Campus lecture by Hadi Barkat, Director of Helvetiq & Alumni Award 2024

On 25 September, the EPFL community gathered at the Rolex Forum to welcome Hadi Barkat, founder and director of Helvetiq and winner of the EPFL Alumni Award 2024, to give a Campus Lecture on the theme: ‘From EPFL to the award-winning As d'Or game’

Hadi Barkat graduated from EPFL with a degree in computer science in 2001, followed by a postgraduate EMBA in 2002. He began his career at Shockfish and then became an investment manager at Logispring. In 2008, while preparing for his Swiss naturalisation test, he created Helvetiq, a fun and interactive board game about Switzerland. Its resounding success allowed him to devote himself to it full-time from 2010 onwards. The company stands out for its simple concepts and sleek design, and is rapidly expanding internationally. Today, Helvetiq offers a wide range of games and books and continues to grow. In 2024, Hadi Barkat received the EPFL Alumni Award. In 2025, Helvetiq's game Odin won the prestigious As d'Or mondial award.

During the conference ‘From EPFL to the As d'Or award-winning game’, Hadi Barak looked back on his unusual career path, which led him from technological creation. He first discussed the parallels between venture capital and publishing. He then revealed how games became a universal tool for him: to animate a group, stimulate reflection and inspire leadership. It was an enriching moment, followed by a discussion with participants and a networking aperitif.

Thank you to Hadi for his insightful talk and to everyone who contributed to the success of this Campus Lecture.

See the highlights of the event in pictures !