As climate change and sustainability top the world’s concerns, more and more startups are addressing them directly with innovative solutions. Many MassChallenge Switzerland alumni, for instance, are making a significant impact in their fields, demonstrating how targeted support and mentorship can help early-stage ventures succeed. By blending new technologies and fresh perspectives, these startups are succeeding in tackling some of the most pressing environmental challenges we face.
Find more impactful alumni portraits below this article.
Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future
The global movement toward sustainability has seen the rise of startups dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and improving the efficiency of food production and energy use. These companies are creating solutions that range from recycling plastics to optimizing solar energy production.
DePoly, for instance, has developed a process to recycle all PET plastics using simple sustainable chemicals and technology. This method eliminates the need for pre-washing, pre-sorting, or separating other plastics, saving time, money, and resources. This innovation addresses the growing problem of plastic waste and contributes to a circular economy.
“We can save time, money, and PET resources that would otherwise be thrown into landfills or incinerated,” says Sam Anderson, Founder of DePoly.
SmartHelio is another example of a startup focused on sustainability. Their platform fosters trust and transparency among solar stakeholders by providing what they call a “single source of truth.” Their technology predicts and localizes faults in real-time, enhancing the operational and financial efficiency of solar assets.
“We have already helped our clients increase solar assets performance by 8% on average, which represents more than 262,800 metric tons of CO2 annually,” shares SmartHelio Founder Govinda Upadhyay.
This improvement in efficiency is crucial in accelerating the transition to renewable energy.
Innovation to Combat Climate Change
The food industry is another critical area where startups are making a substantial impact. Traditional meat production significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, and water consumption. Startups like Planted are developing plant-based alternatives to reduce these negative environmental impacts.
Planted, a leader in plant-based meat, aims to transform the way meat is perceived, produced, and consumed. Their products offer a sustainable alternative to traditional meat, reducing the demand for cattle farming.
“We want to radically change the way meat is perceived, produced, and consumed, and inspire a shift from eating animal to eating plant proteins,” says Co-Founder Judith Wemmer.
Another innovator in the field of sustainability is Bloom Biorenewables. Bloom maximizes the use of plant material with cutting-edge science, turning plant-based biomass into valuable chemicals that can be used in food, cosmetics, textiles, packaging, biofuels, and even nutraceuticals. Their technology efficiently converts two of the most abundant biopolymers on Earth—cellulose and lignin—into high-value products.
“We aim to enable an efficient use of resources and drive the transition to a greener and circular economy,” says Dr. Remy Buser, Co-founder & co-CEO of Bloom. “Our process takes what would normally be waste and transforms it into useful materials.”
The Role of Support and Mentorship
While the innovations of these startups are impressive, their success has been nurtured by support and mentorship from programs like MassChallenge Switzerland. This accelerator provides a robust ecosystem that includes mentorship, networking opportunities, access to capital providers, and strategic partnerships with leading industry players, enabling startups to accelerate their growth and expand their market reach.
DePoly has benefited significantly from the mentorship and connections established within the MassChallenge ecosystem.
“We were able to establish a few ongoing connections with companies from the MassChallenge community. We also have used the mentorship, which the team has found very helpful,” says Sam.
This guidance has helped DePoly raise CHF 12.3 million, expand its team to 25 employees, and open its pilot facilities, setting the stage for the construction of a showcase plant by Q2 2025.
SmartHelio has also leveraged the mentorship to enhance its strategic direction. “We received great mentorship, especially for our co-founder Neeraj, who learned how to navigate the startup journey and got introduced to the US investors network,” shares Govinda. This support has enabled SmartHelio to close a CHF 5 million seed round and launch their predictive software, managing over 5 GWp of assets globally.
Bloom has similarly reaped the rewards of MassChallenge’s support.
“Besides teaching and meeting corporates, MC has been outstanding at building our initial network. We have met key profiles who became board members and are still mentoring Bloom five years later,” Remy explains.
Since participating in the program, Bloom has scaled their technology from lab experiments to larger-scale applications and identified where to build their first demonstration unit.
Scaling for Greater Impact
Scaling innovations to achieve broader impact is one of the key challenges for sustainability startups. Programs like MassChallenge enable startups to accelerate their growth and expand their market reach by providing access to a network of industry experts, investors, and fellow entrepreneurs.
Planted highlights the importance of this support during its critical early stages.
“MassChallenge supported us with access to a wide network of industry experts, investors, and fellow entrepreneurs,” says Judith.
Since participating in the program, Planted has launched products across multiple European markets, introduced innovative products like fermented steak and cold cuts, and doubled their production capacity.
Bloom’s next phase of growth involves closing a CHF 12 million Series A, which will fund the construction of a 1,000-ton biorefining facility in Switzerland. This unit will allow them to scale their technology and meet increasing demand from key partners.
“This facility is essential to support the co-developments we are working on and to accelerate business development,” says Remy.
Future Impact of Sustainability Startups
DePoly, SmartHelio, Planted, and Bloom are poised to make a global impact on sustainability and climate change over the next decade. Their ambitious goals and innovative solutions promise to transform industries and contribute to a healthier planet.
DePoly’s vision for the future sees them opening recycling facilities to prevent plastic from entering the environment, and generating revenue exceeding CHF 500 million.
“In the next decade, we aim to be recycling over 200,000 tons of plastic annually,” says Sam.
With the dangers of exposure to microplastics on both humans and animals, this is very good news indeed.
SmartHelio aims to manage 100 GW of clean energy within the next ten years, drastically reducing CO2 emissions and creating 500 jobs.
“Our aim is to reach 100 GW of clean energy management in 10 years,” says Govinda.
By enhancing solar asset performance and efficiency, SmartHelio is set to star in the global transition to renewable energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Planted’s future impact includes saving millions of animals and conserving vast amounts of water. They project that by continuing to innovate and expand their product line, they will save over 10,500 pigs and 2,400,000 chickens annually.
This effort will also conserve approximately 3 billion liters of water and reduce carbon emissions by 28,000 tons. Planted aims to reach millions of “flexitarian” consumers globally, driving growth in the alternative protein market and reducing traditional meat production’s environmental footprint.
Bloom aims to avoid 0.5 gigatons of CO2 annually through their technology while creating over 110 jobs in the next decade.
“Our goal is to enable large-scale, sustainable solutions that reduce the impact of industrial processes on the environment,” says Remy.
With their groundbreaking biorefining technology, Bloom is set to be a major player in the shift toward a greener, more circular economy.
Recognition and Rewards
In addition to mentorship and networking opportunities, MassChallenge Switzerland also offers significant financial incentives to its participants. In 2023 they gave away CHF 500,000 of non-dilutive equity-free cash prizes. DePoly, SmartHelio, Planted, and Bloom were all past prize winners.
Judith, from Planted, who closed a CHF 70 million Series B funding round in 2022, said,
“Winning the MassChallenge award meant a lot to us and provided crucial support during our founding and funding phase.”
No strings attached prize money can make a big difference to startups. In 2023 these prizes included the Louis Dreyfus Climate Resilience Prize of CHF 100,000, which has been renewed in 2024, and was awarded to SeaStock, a marine biochemistry startup with the mission to address pressing environmental issues. This funding has been crucial in helping the Australian startup scale its innovations and increase its impact on the food value chain.
“In 10 years, SeaStock has the potential to reduce global CO2e emissions by 107 million tonnes annually. This is roughly equivalent to 0.5% of global CO2e emissions,” projects Tom Puddy, Co-founder and Managing Director of SeaStock.
Since it won the coveted agrifood Prize, SeaStock has positioned itself as a leader in natural feed additives extracted from seaweed and algae and has made significant advances.
A Brighter Future Through Innovation
These five MassChallenge Switzerland alumni are making a difference in the fight against climate change. Their innovative solutions and commitment to sustainability are paving the way for a future where economic growth and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
As the global community continues to grapple with the effects of climate change, the importance of supporting and scaling sustainable innovations is clear. The success stories of DePoly, SmartHelio, Planted, Bloom, and SeaStock illustrate the transformative impact that targeted support and mentorship can have on early-stage startups. Through initiatives like MassChallenge Switzerland, we can continue to drive progress towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
Alumni Spotlight: On a Mission to Reduce Emissions
MassChallenge Switzerland Finalist 2021
Food ingredients innovation company working on creating healthier, tastier, and more sustainable food solutions. Through intensive R&D, Proeon creates high-quality plant protein ingredients with superior nutritional, functional, and sensory profiles. They are at the forefront of disrupting the alternative protein space. Their current products include Proeon Mung Bean Protein: and Proeon Chickpea Protein.
Benefits from the MC community
“Proeon has immensely benefited from the MassChallenge (MC) community. We received guidance from experienced mentors like Vanessa Ballard who helped shape our business strategy, refine our value proposition, and navigate challenges. Plus, MC facilitated connections with industry experts and potential customers. Through MC events, we met key stakeholders at Bühler, Südzucker, Nestlé, and more, which opened doors for collaboration.” Kevin Parekh, Co-founder of Proeon.
Next Steps for Impact
- Financial Support: Continued investment to enhance R&D capabilities, optimize processes, and explore new markets.
- Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with global food companies for wider distribution and co-development.
- Technical Assistance: Expertise in scaling production efficiently and maintaining quality.
- Market Access: Assistance in entering emerging markets where protein demand is rising.
Milestones since MC
- Product Launch: successfully launched innovative plant-based protein products, including Vegan egg solution, mung bean protein isolate, and peanut protein.
- Raised Capital: Proeon secured seed funding of ~USD 2.5 million from angel investors and venture capital firms. This allowed them to scale production and expand their market reach.
- Strategic Partnerships with food manufacturers and distributors, integrating Proeon’s ingredients into their product lines.
- Built Production Facilities: Proeon established state-of-the-art production facilities to meet growing demand.
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- 500 direct and indirect jobs created.
- Improved health outcomes for millions of consumers globally.
MassChallenge Switzerland Finalist 2023
SomaTech is a climate-responsible company aiming to be the CDMO for solid state fermentation in the food industry. Helping companies to be circular and sustainable by creating affordable ingredients, locally, on demand from plant-based side streams. Driving positive change in the food sector.
Benefits from the MC community
“MC lived up to their name! Challenging our value proposition, business plan and how we communicated all this in our pitch deck. The access to the corporate partners was invaluable, allowing us to see how large corporates in our sector do business. Our mentor there was very generous with their time, and shared their first-hand industry experience which was critical to gain insight into our customers mindset.
After the initial program MC were very supportive, offering access to new programs and specific opportunities relevant to our business.
MC helped us develop a relationship with one of their corporate partners which, over 1 year after the program, is still active.”
Dr Tony Callaghan, Co-Founder and CEO of SomaTech.
Next Steps for Impact
- Financial support in the next months.
- In the next year, as they develop the business in Ireland & UK we will be looking to expand with European partners.
Milestones since MC
- Raised €115k.
- Key core process patent in application.
- First commercial evaluation project underway.
- Built a pipeline of corporate partners keen to work with them.
- Progressing towards closing a €600k funding round.
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- Sustainability focused business.
- Their low CAPEX & OPEX technology enables the creation of fermented products from locally available side streams.
- 5-year revenue projections of €20M,
- Valorization of nearly 100,000 Tonnes of fibrous plant side stream Biomass.
- SomaTech will scale globally. Enabling companies to access the 500 million Tonnes of suitable side streams produced on the planet every year. Valorising them into new fermented ingredients & products
MassChallenge Switzerland Diamond Winner 2023
Transforms cellulose, the earth’s most abundant biopolymer, into high-performance ingredients. Their flagship innovation is a unique light-scattering material, a natural pigment with 100% natural composition. Their material promotes circularity by replacing heavy metal pigments with plant-based pigments, thus providing high value-added material from cellulose, potentially in the future also for texture and electronics.
Benefits from the MC community
“We were lucky to walk away as the diamond price winner, however the most valuable part was the people and companies we interacted with.
During the program we had the chance to visit Nestle, Bühler and Givaudan. With all companies we are still in touch either for partnering or material testing. While building a relationship to large coporates takes time the multiple interactions during the program facilitated the follow upconversations.“
Dr. Lukas Schertel, CEO & Co-founder of Seprify.
Next Steps for Impact
- Close Series A to be able to build a larger commercial plant.
- Become a leader in the white pigment space.
Milestones since MC
- Raised funding.
- Build first plant => production phase: Jan 2025
- Signed commercial offtake quantities in food.
- Extended testing in cosmetics and coatings.
- Now raise funds for the first commercial plant.
- Team has also been massively extended to build commercial capacity (added engineering and Sales).
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- Will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 95% compared to titanium dioxide production.
MassChallenge Switzerland Silver Winner 2020
Mobility affects – and connects – all humans. It is also a source of congestion, stress, and pollution. As such, Urban Connect offers companies a mobility platform that is 100% shared, 100% electric and 100% climate neutral. In this way, their mobility service is designed to help companies cut their emissions. And as they scale, they aim to help companies become drivers of decarbonization, starting with their employee mobility.
Benefits from the MC community
“During the accelerator program, we received exceptional mentoring from various mentors, which was instrumental in guiding our growth strategy. We also won some prize money, which provided immediate financial support, along with valuable vouchers for services that we utilized to enhance our operations. Moreover, the networking opportunities provided by the program allowed us to generate numerous leads, some of which have turned into long-term clients. This blend of mentorship, financial support, and networking has been pivotal in our business development and success.”Judith Häberli, Founder and CEO of Urban Connect.
Next Steps for Impact
- Switzerland: grow partnerships with key players like SBB and Post Company Car => continue to innovate within the Swiss market
- Expanding to Germany – further financing round. Demand from clients like Roche who seek the same high-quality mobility solutions for their German sites. => Seeking strategic partnerships for market entry and growth in Germany.
Milestones since MC
- In 2020, completed seed round.
- By 2021, expanded from a B2B bike-sharing service platform to a comprehensive multimodal mobility platform for companies, including E-car sharing.
- In 2022, closed Series A funding round.
- In 2023, integrated public transport into the platform => services even more comprehensive and user-friendly.
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- CO2 Reduction:
- E-bikes. The mobility mix can save up to 1 ton of CO2 per bike annually. With 25,000 E-bikes, they expect to reduce CO2 by 25,000 tonnes per year.E-car. Each E-car saves 3 tonnes of CO2 annually, and with 15,000 E-cars, Urban Connect projects an additional reduction of 45,000 tonnes.
- Revenue: current growth: 63% /year. Revenue 10-year projection: €200M /year.
- Jobs: 1 new employee for every 200 vehicles.
MassChallenge Switzerland Gold Winner 2023
SeaStock has developed a method to replicate the natural lifecycle of Asparagopsis seaweed within an enclosed land-based system, which will enable a more cost-effective and quality-assured production system to be replicable and modular for global scale-up. SeaStock has developed a unique and differentiated business model supported by leading research partners, developing cultivation and value-adding IP to supply established long term off-take partners.
Benefits from the MC community
“Since participating in MassChallenge Switzerland 2023 and winning the Louis Dreyfus Company Climate Resilience prize, SeaStock has been able to employ a full time Biochemical Engineer (Sanjana Senthilkumar) and also on board marine science staff to manage our Fremantle based hatchery and processing plant.
We have also been propelled into the global spotlight across major industry operators of global food brands – recognising our solution to significantly reduces their ESG emissions.
We are now in commercial discussion with potential strategic investment partners looking to invest in SeaStock and assist in our scaling up strategy.” Tom Puddy, Co-founder and Managing Director of SeaStock
Next Steps for Impact
- Next 12 months: developing tangible use cases with major ingredient buyers.
- Identifying a strategic investor to partner with SeaStock by way of capital injection to increase production scale, but also assisting in our global roll out.
Milestones since MC
- Participated in a New Zealand industry and government-led regulatory workshop on the adoption of their natural feed additive to reduce the New Zealand livestock methane emissions.
- Raised $2M in private funding in a first seed round
- Fully commissioned a pilot plant and built-in commercial processing capacity of 200kg per month => commitment to forward commercial contracts with international customers.
- On track to commercial sales of our natural compounds and the increase capacity as the demand increases.
- 3 material off-take agreements are in place for our natural compounds developing end product trials in Australia and the EU.
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- Reducing global CO2e emissions by 107 million tonne p.a. / 0.5% of global CO2e emissions.
MassChallenge Switzerland Gold Winner 2019
Planted combines proprietary structuring and fermentation technologies to produce meat from plant proteins, focusing on delicious taste, meaty and juicy texture, while only using clean ingredients. Planted designs and structures its meat in any size, shape, and fibrous texture and is driven by the conviction that they will outperform animal meat in the future in terms of taste, sustainability, health, efficiency and price. Committed to using only clean ingredients and no additives in all its products, Planted is setting a completely new standard in the plant-based meat category, making it a healthy and sustainable choice for all. Truly better than meat from animals.
Benefits from the MC community
“Planted has significantly benefited from the MassChallenge community especially during our first founding as well as funding phase in 2019/2020. This is alsp when we won the MassChallenge award, which meant a lot to us. MassChallenge supported us with access to a wide network of industry experts, investors, and fellow entrepreneurs. Additionally, the community also supported us in various aspects of our business, from product development to market strategies.” Judith Wemmer, Executive Board Member and Co-founder, of Planted.
Next Steps for Impact
- Scaling Production further: huge demand for their clean label in plant-based meats, especially for our latest innovation the planted.steak. We are currently looking for an additional production location in Europe especially focusing on our proprietary fermentation technology.
- Market Expansion: Entering new markets, both geographically and demographically, to broaden our customer (retail/food service) as well as consumer base.
- Innovation: Continuously innovating their product line to cater to evolving consumer preferences and staying ahead of market trends.
Milestones since MC
- 08.2021 Successful closing Of Series A and pre-series B financing round (13M CHF & 15M CHF).
- 05.2022 Planted Doubles of production volume in Kemptthal to over 1 ton of plant based meat (chicken, pulled, kebab, schnitzel) per hour
- 09.2022 Planted closes Series B with 70 million CHF
- 09.2022: Planted wins Green Business Award 2022
- 09.2023: Planted receives B Corp certification
- 10.2023: Planted introduces its first whole-cut chicken filet to retail and foodservice outlets
- 01.2024: Planted launches its first cold-cut: planted.aufschnitt Lyoner
- 03.2024: Planted launches first-of-its-kind fermented Steak & expands production with proprietary fermentation technology
- 2020-2024 retail launches across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, UK, BeNeLux (chicken, pulled, kebab, schnitzel, bratwurst, duck, steak, etc.)
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and land degradation associated with traditional meat production.
- Health Benefits by offering healthier, plant-based options with only natural ingredients that can contribute to improved public health outcomes.
- Economic Impact by creating jobs and stimulating economic growth in a sustainable system and industry. We envision reaching millions of flexitarian consumers globally, driving substantial growth in the alternative protein market.
MassChallenge Switzerland Finalist 2018
Created in 2019, Bloom Biorenewables SA is a spin-off from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Bloom has developed the first technology to selectively convert the most abundant biopolymers on Earth – cellulose & lignin – into added-value chemical products. The vision is to enable an efficient utilization of resources and promote the shift towards a green and circular society.
Benefits from the MC community
“Besides teaching and meeting corporates, MC has been outstanding at building our initial network. We have met key profiles that became Board Member and are still mentoring Bloom 5 years later.” Dr. Remy Buser, Co-founder & co-CEO of Bloom.
Next Steps for Impact
- Bloom is closing a CHF 12M Series A to build and run a 1kt biorefining facility in Switzerland.
- Will respond to the off takes and support co-developments with key partners.
- Will accelerate the business development.
- Remaining key support needed: access to networks and decision-makers in large corporates.
Milestones since MC
- Raised more than CHF 12M in funding.
- Signed or negotiated Joint Development Agreement with large corporates.
- Scaled the technology from lab to the ton scale.
- Identified where to build a demonstration unit.
- Worked with MC partners to prove (or disprove) markets.
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- 0.5Gt CO2eq avoided
- 133 jobs created
MassChallenge Switzerland Diamond Winner 2021
SmartHelio brings second life to solar panels, helping to generate more clean energy and prevent e-waste. They have built a patent pending IoT sensor and deep diagnostic technology that can detect sick solar panels, and prescribe steps to get them repaired and reused. Their product is plug & play, and affordable. The smart hardware gets connected directly to a solar panel and identifies, categorizes, and predicts the faults in a solar panel using their AI based deep-tech anomaly detection algorithms.
Benefits from the MC community
“We received great mentorship, especially one of our co-founders, Neeraj, who got coached by Matt to learn how to become a founder and specifically how to navigate throughout the startup journey. Also we got introduced to US investors network which helped us to enter the US market and raised money.”
Govinda Upadhyay, Founder & CEO of SmartHelio.
Next Steps for Impact
- Strategic partnerships to deploy rapidly on new markets (geographics and market segments).
- Rapidly increase the number of solar plants, small or large, which can benefit from our solution and thus generate more power for longer.
Milestones since MC
- Closed our seed round and raised CHF 5M in 2022.
- Have launched their predictive software => now manages +5GWp of assets across the globe.
- Works with top leaders (Enel, Shell group, VERBUND, etc.) supporting their fast energy transition to solar.
- Actual impact: 262,800 metric tons of CO2 annually
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- 100GW of clean energy management.
- CHF 100M of annual revenue.
- 500 jobs created to support growth and impact.
MassChallenge Switzerland Platinum Winner 2020
Recognized as 2024 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, and winner of the Top 100 Swiss Startup Award in 2024, DePoly is a Swiss cleantech company committed to tackling the plastic waste problem. DePoly chemically recycles any type of PET plastic (including dirty, mixed plastics, and fibers) back to its main chemical components. These raw materials are then sold back to industry, to make new virgin PET, without the need for oil.
Benefits from the MC community
“We were able to establish a few ongoing connections with companies from the MC community. We also have used the mentorship as well, which I think the team has found very helpful.”
Sam Anderson, CEO & Co-Founder of DePoly.
Next Steps for Impact
- They will go through a Series A-Series B, to build their first of a kind commercial plant.
- Seek strategic partnerships.
Milestones since MC
- Raised 12.3 M CHF.
- Expanded the company to 25 FTE including a CFO and CCO.
- Upgraded and moved their pilot facilities.
- Began the construction on the Showcase plant (est.Q2 2025).
Impact Forecast in 10 Years
- >500M CHF revenue growth.
- >200 ktpa of plastic recycled and prevented from entering our environment.
- At least 4 operational commercial plants in different areas of the world.