Driven since childhood by the desire to understand and improve technology, Dominik Blaser is Head of Product at Voltiris, a start-up he co-founded in 2021. He seeks to put his technical skills at the service of the farming world, spurred on by the wish to help solve the energy challenges facing crop greenhouses.
Originally from Bern, Dominik grew up close to nature. Looking at old postcards, he was struck by the melting of the glaciers. His father regularly told him that one day water would be worth more than oil or coal. His father also passed on his passion for building, as Dominik watched him renovate the family home using earth and create objects in his small woodworking workshop.
As a teenager, Dominik took a trip to Denmark. He was deeply struck by his discovery of wind turbines and devoted his Matura thesis to the subject. He even went so far as to build a five-metre-high wind turbine in his garden, in order to raise awareness among the people of his neighbourhood.
He joined EPFL and its Mechanical Engineering section in 2016. The School gave him skills that he sees as “an extremely useful toolbox.”
“Focusing solely on problems doesn't help me; I need to direct my actions towards solutions.”
So, during his Bachelor's degree, he co-founded the association ZEG (Zero Emission Group), which allowed him to propose decarbonisation solutions, notably through a wind-power unit, and to bring sustainability issues to the fore both within EPFL and with the outside world.
During his first year of the Master's programme, a PhD student noticed his passion for design. He put him in touch with a friend who wanted to develop solar panels specifically for greenhouses. Alongside his courses and projects at EPFL, Dominik therefore began building prototypes in the evenings, storing them in his shared flat, next to his bed.
This experience marked the beginning of the Voltiris adventure, which he co-founded with Nicolas Weber and Jonas Roch. Each of the three co-founders brought their own expertise, from optical theory to business strategy. For Dominik, it was product development.
He discovered how important it is for solar panels to let certain light frequencies through to crops such as tomatoes, which would otherwise lose a great deal of productivity, and to concentrate only the unnecessary ones, which both allows the panels to produce electricity and keeps the greenhouses from heating up as much.
“What particularly motivates me is creating a setting where everyone can find their place and get involved.”
Voltiris's technology was met with a very positive reception from farmers, and the company quickly had to expand. This growth thrilled Dominik, who enjoys bringing people together, as he had previously done in the world of associations.
The current team, which numbers more than 25 people and brings together people of all ages, is for him a “dream team. Identifying what motivates people lets us move forward quickly and effectively together, and with my co-founders, we like to hand over responsibilities early on.”
Beyond the technical aspect, their solution addresses regulatory challenges linked to the emission-reduction plans required by retailers, as well as the need to break free from dependence on energy costs.
“In the Netherlands, where there are many greenhouses, the surge in natural gas prices in 2022 pushed production costs up by 30%. Many farmers were unable to adapt. The narrative around sustainability doesn't work on its own: economic and food security matter a great deal too.”
Despite the challenges, Dominik Blaser's eyes sparkle. He savours every day of this wonderful entrepreneurial adventure.