Female scientists from D-CHAB as entrepreneurs

My name is Anna Beltzung and I'm CTO and co-founder of external pagedimpora AGcall_made . We are developing the new generation of sustainable functional membranes for the outdoor textile industry.

It is fair to say that I know D-CHAB very well as I went from my Bachelor’s to my doctorate here at ETH as a chemical engineer. I am happy about my choice of studies because even if it was hard, I see the impact that I can now make: we are at the start of almost every added-value product intended to reach the market in this sector. It is then in our power to think twice about the materials that we decide to use in future products as we understand the chemistry and the requirements to go into big production volumes. More particularly in the textile industry, there is a real push from the brands and young designers to think ahead of the design and make sure all the steps, including end-of-life strategy, are considered and we are happy to accompany them in their journey.

I started working for dimpora in May 2018 right after my doctorate and incorporated it with Mario Stucki in January 2019. We have had a product on the market since October 2022 and there are 12 people in the team, working hard every day. It has been quite a bumpy but happy road so far; I am excited to see what will come next and I would definitely recommend anyone who is motivated to just jump in the water and do the same.

My name is Sotiria Mostrou, and I am the CEO & co-founder of external pageBiosimocall_made. Before starting my academic career in chemical engineering, I was involved in my family’s business in Greece. I always had an entrepreneurial spirit and worked tirelessly to engage with customers. However, when the economic crisis hit, I learned my first hard and important lesson: when to quit something that’s not working anymore and embark on a new journey.

My passion for science, particularly chemistry, led me to pursue my doctoral studies. At ETH, I met committed people I worked with on catalysis engineering and chemical process design. That’s where I got my idea for my company. The sheer volume of bulk chemicals essential for all materials present in our everyday life was proof that there is a market for them, and I figured there had to be a market for greener versions. The journey continues; we have made extraordinary progress since incorporation last year and are determined to bring planet-positive chemicals to the market and to reduce the chemical industry’s carbon footprint.

My advice for young entrepreneurs is to follow their passion. Science holds the key to future solutions, so always watch for problems you could solve yourself

I am Michela, CEO and co-founder of the ETH spin-off external pageHaelixacall_made. Originally from Italy, I came to Switzerland in 2012 for my Master’s thesis at ETH Zurich. I completed my doctorate in Chemical Engineering at ETH and founded the company in 2016.

At ETH, I developed a solid expertise in DNA-based technologies for a variety of applications (including the core of what became later the Haelixa technology). During my doctoral studies, the D-CHAB provided the resources and ecosystem to work efficiently and deliver quickly good quality results, which resulted in several high-impact scientific articles and a patent.

Towards the end of my doctorate, I decided to leave academic research for industrial innovation: I wanted to have a more direct impact on society. At the same time, I had received sufficient validation from the media, and the public and private sectors that the technology I had co-invented could change the way products are traced and how supply chains are managed. Being naive enough to believe that I could bring this forward, I decided to start a company.

Our vision at Haelixa is to catalyze the transition toward transparent supply chains. Based on DNA markers, the Haelixa technology is physically applied to a product /material and stays linked to it, providing a traceable physical fingerprint from producer to retail. We aim at becoming the gold standard for marking and tracing products and empowering consumers, supply chain workers, and businesses across the globe.

With the right support and mindset, all the other skills needed to undertake an entrepreneurial adventure can be learned. It is definitely a complex journey, requiring tremendous commitment and tenacity, but it is definitely worth it. So, if you ever want to become an entrepreneur, don’t think too much: nobody knows how it will go, so rather get started and figure it out yourself!