Impact Tech, Circular Fashion, and Waste Innovation Take the Spotlight at the ClimateLaunchpad Swiss Final
Keynote speaker Gesa Bury from The Sustainability Impact Advisory opened the Final in Basel with a reflection on her own journey into sustainable entrepreneurship, setting the tone for a day that blended vision with action. She later joined fellow jury members Brooke Wachtel (Bank of America) and Dimitrios Terzis (Medusoil) in the difficult task of selecting the top three.
In 2025, a green business idea isn’t just ‘good for the planet’, it is also profitable and built to survive the age of turmoil. It means transparency between funding and climate action. It means measurable impact, not vague promises. It means alternative business models that turn waste into value and scrutiny into opportunity.” With this premise, Dimitrios Terzis perfectly captured the spirit of the day.
The event unfolded into an inspiring afternoon of bold, practical solutions to combat climate change and shape a sustainable future. After a rigorous round of pitches, three standout startups in impact technology, circular fashion, and waste recycling convinced the jury with the strength, clarity, and ambition of their ideas.
Taking first place was Wingtap, a mobile app that connects users directly with trusted nonprofits, making it easier to fund high-impact global projects with transparency and simplicity.
In second place, weLoop impressed the jury with its circular fashion software, enabling SMEs to shift from e-commerce to re-commerce by facilitating the buying, selling, renting, and repair of garments, keeping clothing in circulation and reducing landfill waste.
Third place went to Hevea Sustainable Materials, which is pioneering technology to devulcanize various types of rubber, transforming previously unrecyclable materials into reusable resources while reducing waste, microplastics, and CO₂ emissions.
Other Swiss finalists EnPower and UGE were also recognized for their passion and promising ideas.
The top three winners will now represent Switzerland at the ClimateLaunchpad European Finals, competing against the best green innovators from across the continent.
For the two months leading up to the Swiss Final, all Swiss finalists embarked on an intensive preparation journey that began with the ClimateLaunchpad Bootcamp, led by Hira Wajahat Malik. Among many valuable lessons, participants were encouraged to “quantify their dreams” by translating vision into measurable goals and to “embrace the power of diversity” within their teams to spark creativity and resilience. These foundations were strengthened through additional coaching sessions and pitch trainings, enabling the startups to refine their business models and sharpen their impact strategies ahead of the Final.
About ClimateLaunchpad:
ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest green business ideas competition, part of Climate-KIC—Europe’s climate innovation agency. It helps entrepreneurs turn climate-positive ideas into successful businesses through training, mentoring, and global networking, with the goal of accelerating solutions for a sustainable future.
The event is supported by global sponsors Bank of America and Irish Aid. Local Startup Academy partner Basler Kantonalbank further supports the initiative at a local level through its continued backing of the Startup Academy mission.
