A reference guide to Switzerland’s cleantech ecosystem
In July 2022, PME Magazine published an in-depth feature on Swiss cleantech startups, written by Julien Crevoisier, Carole Extermann, Erik Freudenreich, and Audrey Magat. A comprehensive overview of a booming sector—with investments in Switzerland having increased tenfold and more than 500 billion francs in venture capital injected globally—the article examines six key areas: energy, smart grids, CO₂ capture, mobility, agriculture, and construction.
In the chapter dedicated to carbon capture and recycling (Section 03), WasteOlas features prominently alongside Climeworks and Qaptis as one of the Swiss startups shaping the future of decarbonization.
WasteOlas : CO₂ recycling rather than sequestration
The article clearly distinguishes WasteOlas’s approach from that of other players in the industry. While Climeworks captures CO₂ from the atmosphere to store it underground, and Qaptis is developing a device for installation on heavy-duty trucks, WasteOlas focuses on capturing CO₂ at the source and directly reusing it within industrial processes.
The magazine quotes Isaline Fracheboud, then director of operations :
“Our technology, a prototype of which will be ready in the fall of 2022 for initial field testing, will enable us to capture CO₂ at the source and then repurpose it in various ways.”
PME Magazine outlines the two options available to carbon emitters through the WasteOlas solution :
- The resale of captured CO₂ to third-party users (such as the pharmaceutical industry) ;
- Reinjection into the emitter’s own production process—an option that is particularly relevant for breweries, soft drink manufacturers, and greenhouse growers, who use CO₂ directly in their production.
The article summarizes WasteOlas’ philosophy as follows: “Recycle it rather than release it into the atmosphere or store it underground.”
A promising environment for carbon capture
Against this backdrop, the report highlights several factors that are driving the growth of CO₂ capture technologies :
- Recognition by the IPCC: For the first time, carbon capture was mentioned in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report, published in April 2022, as a key step toward carbon neutrality by 2050.
- The climate emergency and growing public awareness, which are driving investment in and the adoption of concrete solutions.
- The growing willingness of consumers and businesses to pay for non-fossil fuel alternatives, as noted by Jordi Montserrat of Venturelab in the same article.
A strong signal for the future
Being featured in such a showcase, alongside Climeworks (which had just raised 600 million francs), confirmed the validity of WasteOlas’s positioning as early as 2022. Four years later, with a system up and running at Docteur Gab’s, an Innosuisse Innovation Check, and a collaboration with HEPIA, the trajectory outlined in PME Magazine has fully materialized.
📰 Source: PME Magazine — “The Promise of Swiss Cleantech Startups” — July 11, 2022