Team & Mentors

Amédée has a MSc in physics (material science) and a PhD in earth sciences, with 30 years of industry experience.

As CTO in a startup and technical director in SMEs, he has developed deep expertise in product development, industrialization, manufacturing, outsourcing, and quality management. He has extensive experience in project and consortium management, particularly in EU and Innosuisse-funded projects, working with stakeholders across the EU, US, China, and South Korea in global supply chains and regulatory landscapes.

The completion of the Startup Board Academy course has broadened his perspective on finance, governance, and strategic decision-making. He is also actively engaged as an expert for Innosuisse (Engineering) and serves as President of the Foundation La Maison des Alpes, promoting geotourism in mountain regions.

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Environmental engineer with a Master in Sustainability from EPFL, Andrea is an expert in the environmental footprint assessment, specialized in the digital sector.
After a first work experience in the reviewing of the sustainable mobility plan at EPFL, Andrea has joined the Resilio’s team and is now piloting the consulting services of the company. Coordination of Resilio’s consultants, management of the clients and partners' needs, optimization of processes and business development are his everyday challenges.  

Alongside his professional activities Andrea is also animator of the Climate Fresque and of the Digital Fresque, as well as founder of the association Global Earth Horizon Talk, whose mission is to raise public awareness of the problems of climate change and global warming, with particular attention to the political world of COPs.

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• 31yo French citizen living in Geneva
• After completing a Master in Management Grandes Ecoles at ESCP Europe, Arthur joined Edmond de Rothschild 7y ago.
• He worked on the development of the private equity platform, direct investments for family offices, and project development.
• He's currently part of the team developing a systemic investment platform dedicated to the regenerative economy.

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With over 10 years in Regenerative Economy, Aymeric developed innovative financial solutions driving the transformation of our economy toward a new paradigm that is sustainable and a catalyst for systemic change. His expertise covers direct investments and Impact funds such as NourriTerre and Regenero with Quadia in farming and circular economy, and mandates with Terre de Liens, Fondation Lunt, Fondation Carasso and Slow Food.

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This follows 15 years in investment banking and Fund Structuring, where Aymeric successfully led innovative solutions for institutions across Europe and the Middle East at Lehman Brothers and Nomura as Head of Fund Derivatives Structuring and Product Specialist at Crédit Suisse.

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Aymeric holds a Master in Business Management and a Master in International Finance from the University of Paris IX Dauphine.

Additionally, he contributed to the magazine “Bilan” with a blog on impact investing and as a Mentor for the Social Business Earth at Lugano.

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With nearly two decades of leadership experience in dynamic, fast-paced environments, I specialize in operating model optimization, strategic planning, transformation and capital raising for for complex organizations. I have led large-scale initiatives, championed agile methodologies, and managed high-impact projects across cross-functional teams —playing a pivotal role in fostering agility within both business and technology functions.

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My academic foundation includes a Master’s in Economics and Quantitative Finance, a Bachelor’s in Law from the University of St. Gallen, and a PMP certification —expertise that, alongside my proficiency with OKR frameworks, empowers me to navigate intricate investment landscapes and drive strategic change effectively. In addition, as a certified Climate Reality Leader (Al Gore’s program), I integrate sustainability considerations and environmental stewardship into my approach to leadership and growth.

Beyond strategy and execution, I am passionate about embedding governance frameworks that enhance efficiency, coaching high-performance teams, and driving innovation. Guided by integrity, agility, and strategic foresight, I am committed to delivering sustainable growth and operational excellence in every endeavor

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Bertand Klaiber has 30 years of experience in Cleantech and Medtech industries, where is hold several positions related to engineering and innovation management, strategic marketing and international business development.

In 2012 he co-created the EssentialTech program at EPFL and developed an impact entrepreneurship approach to harness technology and business to drive sustainable development.

From 2015 to 2022 he founded and led as the CEO the startup Pristem (teleradiology services and battery-powered medical X-ray systems), thus gaining experience in the whole life cycle of a startup, from scientific research to fundraising (CHF 18mio), team building, product industrialization, certification and go-to-market.

In 2023 he launched Tech4Regen program at EPFL Innovation Park.

As a startup coach accredited by Innosuisse, Fongit, VentureLab, Star’Terre & Unil HUB, Caroline has been coaching & greatly collaborating with 100+ entrepreneurs for 6 months to 6+ years, & helped 550+ for few hours/months.

She founded ideix, a professional coaching & training agency for entrepreneurs.

With both scientific & business background in ICT & data / agri & foodTech / sustainability, she has a direct experience in developing projects on 10+ countries & coaches specifically in business development, marketing & communication, structuration, cashflow, as well as guide you in the ecosystem & extend your network.

The art of strategically combining her expertise as a linguist, marketing expert and sustainability consultant to build successful brands.

Chantal is Co-founder of Swiss House of Brand and founder of Admarka, co-author of the book “les leviers de croissance à l’ère de l’économie numérique", member of the “Cercle Suisse des administratrices “, member of different Boards, speaker & moderator. 

During 18 years leading R&D teams to successfully design and transfer to mass production medical devices under the brands Compex and Chattanooga, David acquired extended experiences in customer/business understanding, engineering leadership, R&D organization,and productization.

Over the past 10 years, David had the opportunity to work for big corporations, Nestlé and today Viasat, and the ScaleUp Flyability. He enjoyed supporting the Sartup Lunaphore as Technical Advisor, up to its successful exit.

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Dhanesh has been in IT industry for 27 years at global corporate and in entrepreneurship. During his 20 years of corporate career he held senior management positions in global roles at Accenture, Credit Suisse and JP Morgan.

Since over 7 years, Dhanesh is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, and advisor primarily at the intersection of technology platforms for making a positive impact by addressing sustainability challenges.

Dhanesh holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science, enterprise architect and PMI certifications

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Cara founded a successful blended climate finance platform in 2015.

In 2018, she was invited to join Clean Energy Ventures (CEV) where she mentors start-ups  funded by CEV at seed and Series A levels.

Cara mentors approximately 40  companies annually for Mass Challenge (MC) Switzerland  as their climate solutions and sustainable manufacturing coach. She supports  MC start-ups to identify KPIs, improve pitches and financial projections and  find paid pilots and investment. This year, Cara supported start-ups to  quantify their impacts on the SDGs. In 2023, she coached 6 of the top 10  start-ups and has received the highest ratings as a coach for 2 consecutive  years. Some of the start-ups that Cara has coached/is coaching include:  LiveGrow Bio, Carbonaught, Gaia Technologies, Databaum, Revocircle and  Instaheat.

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Cara is also an Energy and Environment expert for Innosuisse and accredited Special Coach for Sustainable business strategies and impact measurement (SDGs).

Passionate, successful, and seasoned engineering and innovation executive, having led multiple R&D teams around the world, benefiting from a sharp and holistic business understanding to shape and optimize processes, tools, and organizations, to timely deliver and produce new products impacting the business, creating value for all stakeholders.

Took benefit from the above to coach and drive technology startups to success, highly appreciated by owners and shareholders, staying close to small SMEs and research organizations to develop collaborations and a proper agile innovation mindset.

MSc (1986) and PHD (1990) from EPFL, then always active in developing business / products (motors &electronics, sensors, fluidic related products) for OEM customers, working first 10 years for a startup (ETEL), then 10 years for a mid-size and global sensors’ company (LEM), then 12 years for a large multinational (IMI) as Global Engineering Director.

Michel Jaccard is the founder of id est avocats — a certified B Corp, with a CSR certification by EcoVadis, member of the UN Global Compact, and awarded an impact label by the myclimate foundation.

For the past 25 years, Michel Jaccard has been involved in corporate finance and M&A deals in Switzerland and abroad, acting for entrepreneurs and owners, venture capital and private equity firms, industrial buyers and financial sponsors. He also advises purpose driven, hybrid companies and impact investors on governance and sustainability issues.

He is co-creator of the Impact Term Sheet, member of the working group for introduction of a new legal status of Sustainable Enterprise in Switzerland, and also Lecturer at E4S Enterprise for Society Center (UNIL, IMD, EPFL) 

Michel Jaccard holds a Ph.D. in Law from University of Lausanne and a Master of Laws from Columbia Law School (LLM’97). He is CEDR Accredited Mediator and also admitted to the New York Bar.

Pascale Van Landuyt is currently Head of Alliance, industrial liaison program hosted at EPFL. Her mission is to foster the collaboration between companies and all the academic institutions in Western Switzerland, through R&D research agreements, student internships or with start-ups. In this position, she gave support to companies in their innovation journey, including technology scouting, project design and obtaining public funding.

From 2000 to 2012, she was involved in Enterprise Europe Network, with a focus on fostering collaboration between Swiss start-ups and European companies.

Before, she spent 10 years in academic research on implantable biomaterials for orthopaedics at the EPFL and at University of Louvain in collaboration with hospitals and companies. Pascale holds a PhD and is an engineer in Materials Sciences.

Her favorite topics are materials, medtech, biotech, foodtech and sustainability.

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Elisabetta is a strategy development partner, in a mission to transform innovation into sustainable innovation through knowledge dissemination.

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Chemist, with more than twenty years' experience in the industry, her expertise covers business management, business development management, strategy development, complex project management.

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She is currently working as Sustainability Manager for the program Tech4Regen at the EPFL Innovation Park.

She is an expert for Innosuisse where she brings scientific, innovation, business acumen and sustainability knowledge.

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Elsa Duperray crafts narratives that illuminate, inspire, and bring meaning. 

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Convinced that words have the power to transform the world, she explores their ability to innovate, connect, and influence with precision.

Passionate about public narration and influential discourse, she founded La Boucle to help businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs clarify their vision and communicate with precision, emotion, and impact. With 25 years of deep listening and analysis, enriched by extensive experience in startups, media, and collaborative facilitation, she transforms words into powerful tools for action and persuasion. Her expertise lies in structuring speeches, strengthening presence, and crafting narratives that captivate. Committed to sustainability and innovation, she blends storytelling and strategy to bring forth powerful stories that drive change and authentic connection.

Experienced in team management, business development and product innovation, I have worked in various sectors from Automotive to Medtech to industrial automation for international groups (Stelantis, Novartis, iMi) and startups.

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A dual engineering/business school background (MSc, MBA, LBS/Columbia), and a stint in accounting and business controlling have allowed me to lead multidisciplinary international projects in the pharmaceutical and medical industries, and to supervise the development and launch of technological products. I have had the opportunity to build strategic partnerships, particularly with research institutes, hospitals, leading companies or international organizations in Europe and the USA, and to participate in mergers and acquisitions (technical, financial, or organizational due diligence).

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Passionate about innovation (medical, agricultural, industrial, etc.), customer focus remains my priority.

Fabrice is an innovator and entrepreneur who makes innovation a force for positive human and environmental evolution. His collaborations with renowned organisations such as Haagen Dazs, L'Oréal's Prestige, Apple, SKY, Nespresso, Google, the United Nations and
Patagonia have received international recognition. He sits on the board of directors of several start-ups and major groups, and lectures at Bocconi, EPFL and HEC universities

Senior finance executive with 20 years of experience in Private Equity, M&A, financial planning, and leadership across global brands.

Currently Head of Finance at Gucci and Board Member, previously CFO, Worldwide Controller, and Private Equity Associate, driving strategic growth, financial planning, and business transformation.

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With a corporate finance background and leadership training (IMD), Giorgio mentors startups in #BusinessModel, #Strategy, #Fundraising, #M&A, #Internationalization, #Transition from start-up to scale-up, #Leadership, and #HR.

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Géraldine is a Strategy and Sustainability Consultant

In 2019, while Director of Strategy Business Planning Europe for the car manufacturer Nissan, she founded besustainaball to engage companies in reinventing themselves and creating innovative business models for a more sustainable and inclusive society.

Trained in sustainable management, circular economy and climate issues, she guides organisations and their teams in structuring and implementing their sustainability strategy, enabling them to combine business performance with positive impact on ecosystems and human communities.

Passionate about sustainability and the positive impact of businesses, Ivana has an academic and professional background in corporate communication, marketing, and project management. She has built strong expertise in product launches, campaign management, and brand strategy development. 

Today, Ivana is deepening her expertise in sustainability by integrating responsible practices into corporate strategies. Her approach combines strategic vision and hands-on execution to drive high-impact initiatives. 

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After obtaining a degree in microtechnical engineering, Joël began his career in Intellectual Property in 1992. He first gained experience in private practice before joining the intellectual property division of a major international company.

As a certified European Patent Attorney, he specialized in key areas such as freedom-to-operate and patentability analyses, drafting and filing patent applications, challenging disruptive third-party patents, and defending patents in opposition proceedings.

Building on his expertise, he pursued further training in trademarks and designs, ultimately leading the department within his company.

In 2018, Joël took the entrepreneurial leap and founded his own private practice Omnis-IP, dedicated to all aspects of Intellectual Property, including the establishment and strategic management of IP rights.

To further enhance his expertise, he completed an advanced one-year program focused on evaluating the financial value of intangible assets, particularly intellectual property rights, earning the title of "Certified IP Valuator."

Since 1995, Joël has been passionate about education, actively sharing his knowledge by teaching courses and leading workshops within organizations dedicated to entrepreneurial development, as well as mentoring aspiring European patent attorneys.

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Lajla graduated from the EPFL with a MSc in cryptography and security of systems, but her passion for interacting with people worldwide diverted her from the pure scientific career to embrace the world of asset management and venture capital.

She started her professional path in Lombard Odier (equities portfolio management), obtained the CFA certification, and then moved to private investments in Freemont Management.

Subsequently, Lajla joined Swisscom Ventures in order to fully use her technological and financial skills in a Venture Capital fund before joining Logitech as Head of Venture Engagement in 2021. Her goal is to support Logitech's innovation initiatives by leveraging external talent and cutting-edge technologies.

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Passionate about the forces that are driving change in our society, such as the transition to lower-carbon economy and innovations, I have a dual academic background (engineering/business school) and 16 years of work experience. A few achievements:

• helped a new intrant in the energy sector develop its renewable energy activities on the French market
• defined the growth strategy for a major transportation company in the Americas and assessed new opportunities
• helped launch a tech start up (BtoC, text to speech technology)
• managed business development for a Canadian SME that specializes in advanced healthcare technologies
• worked as a strategy consultant for various large European companies (banks, insurance, telecom…)
• performed due diligences on startups in the energy sector for investment banks
• and finally created my own consulting services (strategy, impact investing and energy transition)

Specialized in technologically and scientifically advanced products for Space applications, for a more sustainable exploration.

Active participation in the development of the company’s business strategy and market assessment. Experiences in satellite structure design, analysis, and tests. Knowledge in Additive Manufacturing (AM) for metals and expertise in 3D printing of polymers.

Member of World Alliance for Efficient Solutions, and expert for the Solar Impulse Foundation.

• MSc in Space engineering at University of Politecnico di Milano with excellence scholarship (2015-2017).
• BSc in Aerospace engineering at University of Politecnico di Milano with Pegasus award 2015.
• Selected student to study abroad (extra-EU scholarship) at City University of Hong Kong under the Material Engineering department.

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Luka is a Communications, Marketing & Brand Strategist with over a decade of experience specialising in sustainability, climate action, nature finance, and green innovation. Combining his background in Business and Psychology, he designs strategic, behavioural science-based campaigns that drive impact. He has worked with international organisations, UN agencies, and global brands to amplify their sustainability journeys through creative, data-based storytelling.

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As Founder of UNUECO Sustainability Communications, Luka helps brands translate climate and nature impact into compelling narratives. UNUECO’s unique approach blends innovation, technology, design, and behavioural science to transform data and climate science into engaging action-driven stories.

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A seasoned entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the fields of branding, communication strategy and digital. 

Throughout my professional journey, I have founded 2 communication agencies and co-founded Swiss House of Brands, where I honed my skills in creating impactful and innovative communication strategies for various clients & industries.

I furthered my commitment to sustainability by undertaking a sustainable business management program at the University of Cambridge. 

My passion lies in blending my entrepreneurial spirit with a sustainable mindset and strong communication skills, and I am always eager to explore new opportunities and collaborations that align with these values.

Natacha holds a MS degree in Physics and PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from EPFL.

She is a former member of the Executive Committee of Swiss Food and Nutrition Valley, where she has been contributing to establishing strategies and designing projects at a national level. This occupation allowed her to gain precious insights into the Agri-Food sector in Switzerland and to acquire an extensive network.

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Currently, Natacha serves as a Food and Nutrition strategy coordinator at EPFL. In this role she supports the Academic Board in shaping and implementing the strategy of the EPFL Integrative Food & Nutrition Center, catalyzes Agri-Food-relevant research and education activities within EPFL, and fosters collaborations with industry partners and academic institutions in Switzerland.

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Natacha would be happy to provide mentorship to those aspiring to make an impact in the evolving field of food science and engineering and to facilitate networking connections.

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More than 20 years ago, Nicolas Since founded SICT that offers a wide range of services from R&D to product engineering, industrialization, and cost-effective, high-quality manufacturing.

Since then, Nicolas supported many startups, SMEs, and large companies to turn innovative concepts and technical challenges into breakthrough industrial solutions and products.

Olivier Chappuis manages the maxon innovation Lab at the EPFL Innovation Park.
The objective of the Lab is to interface and collaborate with the EPFL research labs, startups and the whole rich local ecosystem and beyond.

Olivier has 25+ years of experience in business development and sales of high-tech B2B products on international markets.

He is passionate about open innovation and business development.

He holds a Master in Microtechnology from EPFL and an Exec. MBA from HEC-Lausanne University.

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Olivier PAJOT is an experienced innovator, with over 25 years in new product development, currently working as Innovation Cell Manager at Sonceboz, specialized in mechatronic systems.

With a master's degree in energy conversion systems and a doctorate in physics, his expertise covers both theoretical and practical fields.

Involved in the EPFL Innovation Park for 13 years, Olivier is deeply rooted in its collaborative ecosystem.

As a longstanding member of the Venture Kick jury, he actively supports startups, drawing from his vast network and expertise to offer guidance and mentorship.

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Pauline graduated from the University of Lausanne with a Masters degree in Arts, in French and English literature. Alongside her studies, she had different part time and volunteer jobs as communications manager, especially in the cultural and startup scene. Amongst her most important projects, she produced a podcast shedding light on multiple Swiss sustainable entrepreneurs in the student’s association Innovation Time Lausanne.

After graduating, Pauline joined the HUB Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the University of Lausanne as communication, community manager and project coordinator. She actively contributed to developing dynamic and innovative communication campaigns, promoting 2 accelerator programs and several events as well as over a hundred entrepreneurial projects. She managed a community of over 3000 people, including a hundred or so new project holders a year.

In the Tech4Regeneration program, Pauline develops the communication and marketing strategy, grows and manages the community, helps organize events, and maintains solid relations with the various stakeholders.

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Pietro is a visionary Supply Chain leader with 38 years of transformative experience in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, having held global and European leadership roles at Procter & Gamble. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s in Advanced Technologies, with deep expertise in Supply Chain Optimization, M&A, Logistics, and Sustainability.

Recognized for his innovative and strategic mindset, Pietro has designed and led high-performing organizations, built strong teams, and driven measurable business impact on both top and bottom lines. He has held leadership roles across multiple P&G Business Units, including laundry detergents, paper, pet care, beauty, and fine fragrances.

Since 2016, he has led Logistics Operations and Strategic Planning for all P&G product categories in Europe, spearheading the company’s Sustainable Logistics Strategy and playing a key role in its journey toward “Net Zero Emissions” by 2040.

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Beyond his corporate career, Pietro is a passionate educator in operational excellence, sustainability, and Corporate Social Responsibility. He actively teaches in universities across Europe and North Africa, focusing on sustainability-driven supply chain strategies and innovative business models. Since retiring from P&G in July 2024, he continues to share his expertise through teaching, advisory roles, and mentoring startups across Europe and the USA.

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I bring a wealth of experience gained in C-level positions across multiple markets and business sectors, as both a corporate leader and entrepreneur.

Worked across international territories, particularly EMEA.

I have built a reputation for operational excellence, having a special talent to develop innovative, transformational strategies which are driven by consumer data and AI, re-define customer experiences and unleash growth. Worked across most industries with a strong emphasis on telecoms, energy, AI, Machine Learning, Big Data and deep tech.

My ability to federate culturally diverse teams, to connect people and make things happen on the ground, has been proved, even in the most challenging environments globally, and recognized across both private and public sectors.

Intellectual stimulation, shaping the future, developing people beyond their own potential and delivering sustainable results are what really excites me professionally. They give me the energy and drive to perform both at a strategic and at an operational level, to stay agile, and to bridge the gap between ideas, concepts and revenue generation.

I lead by inspiration, collaboration and hard work and believe that everything is possible when done with passion, integrity and persistency, being true and consistent to my core values and beliefs wherever I am.

Co-founder of Nexthink, a Swiss Unicorn, Vincent played a pivotal role in scaling the company from inception, pioneering the Digital Employee Experience (DEX) market globally.

With a solid foundation at Cisco, where he spent 7 years in systems engineering and product marketing, Vincent seamlessly transitioned from a successful professional cycling career.

Today, he is not only an advisor and investor, supporting entrepreneurs and innovators, but also a passionate mountaineer. Vincent embodies a unique blend of entrepreneurial acumen and adventurous spirit.

After getting his degree in Electrical Engineering, Vincent worked during the first 10 years as a design engineer mostly in the USA and developed expertise in the field of high performance electric motors for medical applications.

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In 2003, Vincent founded Electromag SA as a start-up company in the EPFL Innovation Park and grew the company as its CEO for the following 20 years. In 2021, Vincent made an exit and successfully sold the company to a Japanese Nikkei-listed corporation through a complete M&A process.