We all know Lausanne to be an incredible city for art, culture, and taking in nature’s bounty, but there’s another side of the city that proves to be a thriving business hub, hosting numerous events throughout the year. Its close proximity to prestigious universities like ETH and EPFL, combined with strong public support for startups, creates a vibrant and robust ecosystem. Entrepreneurs, investors, and influencers from around the globe gather here to rub shoulders with with key industry players.They all come to Lausanne for the HackSummit - Europe's largest Food and ClimateTech gathering.
Early this summer, over a thousand participants ventured to Lausanne for the Hacksummit organized by the Hack Group, a startup-supporting platform founded in Lausanne. The platform is divided into local chapters, which organize city-based communities for startup-minded individuals with a specific focus on Climatetech and Foodtech. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a food expert from a large corporation in the Leman area, or simply passionate about these topics, the meetups provide a forum to engage with like-minded people. Fortunately, Lausanne boasts an active Foodtech chapter that organizes regular meetups.
For those who are unfamiliar, Foodtech refers to the field of science dedicated to developing new technologies and services within the food ecosystem. Climatetech similarly focuses on decarbonizing the global economy. These fields are among the hottest topics in business today, trailing just behind AI. Given their aim to make the planet a better place, the hype is understandable.
"You'll meet face-to-face with the next generation of climate founders. Be prepared to leave feeling inspired and energized!" exclaims Laura Hodgkiss, who leads communications for the Hacksummit.
Indeed, the events are vibrant, with startups pitching their revolutionary ideas and experts discussing current problems and their solutions. Investors, media, and other stakeholders attend to support entrepreneurs in realizing their dreams. Rumors suggest that some sweet deals struck were struck between startups and investors at the event.
What were some of the innovative ideas that caught our eye? Consumer products like Planted, of which we wrote about this summer, meat-free offerings, currently available at most local stores in Lausanne, and revolutionary deep-tech innovations such as Firefly's pursuit of abundant and pollution-free energy through nuclear fusion -there was something for everyone.
We got especially excited about concrete. Several enthusiastic startups, such as Biomason and Concrete4Change, are working to crack the code for drastically reducing the CO2 impact of producing concrete.
It is an important subject as concrete is the biggest single CO2 polluter in the world, and it will play a profound part in our future society. Anyone who spends some time here recognizes that Switzerland seems to LOVE raw concrete in its architecture, bridges, and tunnels. Finding a better way to produce it would benefit us all.
Much effort is also focused on converting current animal-based ingredients to more sustainable sources, whether plant-based or lab-based. Reducing meat consumption benefits the climate and addresses ethical concerns about animal suffering. For example, Cambrium, is developing vegan collagen, a structural protein well-known from skincare products. And there are underwater farms representing a new frontier in food production, where farms submerged below the sea produce new nutritious algae, in the line of Spirulina (Plantible is one such company leading this innovation for underwater protein)
We loved that the vibe of the Hacksummit was unusually laid-back for a business gathering. And we were pleased to see local friends partnering with the event, including Baabuk, known for their sustainable wool footwear, Olixir Oil, the most delicious organic olive oil imported directly from Sicily, and Goodlife Coffee, THE specialty coffee roaster in Pully.
Above all, the Hacksummit showcased the incredible innovation and determination within the startup community. Seeing so many dedicated individuals and companies striving to make the world a better place was truly inspiring. The event was a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential for groundbreaking advancements in sustainability and technology. As we face pressing global challenges, it's clear that the spirit of innovation and community found at events like Hacksummit will be crucial in driving us towards a brighter, more sustainable future. And we’re quite proud that some of these innovations were first showcased here in Lausanne.
