Entrepreneurship Unplugged: Joel Roos' Founder Story Event
An inspiring evening for students and researchers at ETH Zurich: Joel Roos shares what it really takes to build and exit a start-up.
On May 19 2025, we had the pleasure to host a unique and inspiring evening with Joel Roos at the ETH Zurich Main Building. The event brought together students, researchers, and aspiring entrepreneurs for an authentic conversation about the realities of starting, scaling, and exiting a tech venture, told by the personal journey of an ETH alumnus who turned his vision into a successful start-up.
In an engaging conversation moderated by Chris Luebkeman, Joel took us through the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial journey: from studying engineering at ETH Zürich to launching VAY, a start-up that was acquired shortly after its founding. He spoke openly about the lessons learned from scaling a company, exiting successfully, and starting again, with an eye on what comes next.
The event began with a warm welcome by Sybille Zimmermann (ETH Entrepreneurship), and concluded with final thoughts from Sava Stanisic (UBS), who highlighted the value of resilience and the power of entrepreneurial mindset.
After the talk, attendees were invited to continue the conversation at the apéro and later dinner, an ideal setting to connect, reflect, and build new ideas together.
We would like to thank all participants, especially the many engaged students and young innovators who joined us. Your curiosity, questions, and energy made this event both possible and truly memorable.
We look forward to welcoming you again soon!
Special thanks as well to our partner UBS for their continued support.