Brazil | July 23, 2026

A year ago, Rahel Guggenbühl was invited by Swissnex in Brazil to participate in nexBio Amazonia and learn more about the Amazon’s bioeconomy. That trip, she says, became the starting point for the work of her startup reilo, a Swiss climate fintech, in Brazil. It is now the subject of a new episode of the Swisspreneur Show, where she speaks about how the program shaped the company’s path.

“It was the best way to learn about the ecosystem and validate our solution,” the CEO recalls. “We were in contact with smallholder farmer groups, finding field partners, connecting with these people, and that’s where we could actually start to test. Through Swissnex, through this program, we got to know Amaztrace. They’re our current field partner, doing traceability work with smallholder farmer groups in the Amazon. They’re locals. They already have the trust of the farmers, which is essential. That’s where we come in: with the financial infrastructure, which is the biggest need. It was a strong fit, and it all happened because of Swissnex.”

Guggenbühl was later invited by Swissnex for COP30, which she describes as a turning point for connecting with financial institutions and leaders in the space. “That accelerated a lot of where we stand now,” she says. reilo is preparing to launch its MVP in Brazil by the end of the year, a biochar carbon removal project with a cooperative of 140 açaí farmers. “At the moment, we have all the players on board: the farmer group, the field partner, financial institutions who are interested, and carbon buyers we’re talking to. So we can finally test it end to end, which gives us the proof of market for the next stage.”