Founder of eMobility Start-up novaziun AG

My fascination with technology flourished during my youth while tinkering with bicycles and mopeds. When choosing my field of study, ETH was at the top of my list, and in retrospect, studying mechanical engineering at ETH was a very fitting decision. In the final year of my bachelor’s, the choice between a focus project and a focus specialization was clear, and I opted for the hands-on project. Within just one year, our team of 9 students converted a BMW X5 to electric drive, with individual wheel drive on the front axle. The vehicle served as a research platform for steer-by-wire and torque vectoring. Implementing what we learned in our studies into a fully electric car was a tremendous success. The experience of assembling the individual puzzle pieces into a functioning machine, seeking solutions, and making decisions as a team continues to shape me today.

Even during my studies, I dreamed of having my own startup. So, the decision was quick when the idea of starting our own company arose with colleagues. At novaziun, we help companies transform their machines and vehicles into the electric era, guiding them from feasibility assessment to series production. Additionally, we develop, build, and distribute our fully electric monotrac, a quiet and vibration-free multitool for agriculture, municipalities, and green maintenance.

As a young father, balancing family and work is a central concern for me. Thus, a large part of the team works part-time. We also operate at two locations to accommodate different places of residence and to maintain proximity to ETH Zurich at our Zurich location, allowing us to share our positive experiences with interns. This enables us to guide ETH Zurich interns and give them insights into the innovative professional life, passing on the exciting experiences we had to younger generations.

These are, of course, challenges for the young startup, but they create a stable foundation for healthy and sustainable growth. novaziun fosters a working environment where every team member is valued, encouraged, and challenged. We deliberately provoke personal growth. We rely on new structures and the desire to discover and understand technologies. Actions are important to us. If you put them into words: Sustainability | Courage | Excitement | Integrity | Teamwork.

During my time at ETH, I learned the fundamentals to work today in various areas, from design to software development, from component selection to strategic decisions, and I continue to learn and grow every day.