About

What we do 

At SEIF, we work with impact driven founders who aim to solve our planet’s most pressing global challenges, by employing and leveraging innovative business models within the marketplace. Our aim is to support passionate entrepreneurs in establishing product-market-fit and scale ventures with positive impact integrated at the core of their business model. 

SEIF is well positioned in the heart of Europe’s tech for impact ecosystem with the annual SEIF Awards, where more than 2’200 impact startups have been assessed and evaluated. Since 2015, SEIF Awards finalists have gone on to successfully raise over CHF 40 million in equity funding.

2’200+ impact
startups assessed. 

1’000+ impact
startups supported. 

SEIF also offers acceleration and capacity building programs in close collaboration with corporate partners. To date, our programs have supported over 1’000 impact startups and granted exclusive access to an international angel investor network.

SEIF invest

SEIF invest was co-founded by Prof. Mariana Christen Jakob and Eric Gisiger, who joins the impact startup expertise with a longstanding career in private markets and early-stage venture capital investing. Complementing the SEIF innovation team, SEIF invest employs a dedicated investment team with backgrounds in banking & finance, disruptive innovation and next generation impact investing strategy.

Our history 

 

SEIF has a longstanding history as an impact venture accelerator with a pan-European focus. Founded in 2011 by Prof. Mariana Christen Jakob with the aim of professionalizing the social entrepreneurship sector and providing impact startups with the necessary support to grow and scale successfully.

Over the past 10 years, the SEIF team has built an extensive pipeline and database of impact driven entrepreneurs, whereby a significant gap in external capital made available for early-stage impact ventures in need of first-time financing has been observed.

With SEIF invest, we are building on our existing legacy and accelerating impact investing in startups that plan to leverage a novel technology to achieve positive impact alongside commercial success by supporting pipeline winners financially. 

Meet the team 

Prof. Mariana Christen Jakob

Founder and Managing Partner SEIF | Co-Founder SEIF invest Email • LinkedIn
Impact Investing

With over 20 years experience in social innovation, CSR and impact entrepreneurship Mariana is an expert within impact investing as well as non-financial support for impact entrepreneurs. She founded SEIF in 2011 with the aim to professionalize the social entrepreneurship sector and provide impact startups with the necessary support to grow and scale successfully. Today, Mariana leads the way in early stage Tech for Impact investing, finding solutions for the issues involved in initiating the first financing rounds.

Mandates

BRIDGE, jointly offered by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and Innosuisse, Member Steering Committee
The programme offers funding opportunities at the intersection of basic and science-based innovation for young and experienced researchers

Design Prize Switzerland: Going Circular Economy, Nomination

First Ventures, Gebert Ruf Foundation, Jury Member
The programme promotes UAS students with an innovative business idea with financial contribution as well as tailored coaching

Green Fintech Network Member, State Secretary for International Finance SIF

MassChallenge, Sustainable Food Systems Challenge, Jury Member

Social Impact Accelerator SIA, Jury Member

Linda Aerne

Senior Project Manager Email • LinkedIn

As Senior Project Manager, Linda is in charge of the Impact Academy, Impact Awards, and other projects. Linda graduated with her Bachelor Degree from San Francisco State University. Currently, Linda is doing her MSc in Business Administration – Major Innovation and Entrepreneurship at ZHAW. Before that, she worked for swissnex San Francisco, where she supported Swiss Startups with their Market Validation and Market Entry to the US. At SEIF, she combines her experience supporting Entrepreneurs and her passion for impact entrepreneurship.

Mandates

WSA National Expert

Roman Suleiman

Impact Management Consultant Email • LinkedIn

As Freelance Impact Management Consultant, Roman supports SEIF in conducting impact management projects. Moreover, he aims to strengthen synergies between startups and corporates in SEIF’s existing ecosystem. He believes that implementing sustainability taking a systemic approach is key to secure the long-term competitiveness of any organization. Besides his engagement at SEIF, he acts as the founder of a climate risk analysis startup. Previously, he worked in management consulting and impact investing, co-founded an agroforestry startup, and brings along additional experience from venture capital and technology. He holds a Master in Finance, Strategic Management, and Sustainable Business from Copenhagen Business School.

Eléonore Güntzer

Project Manager SEIF & Impact Investment Analyst SEIF Invest Email • LinkedIn

Eléonore manages the SEIF Awards, SEIF’s emblematic awards for impact entrepreneurs with a focus on technology. Additionally, she is involved in impact management projects and supports SEIF Invest with the impact assessment and due diligence of startups. She is fascinated by how different sectors can collaboratively tackle societal challenges and is committed to creating a sustainable future through entrepreneurship. Before joining SEIF, Eléonore gained valuable experience at a Swiss start-up measuring the impact of corporations on the planet and/or society and holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen.

Dr. Christian Waloszek

Senior Impact Data Scientist SEIF Email • LinkedIn

As Senior Impact Data Scientist, Christian is in charge of the data infrastructure and the development of the impact tool kit of SEIF. Christian holds a Ph.D. in Economics from ETH Zurich and a Master’s degree in Physics from the Free University of Berlin. In the past, he has initiated and managed a variety of public benefit projects. At SEIF, he combines his knowledge of research and data with his passion for impact entrepreneurship.

Eric Gisiger

Co-Founder SEIF invest Email • LinkedIn
Investment Advisor

As co-founder of SEIF invest, Eric acts as Investment Advisor in the development of the platform and the underlying portfolio companies with a Tech for Impact focus. In addition to the positive impact, he sees great commercial potential and thus attractive investment opportunities in early-stage and growth companies addressing some of our most pressing global challenges. Eric is a seasoned and entrepreneurial investment professional with more than 20 years of successful international working experience covering the areas of private equity / venture capital, M&A, corporate development, international project- and institutional relationship management.

Luca Christen

Finance Advisor Email • LinkedIn

As former Investment Manager, Luca supports the assessment of impact driven investment opportunities. He is a strong believer that entrepreneurs that have an impact purpose and a technical innovation are more driven – and thus more successful in their ventures. Luca currently works for a Swiss based startup active in climate change mitigation. Previously, Luca worked in finance in the agronomy sector in both Europe and South America and has Large Cap M&A experience. Luca holds a Master in Banking and Finance from the University of St. Gallen and is completing his studies in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at HEC in Paris. 

Basil Gallmann

Impact Analyst Support Email • LinkedIn

As Impact Analyst Support, Basil supports the SEIF Awards and is heavily involved in the due diligence and impact assessments of startups at SEIF Invest. Basil strongly supports the inclusion of ecological as well as social metrics into financial decision-making and is himself committed to a sustainable lifestyle. Before joining SEIF invest, Basil managed various courses and lead exercise sessions at the University of Zurich during his time as a research and teaching assistant. He holds a master’s degree in Human Geography from the University of Zurich with a minor in Agricultural Economics from ETH Zurich.

Celia Vetter

Impact Analyst Support Email • LinkedIn

Celia works as an Impact Analyst Support at SEIF Invest and is involved with the due diligence and impact assessment of startups. She truly believes that sustainable companies will be successful in the long run and sees impact-driven enterprises as the most effective means to tackle today’s societal challenges. Celia has been working as a product manager in a financial institution before joining SEIF. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is completing her master’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of St. Gallen.

Olajoke Oladipo

Impact Analyst Support Email • LinkedIn

As an Impact Analyst Support, Olajoke supports the data infrastructure management and the development of the SEIF toolkit for impact data. Olajoke is a data enthusiast who is a firm believer that utilizing data-driven strategies is critical for impact-driven startups to expand consistently. She graduated from Covenant University in Nigeria with a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and she is currently completing her master’s degree in Information Systems at the University of Zurich.

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