Is it possible to travel at the speed of an airplane while having the same convenience and ecological footprint as going by train?

A technology that might make this idea become reality is the hyperloop, a transportation system in which levitating pods are propelled in tubes to reach a speed of more than 1'000 kilometres an hour. The EPFL-spinoff Swisspod Technologies focuses on such systems and has developed a hyperloop vehicle. CEO and co-founder Denis Tudor and his team won several awards in the hyperloop competitions hosted by SpaceX and are building a 1.6-kilometre track in Colorado to test their product in full scale.

In this episode, Denis explains why the hyperloop technology is more sustainable than comparable modes of transportation and when it will be possible to travel with hyperloop vehicles.

In 2022, the European Union changed the legislation on the sustainability reporting of companies. The new requirements expand the scope of businesses that are obliged to report on their environmental, social, and economic impact.

Although this legislation has been in effect since early 2024, many small companies still face challenges in understanding and meeting the reporting standards. To assist these businesses, the start-up CSR Tools offers solutions that help them get started on sustainability reporting.

In this episode, founder and serial entrepreneur Alexander Spahn shares the story of CSR Tools and his previous ventures. He also discusses the critical success factors of start-ups.

The children's toy market in Switzerland is quite sizable with parents spending approximately 800 million Swiss Francs each year. Most of these toys are made of plastic leading to significant emissions during production and posing challenges for recycling.

Fatma Belbahi and her team at the start-up Circle Toys are addressing this issue by establishing a circular platform for children's toys. The company collects toys from families, then sorts, cleans, and eventually offers them a new lease on life through its online store. This approeach results in a triple win: donating families declutter while earning store credit, new buyers save up to 70 per cent compared to the original toy price, and the planet benefits from reduced emissions and waste.

Fatma discusses the founding story of her company, the role that start-up competitions played in testing her business idea, and her plans to scale Circle Toys nationwide.