October 3, 2024 | Boston & New York
There’s a large and growing appetite for climatetech solutions in the US, driven in part by national and local legislation. Swiss startups have taken notice, and are eager to enter the US market. “We got a lot of traction from American clients because of the Inflation Reduction Act,… and we wanted to meet more clients here and talk to investors,” said Stefan Kaspar, founder and co-CEO of BCHAR, a Zurich-based startup that aims to decarbonizing global supply chains with its fully automated biochar production system.
But entering the US market can be a culture shock for Swiss founders. Different mentalities and expectations can lead to unforeseen challenges, so understanding American startup culture is a must. Climate Collider, the startup exchange program powered by Swissnex and Innosuisse, gives Swiss climatetech insight into the US mentality through peer learning with US founders, as well as feedback sessions with investors, potential partners, and other stakeholders. “Climate Collider was a fantastic opportunity for us to learn about the US ecosystem, both from the market opportunity perspective, but also from the startup community perspective – we learn whether we can sell in this market, and also how investors operate in the US,” said Deborah Learoyd CEO of Freesuns, a Vaud-based startup that has developed integrated solar roof tiles for heritage and architecturally significant buildings.
The third edition of the program kicked off on September 16 with a week in Boston, during which the participants got an introduction to hiring, incorporation, and other legal aspects of the US market. The startups exchanged with their Boston-based peers during peer-learning sessions, an informal lunch, and the Climate Innovators Café, a pitch event featuring the cohort and several local startups. Throughout the week, they connected with major players in the region’s climatetech scene, including Greentown Labs, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), the Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT), and the City of Boston, as well as attending the Transatlantic Cleantech Summit. On September 20, the cohort took an excursion to New Haven to get to know the emerging climatetech community in Connecticut, meeting with Climate Haven, the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, AdvanceCT, and Connecticut Innovations.
The following week, the startups ventured to New York, where they had the opportunity to explore Climate Week NYC, the largest climate-focused event of its kind. The startups were also featured at the Climate Ring, Swissnex’s flagship series of twelve events at Climate Week. On the second night, the cohort took center stage during the Startup Sparring Match, an international pitch event featuring climatetech founders from Switzerland, the US, and Germany. “Climate Week was a great opportunity to generate initial discussions with potential investors and other stakeholders,” said Constantin Marakhov, founder and CEO of KIDEMIS, a Bern startup developing mycelium-based feed for sustainable aquaculture. Throughout the week, the startups were able to draw on the training and feedback they had received in Boston. This combination gave the startups support “in a way that’s hands-on but also non-intrusive,” said Marakhov. “You have lots of flexibility, but also good help which is practical and useful.”
The startups came away from the program with new tools, ideas, and customer and investor leads in the Northeast. “This has been an excellent acceleration of our introduction to the US market and ecosystem,” said Cameron Dowd, co-founder of Inverto Earth, a Bern-based company that uses drone technology to restore and monitor coastal ecosystems. “What we’ve done in two weeks would have taken us months otherwise.”
Climate Collider will continue in Fall of 2025 with a cohort of 10 Swiss startups traveling to Boston and New York. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
To view more from this edition, explore the photo collections from the Climate Innovators Café and the Boston and New York weeks.