

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 5, 2025 • 46min
EP#523 - Christian Greis & Nicolas Abelé: Cash, Control, and Consequences: The Real Cost of Startup Growth
Timestamps12:16 — Bootstrapping mindset, MVP building, and milestone-based rounds.17:50 — The trade-offs of bringing VCs on board versus angels.27:58 — Honest discussion of founder stress, cash flow, and mental health.41:46 — Final takeaways and practical advice for first-time founders.This episode was produced by Founders Hive — a community of founders, experts, and investors driving entrepreneurship in Switzerland. We support early-stage startups in becoming investment-ready and guide them through the fundraising journey. As a partner of the Entrepreneurship Training programme, empowered by Innosuisse — Switzerland’s innovation agency — we contribute to strengthening startups, SMEs, and research institutions in their innovation and growth.Visit https://innosuisse.founders-hive.ch/ to learn more about Founders Hive, empowered by Innosuisse.Episode SummaryChristian Greis is a dermatologist, surgeon, and founder of Derma2Go, a tech health startup providing high-quality online care for dermatology services and skin diseases. Nicolas Abelé is a serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder/CEO of SONIX, a communication and entertainment platform for gamers. Both founders bring very different perspectives on building startups: one through a bootstrapped, lean growth approach rooted in healthcare, and the other through venture-backed scaling in the gaming industry.Together, they dive into the trade-offs between fundraising versus bootstrapping, exploring what it really takes to finance and scale a company in Switzerland. Christian explains why he pursued smaller rounds and revenue-driven growth, highlighting the mental health benefits of staying lean. Nicolas shares how SONIX leveraged investor support while remaining capital-efficient, even turning competitors’ billion-dollar fundraising into free market education they could piggyback on.The discussion covers the realities of working with VCs versus business angels, the pressure founders face around cash flow, and how different industries (regulated healthcare vs. consumer gaming) shape financing strategies. Both emphasize the importance of smart money, efficient spending, and milestone-driven fundraising, while offering advice to first-time founders deciding which financing path fits their company and personality best.The cover portrait was edited by Smartportrait. Don’t forget to give us a follow on Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, and Youtube 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 1, 2025 • 40min
EP #522 - Pierre Bi: Owning the risk to own the market: The Startup Decarbonizing Real Estate
Timestamps:13:04 - Spotting untapped markets through first-hand pain18:49 - Turning CO2 roadmaps into revenue models26:06 - Building recurring revenues in a capex-heavy industry32:16 - Why sustainability is already profitableThis episode was co-produced with SEF-Growth, the Swiss Economic Forum's Growth initiative to support Swiss startups and SMEs with growth plans free of charge. Check out the link in the bio to learn more! The cover portrait was edited by Smartportrait. Episode DescriptionPierre Bi is the founder and CEO of enshift, a Swiss startup helping real estate portfolios transition to green energy by executing decarbonization projects. He founded and sold his first startup Aeries Health to iRobot and holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. In this episode, Pierre shares how enshift taps into the tipping point of renewable energy being cheaper than fossil fuels, and how they help building owners capture that opportunity without upfront capital. He explains the startup’s financing model, why owning the risk became their differentiator, and how real estate investors can transform their portfolios while boosting returns.The conversation also dives into founder lessons: the importance of credibility from past exits, why being willing to shoulder risk can unlock trust and clients faster, and how monetization opportunities emerge when capital, sustainability, and timing align.Don’t forget to give us a follow on Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, and Youtube 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 24, 2025 • 23min
EP #521 - Andreas Caminada: Waiting 7 years to turn a profit (and getting 3 Michelin Stars in the process)
Andreas Caminada, a three-Michelin-starred Swiss chef, shares his journey of building a culinary empire in the Engadin with just four employees. He reveals the brutal early days of bootstrapping and working 18-hour shifts, waiting seven long years to turn a profit. Andreas emphasizes quality over quantity by capping guests at 30 and diversifying revenue through brand partnerships with Audi and Hublot. He outlines ambitious future projects, including staff facilities and a foundation to nurture young culinary talent, all while managing creativity and time.

Sep 21, 2025 • 36min
EP #520 - Wanja Humanes: From Lab to Launch: How Kickfund Backs Switzerland’s Brightest Ideas
Wanja Humanes, CEO of Kickfund and an experienced investor, shares insights on transforming Swiss deeptech startups from lab to market. He discusses the powerful synergy between Venture Kick and Kickfund, enabling startups to secure up to CHF 1 million in non-dilutive grants and funding. Wanja elaborates on the practical, founder-friendly strategies of Kickfund, emphasizing a flexible co-investment approach that nurtures innovation without micromanagement. This conversation offers a masterclass for aspiring founders and investors alike.

Sep 17, 2025 • 37min
EP#519 - Eric Laudet: Turning Chronic care into a scalable medtech solution
Timestamps:02:02 — Why Eric quit finance to create instead of comply.04:20 — Investor Brain as a Founder: 70+ angel deals, stakeholder management, and Switzerland’s funding “missing middle.”12:50 — Flow > Busywork: How Eric engineers flow states to work efficiently16:25 — Why Holistic exists: Root-cause care for chronic conditions vs. longevity/prevention hype.27:40 — A business model that scales, willingness to pay, and going global via telehealth + group programs.This episode was sponsored by Google Cloud. Join their Founder's Story event on September 24th to hear directly from visionary founders in the transportation industry discussing the seismic shift in mobility, from ownership to on-demand access, and the pivotal role of AI and cloud technologies in driving this transformation.The cover portrait was edited by www.smartportrait.io.Episode summary:Eric Laudet is the CEO and Founder of Holistiq, a medtech startup aiming to establish the gold standard for scalable root-cause medicine and build the world's leading AI-powered holistic health platform, community, and brand. He holds a Masters in Management from ESCP Business School. In his conversation with Merle, Eric opens up about leaving corporate finance to build, not comply. He shares how his perspective as an investor reshaped his approach to fundraising, why Swiss founders must navigate a “missing middle” between angels and VC, and his system to create real leverage and flow states in his work.He then goes deep on Holistiq, the online clinic for root-cause care of chronic conditions (gut, metabolic, hormonal, and ADHD). Eric explains why willingness-to-pay concentrates where pain is real (not in shiny longevity products), how Holistiq blends labs, telemedicine, and group programs into their offering, and why focusing narrowly (gut health, menopause, ADHD) beats spraying features across the whole wellness map. It’s a playbook on building scalable healthcare while staying radically customer-centric.Don’t forget to give us a follow on Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, and Youtube 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.

9 snips
Sep 14, 2025 • 42min
EP #518 - Denys Sutter & Girisha Fernando: Bootstrapping vs. Fundraising: Which path actually wins in the early days?
Girisha Fernando, CEO of Lyfegen — health-tech founder optimizing drug rebate management. Denys Sutter, CEO of condenZero — deep-tech physicist commercializing cryogenic microscope hardware. They debate bootstrapping, grants and VC through speed, risk and R&D limits. Short takes on cash-flow vs. runway pressure, when capital helps scale, and pragmatic funding alternatives.

Sep 10, 2025 • 53min
EP #517 - Laurent Decrue & Jeremias Meier: Operations, Fundraising, Finance — Don’t Make These Mistakes!
Timestamps:03:14 - What even is “operations”?7:57 - Should OKRs be set top-down or bottom-up?17:05 - Top 3 key KPIs for early stage startups26:00 - How to focus on fundraising without losing traction 43:26 - What happens when you don’t have your finances in order? This episode was originally a live webinar co-hosted with Holycode, a software development partner that's helped more than 140 startups scale by providing customized products and teams for every stage.This episode was sponsored by Google Cloud. Join their Founder's Story event on September 24th to hear directly from visionary founders in the transportation industry discussing the seismic shift in mobility, from ownership to on-demand access, and the pivotal role of AI and cloud technologies in driving this transformation.The cover portrait was edited by www.smartportrait.io.About Laurent Decrue & Jeremias Meier:Laurent Decrue is the co-founder of the moving company MOVU and the software company Holycode, and the former CEO at Bexio. Currently he is active as CFO and co-CEO at Holycode. He holds an MBA from the University of Basel and previously worked at DeinDeal.Jeremias Meier is the co-founder and CEO of Paymira, an AI-first payroll service, and he’s also a partner at session.vc. Jeremias holds a BA in Business Administration from St.Gallen, and co-founded the cloud based-accounting software Bexio in 2014.During their chat with Silvan, Laurent and Jeremias discussed the importance of operations, fundraising strategies, and the role of finance in startups. They emphasized the significance of OKRs, meeting cadence, and the impact of AI on business growth.Don’t forget to give us a follow on Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, and Youtube 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 3, 2025 • 49min
EP #516 - Patrick Pestalozzi & François Capel: How This Biomarker Can Detect Sepsis 3 Days Early
In this discussion, Patrick Pestalozzi, CEO of Abionic and a seasoned leader in the medtech industry, shares insights into revolutionary sepsis detection technology. He explains how their product, abioSCOPE®, can identify sepsis up to 72 hours before symptoms appear, emphasizing its potential for improving emergency care. The conversation also delves into the challenges of innovating in health tech, navigating leadership transitions, and strategies to secure funding and succeed in international markets. François Capel contributes his expertise on fostering innovation in high-stakes environments.

7 snips
Aug 27, 2025 • 36min
EP #515 - Antonia Albert: What Makes a Startup Attractive to VCs?
Antonia Albert, Principal at Founderful and co-founder of Careship, shares her expertise in venture capital and startup culture. She discusses how VC attractiveness hinges on team dynamics and founder commitment. Antonia explains why not all startups are fit for VC funding and encourages proactive investor engagement. She introduces the concept of 'vibe coding' and highlights the importance of building trust and collaboration post-investment. Listeners will gain insights into effective fundraising strategies and navigating the intricate VC landscape.

Aug 24, 2025 • 57min
EP #514 - Bolko Hohaus & Tomas Sluka: The Augmented Reality Breakthrough That Could Replace Your Smartphone
Timestamps:8:30 - The problem in VA that CREAL is tackling15:10 - VA as the future 34:45 - What’s next for CREAL after closing another funding round46:45 - Why don't we see more Swiss startups becoming global category leaders? This episode was co-produced by SICTIC, the leading angel investor network in Switzerland.Click here to order your copy of “Swiss Startups” today.Episode Summary:Bolko Hohaus is the Founder & CEO of HCP Asset Management, a Geneva-based investment boutique delivering performance-driven and innovative financial solutions. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from LMU München. Tomas Sluka is the CEO & Co-Founder of CREAL, a Swiss deep-tech startup pioneering light-field displays for more natural and immersive Augmented Reality experiences. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechatronics Science and Engineering from the Technical University of Liberec.In their conversation with Silvan, Bolko and Tomas discuss the current challenges in AR, the disruptive potential of CREAL’s technology, and why investing in startups can actually deliver stronger returns than traditional options.They also share their views on the Swiss startup ecosystem, why more Swiss companies don’t grow into category leaders, and what’s next for CREAL after closing their recent funding round.The cover portrait was edited by www.smartportrait.io.Don’t forget to give us a follow on Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, and Youtube 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.


