EP #527 - Estelle Clerc: From Lab to Launch - Building a Startup to Break Forever Chemicals
October 24, 2025
Co-produced by
Co-produced by
05:55 - From Lab Work to Startup Workshops
10:49 - Finding the Right Co-Founders
16:24 - Spinning Out of ETH and Proving the Tech
34:21 - Fundraising and Resilience
This episode was co-produced with KickFund, a VC fund investing in the most promising Swiss deeptech startups.
Episode Summary:
Estelle Clerc is the Co-Founder and CEO of CellX Biosolutions, a Swiss biotech startup developing next-generation cell-based products for wound healing and regenerative medicine. With a PhD in Marine Microbiology from ETH Zurich, Estelle made the leap from academia to entrepreneurship and traded the lab bench for the founder’s seat.
In this episode, Estelle shares how she built CellX from the ground up and how she approached finding the right co-founder: from testing their collaboration through grants to aligning on values and long-term vision before officially joining forces.
She also discusses the Swiss startup ecosystem that shaped her journey and exposed her to the business world and the challenges of building a biotech company that bridges research and real-world impact. Estelle reflects on resilience, team building, and what it really takes to turn a scientific idea into a scalable company.
Programs mentioned:
https://www.startup-campus.ch/
https://blogs.ethz.ch/feminno/
https://www.innosuisse.admin.ch/en/initial-coaching-for-start-up
The cover portrait was edited by Smartportrait.
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