.

Laura Matter

Co-Founder & CEO of noii

Laura Matter

noii is a dating platform combining video-based matching with offline events to bring authenticity back to modern dating. Based in Zurich, noii now counts over 50,000 users in Switzerland and has raised CHF 1.5M, including CHF 1.2M through a crowdinvesting round

Andreas Goeldi

Partner at b2venture

Andreas Goeldi

Andreas Goeldi is an Internet technologist, serial entrepreneur and startup investor with over 30 years of experience. He joined European venture capital firm b2venture in 2019 as a partner, where he focuses on investments in AI and software infrastructure. Previously, he co-founded and helped build three technology startups as the Chief Technology Officer in both Europe and the United States. He has also been an active angel investor for over 20 years. Andreas holds masters degrees in technology management from MIT and the University of St.Gallen, Switzerland, as well as four U.S. patents.

Samy Liechti

Founder BLACKSOCKS & Coach

Sami Liechti

BLACKSOCKS was one of the world’s first D2C models and the first subscription model in e-commerce – an inspiration for many startups. After 25 years, Samy exited and now works as a coach and advisor.

Lukas Weder

Partner at Founderful
Founder Eat.ch

Lukas Weder

Lukas Weder is Co-Founder and Partner at Founderful, a leading pre-seed venture capital fund based in Switzerland. Previously, he founded the food delivery platform EAT.ch, which he successfully scaled and sold to JUST EAT. At Founderful, he supports early-stage tech startups with capital, hands-on experience, and a strong network. His investment focus includes software, deep tech, and industrial tech.

Gregory Inauen

Co-Founder & CEO of grape insurance

Gregory Inauen

He scaled grape’s portfolio to several hundred million and built Europe’s fastest-growing Insurtech, backed by Spark Capital.
Greg is transforming employee insurance with smart, integrated and automated software and technologies that promote health, prevention, and employee well-being beyond traditional coverage.

Tobias Häckermann

Co-Founder & CEO at Sherpany

Tobias Häckermann

Tech enthusiast with three startups founded, including one scaled to $20M ARR and sold to a US strategic buyer.
Currently supporting robotics startups like ANYbotics and Gravis in finding product-market fit and building go-to-market traction.

Sarah Harbarth

CEO of KUORI

Sarah Harbarth

I’m the CEO of KUORI, a cleantech startup. We turn food by-products into circular materials to fight microplastic pollution and reshape the future of plastics.

Dr. Teddy Amberg

Founding Partner
Spicehaus Ventures

Dr. Teddy Amberg

Stefan Mair

Author of the book “Die Kindermacher”

Stefan Mair

Stefan Mair interviewed over 200 Swiss founders as a journalist for Ringier and other media outlets. Latest, he published the book “Die Kindermacher” which is about the startup journey of AVA.

Nicole Kleger

Co-Founder & CTO of sallea AG

Nicole Kleger

Co-founder of ETH spin-off sallea AG, developing cultivated meat based on PhD research – making next-gen animal proteins accessible to all.

Tim Seithe

Founder & CEO of Aeon.life

Tim Seithe

Founder & CEO of Aeon, a multimodal platform redefining preventive health through whole-body MRI, blood & genetic data. Serial founder & passionate about proactive health.

Lukas Langenegger

CEO and Co-Founder hemotune AG

Lukas Langenegger

As the co-founder and CEO of hemotune, a pioneering Swiss MedTech spin-off from ETH Zurich, Lukas blends deep expertise in science and innovation with a passion for transforming research into life-saving solutions.

Julian Liniger

Co-Founder & CEO of Relai

Julian Liniger

Julian has been recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, won the Swiss Crypto Startup Award (2024) with Relai, and led the company into the TOP 100 Swiss Startups list for four consecutive years, ranking #1 in the Fintech category in 2025. Relai raised $20M in venture capital, grew to 50+ team members, reached 500k+ app downloads and 100k+ active users, and recently surpassed $1B in total Bitcoin transaction volume.

Nimrod Malinas

Founder & CEO of Robonnement AG

Nimrod Malinas

Founder of Robonnement, making robotics accessible through a Robot-as-a-Service model trusted by brands like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 lists (CH & EU) and winner of the Swiss Digital Economy Award 2024.

Nelly Keusch

Business Editor Tages-Anzeiger

Nelly Keusch

Nelly Keusch is a business editor at Tages-Anzeiger. She writes about consumer and retail related topics, as well as topics regarding the labor market.

Thomas Schori

Co-founder & CEO
Tide Ocean

Thomas Schori

Thomas Schori co-founded Tide Ocean SA in 2019 as a spin‑off from his family business, the Braloba Group, known for manufacturing watch straps & wearables. Embodying the title “Captain & CEO,” he has been steering #tide’s mission to tackle ocean plastic pollution through a B2B Impact Tech innovation by giving waste a value by repurposing plastic trash.

Christoph Falk

Head of Startup Coaching at Innosuisse

Christoph Falk

Christoph is the creator and manager of various initiatives and programs to promote science-based startups.

Simon Ehammer

Professional
Athlete

Simon Ehammer

Professional athlete competing in long jump and decathlon. Have had some international success in the past. This keeps me fairly busy. If I have spare time, I like to spend it with my wife and our dog.

Joël Capt

Founder & CEO of Peakora

Joël Capt

Having worked on both the VC and startup sides, Joël has experienced the challenges and successes of both worlds. After founding two IT companies and spending time in the venture capital space in Silicon Valley, Joël joined Beekeeper in 2017, where he helped scale the company from $3M to $25M in ARR as their Head of Growth. In 2021, Joël founded Peakora, and together with other startup veterans, he has since supported over 150 startups and IT SMEs on their growth journeys, establishing Peakora as one of the most renowned revenue enablement partners in the DACH region.

Xavier Ducarroz

CEO of Philip Morris Switzerland

Xavier Ducarroz

Xavier Ducarroz is CEO of Philip Morris Switzerland since March 1st, 2025. He joined Philip Morris International (PMI) in 1998 and has held various sales and leadership positions in Lausanne, the UK, and Slovakia.

Murielle Schreck

Co-Founder & CEO of qCella AG

Murielle Schreck

Under Murielle’s leadership, qCella was awarded the Startup Innovation Project by Innosuisse and selected as a Venture Leader Cleantech, joining the Munich ecosystem roadshow later this year.

Christian Marty

Founder & CEO of Evulpo

Christian Marty

Christian studied history, philosophy & media. PhD with a book on Max Weber. Founded Schlaumacher (tutoring school) and Evulpo (learning platform, raised ~20M in venture capital).

Sandra Wood

German Language Coach & founder of sandra-wood.com

Sandra Wood

Sandra Wood is a solopreneur and founder of www.sandra-wood.com, an online German language coaching business empowering Zurich-based international professionals to integrate better and advance their careers in Switzerland.

Gregory Hitz

Co-Founder & General Manager of Sevensense by ABB

Gregory Hitz

Gregory is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Sevensense Robotics, an ETH spin-off that sells visual navigation solutions for mobile robots. The company was acquired by ABB in 2023. Gregory continues to manage Sevensense by ABB as a business unit within ABB Robotics.

Stefan Zanetti

Founder Pivotal AG

Stefan Zanetti

With Pivotal AG, Stefan Zanetti supports founders and investors, to pivot better and faster, based on a data-driven process. Stefan Zanetti has founded five tech ventures in the past 25 years, including three ETH spin-offs: He has raised more than 20 Mio CHF with his ventures, employed more than 300 people, won several awards. He has gone through challenging pivot phases with his companies and he has transformed all of them successfully into new business models, over time.

Andreas Schenk

Partner

Andreas Schenk

I am a Venture Capital investor since 2010 specialized in software business models and investment experience from 30+ lead investments from pre-seed to Series A.

We raised a 175m€ Venture Capital fund to invest into the next generation of ambitious startups in the B2B software field (Series A, 500k€ ARR min).

Khalil Radi

Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Buy Food with Plastic

Khalil Radi

Khalil Radi is a global citizen with Swiss, Moroccan and Spanish roots, born and raised in Switzerland.
A dedicated “doer,” he is passionate about turning ideas into action and creating positive change and impact for both people and the environment.
In 2018, while visiting Nicaragua, Khalil witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of extreme poverty and plastic pollution. Compelled to act, he co-founded Buy Food with Plastic, an initiative that addresses plastic waste and poverty in underserved communities.
His drive and leadership have inspired global impact, earning him recognition on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2024 list.
Khalil has an academic background in International Management, which includes a semester abroad at Universidad EAFIT in Medellín, Colombia, as part of his bachelor’s program at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). He brings seven years of experience in Swiss banking, where he developed strong skills in finance.
A firm believer in the power of collaboration, Khalil continues to lead the Buy Food with Plastic projects, combining environmental stewardship, social justice, and education to foster sustainable, community-driven solutions.

Florian Gaede

Startup program lead at Nordcloud

Florian Gaede

Startup program lead at Nordcloud, empowering Swiss startups with cloud expertise, partnerships & visibility. Driving innovation through Microsoft co-sell & marketing.

Enzo Wälchli

Chief Commercial Officer at ANYbotics

Enzo Wälchli

Enzo is a deeptech operator and CCO at ANYbotics, where he scaled GTM from 0 to $10M+, as well as a board member, startup advisor, and founder of Switzerland’s first Scaleup Executive Network.

Jackie Helfenberger

Founder of Neza Rwanda, President & Co-founder of sangira

Jackie Helfenberger

Jackie Helfenberger has founded two companies and one ngo:
Neza Rwanda travel agency, which organizes niche trips, projects and consults investors. The NGO Sangira, a hospitality vocational school in Rwanda. A language travel agency which was sold in 2017

Dr. Karen Wendt

CEO of Eccos Impact GmbH, Co-Founder SwissFinTechLadies

Dr. Karen Wendt

Dr. Karen Wendt is a sustainability pioneer, investment banker,. through her focus on impact investing and female founders she became also an ecosystem architect, With Eccos Impact GmbH she helps companies to understand the impacts in their investments and investment thesis. In her free time she volonteers as president of SwissFinTechLadies an association she co-founded. Karen invests in Swiss startups and invites other women to invest through her female Angel Club. Find out more at https://drkarenwendt.com/

Klaus Fiala

Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Switzerland

Klaus Fiala

Klaus Fiala studied economics in Vienna and Madrid before joining the Austrian Press Agency, where he covered financial markets. He became part of Forbes in 2015 with the launch of its first Austrian edition. From 2017 to 2019, he headed the Zurich bureau, and in 2019 was appointed editor-in-chief of Forbes Austria. After returning to Zurich in 2024, he now serves as editor-in-chief of Forbes Switzerland and co-publisher of Forbes Austria.

Milena Kälin

Business journalist at Blick

Milena Kälin

For nearly three years, I’ve been part of Blick’s business desk, covering topics such as e-commerce, retail, the labour market, and social issues. My goal is to write stories that resonate with readers and reflect the realities of everyday life.

Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch

Stefan Kyora

I have been working as a business and innovation journalist since 2000 and co-founded the Startupticker platform in 2011.

Franck-Eric Flegbo

CEO of DRINKOTEC

Franck-Eric Flegbo

Franck-Eric left corporate life to build. Through Drinkotec’s buy-in, his team turned solid tech into innovation, now driving global IoT beverages with DRINKOTEC and new age hydration with NEODRINKS.

Andrea Silberschmidt-Buhofer

General Partner at EquityPitcher Ventures

Andrea Silberschmidt-Buhofer

Andrea has worked with successful entrepreneurs from a variety of industries, both in Switzerland and abroad. As a partner at EquityPitcher Ventures, she works closely with portfolio companies, advising them on strategic matters. She connects the world of industry with young entrepreneurs, creating added value through networking.

Philipp Furler

CEO & Founder of Synhelion

Philipp Furler

Dr. Philipp Furler is the CEO and Co-Founder of Synhelion. Synhelion is a Swiss clean energy company that produces renewable synthetic fuels that can directly replace fossil fuels.

Sandra Roy

Founder & CEO of Valori-Sens Consulting

Sandra Roy

Swiss Mentor & Executive Coach guiding visionary leaders and organizations to elevate human complexity into conscious leadership and sustainable impact through a blend of strategy and intuition.

Tino Albrecht

Director SAP for Startups MEE

Tino Albrecht

Director SAP for Startups | Intrapreneur | Adventure Travel Guide @SAP_Berlin. Helps unique startup companies on their #growth journey & 🦄-startups #scaling by enabling founders and C-level to build high-performing operational & organisational structures. In short, build the company behind their product.

Andrew Reid

Commercial Partner & Startup Director at Microsoft Switzerland

Andrew Reid

Andrew Reid, Commercial Partner & Startup Director at Microsoft Switzerland, drives the Microsoft for Startups programme. With 40+ years in tech and global leadership roles, Andrew champions innovation and digital transformation across industries.

Joanne Sieber

CEO of the ⁠Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation

Joanne Sieber

⁠Joanne Sieber⁠ is the CEO of the ⁠Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation⁠, which acts as a catalyst for the Swiss innovation ecosystem. She holds an MA in Accounting & Finance and International Management from HSG. Prior to joining the Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation in 2023, Joanne worked in a number of industries, from microcredit to consultancies, and even ran her own sandstone business.

Christian Wenger

Lawyer & Entrepreneur

Christian Wenger

Christian Wenger is a partner at Wenger Vieli and specializes in commercial and business law, with a focus on private equity, venture capital, and start-ups. He primarily supports entrepreneurs and founders in all legal and business matters.
“I developed an early passion for young entrepreneurs and innovative technologies. What fascinates me most is the diversity of challenges. My curiosity and interest in inspiring people never let me rest. My favorite thing to do is make fresh pasta for family and friends.”

Antonia Unger

Co-Founder & CEO of Arqh

Antonia Unger

Founder of Arqh, ETH CS alumna, former ETH juniors president & entrepreneur since 15. Kitesurfer, diver, and backgammon nerd – now building AI to turn complex logistics chaos into clarity.

Philip Strasser

Chief Medical Officer at Swiss Life

Philip Strasser

Medical Director and Insurance Medicine Expert at Swiss Life, with a focus on health risk assessment and claims adjudication, including global health trends and emerging technologies. His work also emphasizes prevention and corporate health management.

Moderators at Startup Nights 2025

Shannon Jenkins

Moderator

Shannon Jenkins

Shannon has coached 100s of professionals at Nestlé, Nespresso & Google, taught at IMD, and helped founders pitch, persuade, and raise capital. She’s interviewed Harvard profs, bestselling authors & exit entrepreneurs on her top 5% global podcast RESONATE.

Ben Munday

Moderator

Ben Munday

Whether global conference, event or gala, Ben connects audiences with a powerful approach of combining the physical body and creative mind. Delivering an experience that is both vibrant in energy and sensitive to his audiences’ needs.

Merle Zur

Moderator

Merle Zur

Through her work and engagements she interviews multiple founders every year about their startup journey and insights, creates community driven concepts and tries to support the startup ecosystem in Zurich.

Curdin Duschletta

Moderator

Curdin Duschletta

Curdin leads UBS Social Impact & Philanthropy Switzerland and UBS’ Global Volunteering. His team drives corporate engagement and advises clients on philanthropy.

Blazy Flash

Moderator

Blazy Flash

Leadership is stage presence translated into the boardroom. Great leaders don’t just deliver messages, they perform them. I advise leaders on fusing the intensity of performance with strategic decision-making to create transformation and tangible business impact.

Barbara Ryter

Moderator

Barbara Ryter

Former journalist, founder of Contcept Communication with strong skills in storytelling and consulting.

Philip Schläfli

Moderator

Philip Schläfli

Communication Expert, Speaker, Moderator and Podcast Host.

Giuliana Breu

Moderator

Giuliana Breu

Giuliana brings insight, empathy, and spark to every stage. With a strong business background, she captivates diverse audiences — from startup events to corporate conferences. Alongside her work as a moderator, she’s an Open Innovation Manager at Swiss Post.

Regula Bleuler

Moderator

Regula Bleuler

Regula Bleuler is a connector and bridge-builder, passionate about empowering founders and strengthening Switzerland as a Startup Nation.

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