Swisspreneur Show

About Swisspreneur Show

The Swisspreneur Show is a podcast series of in-depth, candid conversations with some of Switzerland’s most successful founders, business leaders and innovators. By getting to the heart of these leaders’ stories - their successes, their failures, their must-have advice and greatest regrets - we hope to both inspire and guide the next generation of Swiss entrepreneurs. Each episode deconstructs and showcases one person’s personal and professional background and provides advice and recommendations for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in Switzerland.

Publisher

Swisspreneur

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Aug 2016

Latest episode

11 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

589 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   11 Nov 2026

   From Negative Revenue to Nasdaq: Michael Riegel, Navan | Growth Decoded by Manoj (EP#588)

   Timestamps: 07:14 – What Rocket Internet Taught Him About Speed 19:44 – Why the Right Market Matters More Than the Model 30:31 – When COVID Turned Revenue Negative 45:04 – Selling to Navan and Staying On This episode is part of Growth Decoded, a format by Manoj Harasgama (https://www.linkedin.com/in/manojharasgama/) on the Swisspreneur Show and the podcast companion to our Scale-up Circle, Swisspreneur’s community and event series for founders who are scaling. Manoj is a British-Swiss serial growth founder who has built, scaled and exited companies across marketplaces, SaaS and DeepTech, including Treatwell, JOIN.com (http://join.com) and Crosstown. Today, he is Founder and CEO of Ventourage (https://ventourage.ch/). In each episode, Manoj sits down with a founder who has scaled internationally from Europe to decode the key growth decisions behind their journey. Episode description: Michael Riegel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelriegelcomtravo/) is Chief Customer Officer at Navan (https://navan.com/), the travel and expense management platform that listed on Nasdaq in October 2025. In 2015 he co-founded Comtravo in Berlin, an early bet on AI to take the pain out of business travel. Comtravo raised more than €40 million from investors including Creandum, Project A and Microsoft’s M12 and won over 2,000 business customers. Navan, then called TripActions, acquired it in 2022. Michael went on to lead Navan across Europe, the Middle East and Africa before taking on his current global role. In this episode, Michael looks back at what Rocket Internet and the Bay Area taught him about speed and ambition, and why he came back to Germany to build. He explains how his frustration with business travel at Homejoy led to Comtravo’s first product, a text-based booking service. The team then pivoted to a full travel platform once it became clear the technology couldn’t automate enough for the unit economics to work. His takeaway: with the right market and a strong team, you can pivot your way to the right model. The conversation then turns to the hardest moment of the journey. Weeks after Comtravo completed its €30 million Series B in January 2020, COVID hit: cancellations outnumbered bookings, and revenue went negative as refunds poured out. Michael explains why the company let its sales team go and bought eight or nine distressed travel agencies instead, coming out of the pandemic with several times its pre-COVID booking volume. He also shares why cultural and strategic fit decided the sale to TripActions, what really changes the day after an IPO, and why, looking back, he would have pivoted even faster. Don’t forget to give us a follow on X (https://x.com/swisspreneur), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/swisspreneur/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/swisspreneur), Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/company/swisspreneur), TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@swisspreneur), and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@Swisspreneur) so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

2. 

   4 Nov 2026

   Growing Materials Without Cutting a Single Tree: Adam Korczak, Treeless (EP#587)

   Timestamps: 09:29 – From Tissue Engineering to Growing Materials 13:28 – Why Treeless Moved Beyond Packaging 29:30 – Why Not Raising Early Paid Off 37:59 – Selling Swiss Technology Abroad This episode is presented in partnership with Swissnex. Swissnex connects Switzerland with some of the world’s leading innovation hubs and helps Swiss startups expand internationally. To learn more about their work, visit https://swissnex.org/services/startups/ (https://swissnex.org/services/startups/). Episode description: Adam Korczak (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-aleksander-korczak-7884ab152/) is the Co-Founder and CEO of Treeless (https://treeless.tech/), an ETH Zurich spin-off that uses microorganisms to biomanufacture materials for industries such as cosmetics, adhesives and coatings. Adam studied mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich and did a PhD in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. He co-founded Treeless with Patrycja Kucharczyk after asking a simple question: if we can already grow meat and leather in the lab, what else could we grow? In this episode, Adam explains how Treeless began as Treeless Pack, focused on packaging, and grew into a company making ingredients for water-based and polymeric systems. He shares why customers rarely switch for sustainability alone. Treeless wins them over in other ways: decentralized production that reduces supply chain risk, multifunctional materials that simplify formulations, and a mission to create “materials for a better life.” He also talks about the less glamorous side of scaling: going from lab experiments to tons of material, and carrying heavy barrels around a pilot facility. The conversation then turns to fundraising and going international. Adam explains why he thinks Treeless was lucky not to raise money earlier, and how waiting let the team close an oversubscribed round with investors they chose themselves. After winning the Swiss INTL Award, he looks back on market validation trips to Brazil, South Korea and the Philippines. His conclusion: Switzerland builds top-notch technology but often struggles to sell it, and backing from organizations like Swissnex gives startups the credibility to open doors abroad. Don’t forget to give us a follow on X (https://x.com/swisspreneur), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/swisspreneur/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/swisspreneur), Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/company/swisspreneur), TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@swisspreneur), and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@Swisspreneur) so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

3. 

   28 Oct 2026

   Drawing the Line on AI Automation: Luzi Sennhauser & Micha Brugger (EP#586)

   Timestamps: 08:52 – Should AI Be Making More Decisions? 18:03 – What Founders Should Automate First 33:11 – How to Find the Signal in AI Noise 46:02 – AI-First or Human-First? This episode was produced by Founders Hive (https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-hive-ch/), a community of successful startup founders, industry experts, and investors promoting entrepreneurship in Switzerland and helping early-stage business concepts get ready for seed-stage investment. Founders Hive is a partner of the Entrepreneurship Training programme, empowered by Innosuisse (https://www.linkedin.com/company/innosuisse/), the Swiss innovation agency supporting SMEs, startups, research institutions and other Swiss organizations in their research and development activities. Click the link in the comments to find out more about Founders Hive, empowered by Innosuisse. Episode description: Luzi Sennhauser (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luzi-sennhauser/?locale=en) is Founder and CEO of aurigin.ai (https://aurigin.ai/), where he is building deepfake detection technology for areas such as cybersecurity and enterprise communication. Micha Brugger (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michabrugger/?locale=de) is Founder of Studyond (https://studyond.com/), a platform connecting students, universities and companies around applied research. In this episode, Luzi and Micha discuss where AI should take over and where humans still need to stay in control. They look at why pattern recognition is one of AI’s biggest strengths, but also why relying on AI for judgment can become dangerous when people stop questioning its output. The conversation also explores what founders should automate first, how to decide whether a workflow should be AI-first or human-first, and why understanding a process before automating it matters. They also discuss trust in AI-generated content and what happens when polished output becomes easier to produce than genuine insight. Don’t forget to give us a follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://x.com/swisspreneur)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/swisspreneur/)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.facebook.com/swisspreneur)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/swisspreneur),⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@swisspreneur), and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@Swisspreneur)so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Who has been a guest on Swisspreneur Show

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Michael Wüst
• Laurent Decrue
• Kai Eberhardt
• Fredrik Isler
• Levent Künzi

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

105 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 69 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

84

Social presence

94

YouTube

0

Engagement

90

Contact Swisspreneur Show

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Swisspreneur Show