New regulations are pushing airline carriers to gradually ditch oil for cleaner fuels. Synhelion, a Swiss start-up, is turning sunlight into fuel, and seizing this opportunity to position itself in this emerging market segment. Synhelion stands out in the Swiss startup scene: not just because it is pioneering the conversion of sunlight into sustainable fuel, a crucial innovation for the energy transition, but also because it has already raised CHF70 million (about $80 million) from major strategic investors. In 2024, only two Swiss startups raised more than that. Moreover, its chairman is not the typical young and trendy tech guru nor a financial investor. The startup is led by Hans Hess—one of Switzerland’s most seasoned business minds. Hess, a mechanical engineer, has held chairmanship roles in major industrial companies such as Reichle & De-Massari, Burckhardt Compression, and Comet Group. He also served as CEO of Leica Geosystems, chairman of Swissmem (Switzerland’s leading ...
