Pilot Day

Turn your operational challenges into working pilots in one day.

Hack Pilot Day connects Swiss SMEs with vetted ClimateTech startups for curated, high-quality meetings so the right conversations actually happen.

Lausanne · 24 April 2026

Apply as an SME Apply as a Startup

Why Attend

Stop searching. Start the right conversations.
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Finding the right technology partner normally takes months of cold outreach, demo calls, and dead ends.
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We compress that into one day. Before you arrive, we've already done the matching. Every meeting on your calendar has been curated based on your specific challenges and industry track.
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You leave having had the right conversations with people who actually understand your challenges. Where it goes from there is up to you.

How It Works

Three thematic tracks. One curated day.
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Select your track when you apply. We match you with relevant startups from our international network before the event. On the day, you meet your matches, hear targeted pitches, and explore potential pilot opportunities together.

Some startups may be relevant across multiple tracks. In that case, they may be featured in more than one thematic group to ensure the best possible matches.

Industrial Efficiency

Reduce waste, cut energy use, and improve operational performance in industrial processes.

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Built Environment Performance

Deliver higher-performing buildings through smarter renovation, systems, and data.

Food Resilience

Strengthen food value chains from farm to fork through traceability, safety, and reliability.

What to expect

Every meeting pre-matched.
Every conversation worth having.
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Keynotes and case studies of SME x Startup collaborations
Targeted startup pitches, grouped by your track
Curated 1:1 meetings with pre-matched startups
Pilot Clinic: meet the actors who can help move your project forward
Networking lunch with SMEs, startups, and ecosystem partners

Agenda

Welcome
Plenary Sessions
Learnings from the Field: Successful SME - Startup
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SME x Startup Collaboration #1:
Dominik Blaser, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, Voltiris

SME x Startup Collaboration #2:
Jean-Valentin de Saussure, Co-Founder & Director, Circea
Kouros Ghavami, Co-Founder et responsable production, La Nébuleuse
Startup pitches per thematic track
> Industrial Efficiency
> Built Environment performance
> food Resilience
1 : 1 SME x Startup Meetings
Lunch & Pilot Clinic
Networking

Participation Criteria

SMEs

You don't need a brief or a budget signed off. You need a relevant challenge, a decision-maker in the room, and the openness to explore.

* You know your key operational or sustainability challenges

* A decision-maker can attend in Lausanne on April 24

* You're open to investing time and resources if the fit is right

Applying doesn't commit you to anything. The goal is quality conversations.

Startups

You have a solution that works. Now you need the right SME partner to explore it with.To participate as a startup, you should:

* Your solution is deployment-ready (TRL 6+)

* You have clear application cases and articulate who your ideal SME partner looks like

* You are ready to deploy in Switzerland

* You can be in Lausanne on April 24

* Participation is subject to the above criteria and successful matchmaking. In rare cases where no relevant match can be identified, tickets will be reimbursed.