Tag Archive for: Switzerland

From Zug to Davos: A whirlwind week in Switzerland

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Last month, VIA’s CEO, Colin Gounden and Client Delivery Lead, Becky McClements ventured across the Atlantic to meet our Lead Software Research Architect, Madjid Aoudia in none other than, Switzerland 🇨🇭!

The trio had an action-packed week that is well worth the recap for our devoted VIA followers. So, who is ready to take an adventure with us from Zug to Davos?

Day 1: Zug

If you are new to VIA’s blog or just need a refresher, there are many reasons why we chose Switzerland as our European headquarters: clean energy, data privacy, and blockchain, our wheelhouse! Once our team landed in Switzerland, it was off to our office in Zug by train. Madjid and Becky also took the opportunity to snap a picture of our logo on the outside of the office, too!

Madjid Aoudia

Madjid Aoudia ready for his trip to Zug.

Madjid Aoudia & Becky McClements

Madjid and Becky McClements at VIA’s European headquarters.

Then, we met with one of our energy customers for a full-day workshop at our office, followed by dinner with executives in the utility space.

Day 2: Zurich + Lucerne

We kicked off day two in: Zurich! Our team met with government entities to discuss how we can support their data privacy initiatives. With a new data privacy code of conduct coming into effect in January, two agencies reached out to VIA for our expertise in data privacy. We look forward to continuing the conversation and deepening our support for Swiss data privacy efforts.

Later that day, we made our way to Lucerne, home of the HSLU iHomeLab. As we mentioned in our blog from 2022, “The year in Switzerland,” HSLU has been one of our research partners in energy and data privacy since 2018. We were thrilled to see the research they have been doing in energy efficiency and IoT and to have our Expansion Manager, Ray Neubauer join us!

VIA’s team

VIA’s team alongside the iHomeLab team.

Colin showing off some of the fantastic innovations at iHomeLab

Colin at iHomeLab.

Finally, to cap the night off, we had dinner with executives in the electric vehicle and automotive space. Stay tuned for more on this front!

Day 3: Davos

The highlight of our week was traveling to Davos for the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC)’s 7th Annual Blockchain Central Davos event, hosted in parallel to the World Economic Forum. Colin was invited to speak on the panel, “Blockchain and AI Convergence for Enhanced Trust and Transparency” alongside Tanvi Singh, Managing Director, Global Digital Assets Technology Lead, UBS, John deVadoss, Co-Founder & CEO, NeuralFabric.ai, and David Treat, Board Chair, GBBC; Senior Managing Director and Global Metaverse Continuum Business Group Lead, Accenture.

Paola Valencia, Director of Operations, & Strategic Partnerships, Home of Blockchain.swiss, was the moderator, who did a fantastic job of keeping the conversation flowing and asking terrific questions. If you are short on time, don’t miss our favorite moments at the timestamps from the recording below:

  • 9:23: Watch Colin introduce himself and VIA in Swiss German!
  • 19:08: Paola says she was thrilled to see Colin’s name on the panel because she wanted to hear how VIA has been using AI and blockchain with actual companies and how those use cases impact humanity.
  • 35:40: Colin provides his thoughts on the next big thing in the next six months related to AI and blockchain.

Thank you again to GBBC! The whole event from start to finish was world class and we are grateful for the opportunity (and the high quality pictures below 😉).

GBBCColin

Day 4: Wrap up!

After the eventful day in Davos, not to mention the fact that we ran into people we know from Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. (the Americans were out in full force!), we closed out our trip by meeting with another automaker and more government officials in the evening.

As we reflect on the week, we wanted to acknowledge a few small things that make a big difference. Everywhere we went, there was next-level hospitality, people made time in any way they could to meet with us, and embraced VIA with open arms. All of these points keep us coming back (and the spectacular scenery isn’t too bad either!).

This trip laid the groundwork for what is sure to be some exciting announcements this year 📣.

Davos

View of the mountains during our train ride.

The year in Switzerland:
highlights of mission-driven initiatives in 2022

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Avid VIA blog readers will be familiar with the many reasons for why we picked Switzerland as our European headquarters. In short, the country is a leader in clean energy, data privacy, and blockchain – three areas that strongly align with VIA’s mission to make communities cleaner, safer, and more equitable. 

The prestigious Tell Award we received in October of 2021 recognized VIA, along with Moderna, at a national level in Switzerland and set us up for an eventful year ahead. For all of you visual learners following VIA, here’s a look back at all things VIA that took place in Switzerland in 2022.

January 2022: Swiss media features VIA and HSLU in an article on securing smart meter data. Learn more here.

Swiss Ambassador to the United States, Markus Börlin, interviews VIA CEO Colin Gounden in New York. Learn more here.

EPRI puts VIA data privacy through its paces with an independent evaluation process. Learn more here.

July 2022: The VIA team hosts Swiss VIAneers Jeanine Pilloud and Martin Ramsler at VIA’s Boston headquarters.

August 2022: VIA Expansion Manager Ray Neubauer speaks at the SUEID conference in Bern. Learn more here.

September 2022: VIA participates in the Energy Data Hackdays event in Brugg for the third consecutive year with a challenge developed by VIA’s Skylight team. Learn more here.

October 2022: Our Swiss site, solvewithvia.ch, is launched in three languages: English, French, and German.

Swiss podcast Insider’s Guide to Energy interviews VIA CEO Colin Gounden to talk blockchain and energy. Learn more here.

December 2022: VIA CEO Colin Gounden travels to Switzerland to meet with our Swiss counterparts and customers to talk Skylight. Pictured below – Innovation Process Technology in Zurich hosts Swiss VIAneers Raimund Philip Neubauer, Jeannine Pilloud, and Colin Gounden for dinner after a Web3 talk.

As 2023 approaches, we look forward to scaling the technology and partnerships in Switzerland. In the meantime, thank you to all our partners and VIAneers for your support in creating a solid foundation. We are sending our sincerest and warmest holiday wishes to all of our European communities.

Why Switzerland?

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Yes, we love chocolate, cheese, and clean mountain air.
That (alone), however, is not why VIA is spending so much time in Switzerland.
Switzerland is the leader in three areas core to VIA: clean energy, data privacy, and blockchain.

Clean Energy

More than 190 countries around the world have pledged to reduce carbon emissions. Switzerland is one of the few that has legislation, a deadline, and active programs to move towards net zero. Not only is this commitment aligned with VIA’s mission, it enables VIA to actively support the clean energy transition and exactly where that transition is happening the fastest. As part of VIA’s commitment to energy and Switzerland, we’re pleased to have been admitted to the Association of Swiss Electrical Companies last week.

Data Privacy 

Arguably no country in the world has a stronger reputation for data privacy than Switzerland. The laws around data privacy continue to evolve and become stricter over time. By being aware of the leading edge of privacy regulations, VIA’s platform is in a position to support any jurisdiction.

Blockchain

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley is to blockchain what Silicon Valley is to software. With over 1,000 blockchain companies and one of the world’s first countries to enact crypto and blockchain legislation, Switzerland is an ideal location to lead blockchain initiatives. Earlier this year, VIA was admitted to the Swiss Blockchain Federation (see photo below). It’s in everyone’s interest to participate in an active innovation community that also has a clear regulatory framework.

Pictured above at the general assembly of the Swiss Blockchain Federation in Zurich: Ray Neubauer, Expansion Manager at VIA, Markus Riner, Head of Digitalization at VSE (Swiss Association of Electricity Suppliers), and Dr. Fabian Streiff, Head of Economic Development Agency of the Canton of Zurich.

If you’re interested in hearing more about how and why we chose Switzerland as our European headquarters, you can watch this ten minute video with our CEO, Colin Gounden being interviewed by the Swiss Ambassador to the U.S.

Swiss Ambassador Markus Börlin Interviews VIA CEO Colin Gounden

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VIA’s CEO Colin Gounden was invited by Ambassador Markus Börlin, Consul General of Switzerland to join him for an interview in New York City. During the interview, Colin talks about the reasons we selected Switzerland as a European office for VIA and why blockchain and AI are critical to the clean energy transition happening in Switzerland. Watch the full interview below.

Swiss Media Features VIA and HSLU in Article on Securing Smart Meter Data

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Smart meters are rich with insights that can optimize the operation of the power grid. Yet, the current practice of gathering energy consumption and production data from a centralized source carries data privacy and security concerns. Our partners at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) recently penned a piece for Bulletin.ch about our research through the Swiss Federal Office of Energy to solve this dilemma. A key component of the KnowlEDGE project, VIA’s Trusted Analytics Chain™ (TAC™), allows utilities to access distributed datasets while maintaining cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.

To learn more about this work with HSLU and how it’s supporting Switzerland’s decarbonization goals, read the full article here.

SwissInfo Highlights VIA in Article on Switzerland’s Shift to Renewables

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Switzerland aims to rely solely on renewable energy by 2050. Artificial intelligence (AI) is crucial to making this a reality, according to a recent SwissInfo article. The piece featured in Switzerland’s top English language news outlet highlights how VIA and our partners at Lucerne University of Applied Science and Arts (HSLU) are putting AI into practice through smart meter research. With this work, utilities have a way to securely analyze smart meter data while protecting customer privacy.  

“No country in the world has a longer history or stronger reputation for data privacy. At the same time, no single utility has enough data on its own for AI,” noted VIA CEO Colin Gounden in an interview for the piece.“With so many utilities (650), Switzerland is a great proving ground for VIA’s collaborative technology (VIA Insights Market™).” 

VIA’s recently launched Insights Market brings AI models to data to increase data privacy and cybersecurity. It enhances security as power companies do not need to send  data to the cloud or to analysts. 

To learn more about our work and implications for creating a stable, carbon neutral energy system, read the full article from Swissinfo here.

Switzerland’s Top Innovation Booster Grants VIA New Energy Project

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VIA maintains Swiss market momentum with funding to impact country’s decarbonization goals

SOMERVILLE, Mass., November 18, 2021 — Continuing its track record for innovation in Switzerland, VIA, the leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) for data privacy, integration, and analysis, announced today that it has been awarded funding from the nation’s top innovation booster, Energy Lab. Developed in collaboration with research partner Lucerne University of Applied Science and Arts (HSLU), the project, “Insights Marketplace – Powering Up Your Data for Decarbonisation,” was selected through a competitive judging process and is a testament to the company’s deepening impact on the Swiss energy market.

“Making a lasting impact on Switzerland’s clean energy transition goes beyond a single solution or technology. It requires the ongoing commitment of an entire community. We’re thrilled to be part of this innovation ecosystem, and our COO and Switzerland board member, Kate Ravanis, and I are looking forward to driving further collaboration with VIA Insights Market,” said VIA’s CEO, Colin Gounden, who will be also presenting the project at Energy Lab’s Un(Conference) on November 25, 2021, in Switzerland. The event will be another opportunity for an exchange of ideas and community building to commence.

The project highlights VIA Insights Market™, which debuted globally earlier this fall in Switzerland at Energy Data Hackdays in Brugg, Switzerland. VIA Insights Market enables power providers to test and acquire AI and other analytical services faster and more securely than any other alternative. By applying Insights Market to the problem, the need for repeated training of artificial intelligence (AI) models is reduced. At the same time, privacy and security are enhanced as the solution brings code to the data, removing the need for storage of data in multiple locations.

Sem Mattli, managing director of Switzerland Innovation Park Central, which facilitates the Energy Lab, added: “Collaboration is key to accelerating innovation. Through VIA Insights Market, researchers and companies alike can train and deploy AI models on data previously unavailable due to geographic or regulatory constraints while power companies maintain full confidentiality of their data. The application has the power to save Swiss utilities hundreds of hours in data integration costs, while building a bridge that enables distributed energy resources to be on the grid.”

Follow the latest from VIA by visiting https://www.solvewithvia.com/latest/ or on social media, including LinkedIn and @solvewithvia on Twitter and Instagram.

About VIA
90% of the world’s data is trapped. VIA makes it accessible. Trusted by leading government agencies and clean energy companies around the globe, VIA’s secure, digital collaboration platform overcomes the most common barriers to AI: lack of data, data quality issues, and data privacy concerns. By bringing AI to data 100 times faster than alternatives and with the highest level of cybersecurity, VIA’s platform is the driving force to make communities of all kinds cleaner, safer, and more equitable. VIA is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, with a technology center in Montreal, Quebec, and European offices in Denmark and Switzerland. For more information, please visit www.solvewithvia.com

 

Switzerland Recognizes VIA’s Extraordinary Growth Trajectory with National Award

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Clean Energy Innovator Honored Alongside Moderna and Benchling

Pictured above (left to right): Kate Ravanis, Co-Founder and COO, VIA; Markus Börlin, Ambassador, Consul General of Switzerland; Colin Gounden, Co-Founder and CEO, VIA.


Together with innovators Moderna and Benchling, VIA received Switzerland Global Enterprise’s 2021 Tell Award for its contributions to the Swiss economy and community. Since its inception, more than 50 of America’s most innovative and fastest growth companies – including Biogen, Google, and Microsoft –  have been recognized with this prestigious national award. VIA executives Kate Ravanis and Colin Gounden celebrated the distinction at a private ceremony in Boston with Swiss dignitaries.

“Switzerland has a worldwide reputation for its commitment to clean energy adoption and data privacy, two areas closely aligned with VIA’s own mission,” VIA COO and Switzerland board member Kate Ravanis said. “This award is proof of our impact on the market as we provide the technology to overcome barriers to data and protect privacy. We’re proud to be recognized alongside such a strong group of innovators and look forward to continued collaboration with the Swiss government, academia, and power industry.”

As the world’s only blockchain that is cybersecurity-approved by the U.S. Department of Defense, VIA is committed to bringing the highest levels of data security and accelerating Switzerland’s clean energy goals. The announcement comes only a week after the launch of VIA Insights Market™, which made its public debut at Energy Data Hackdays in Brugg, Switzerland. VIA Insights Market enables power providers to accelerate their transition to clean energy technologies through faster testing and acquisition of AI. VIA’s R&D partner Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts served as a beta user of the platform. To support its growth across Europe, VIA recently opened an office at the Switzerland Innovation Park Central in Zug.

For more information about the Tell Awards, read the press release from Swiss Global Enterprise.

Pictured above (left to right): Sophie Cerny, Trade Commissioner for Innovation; Lukas Sieber, Executive Director USA, Greater Zurich Area; Michelle Abboud, Vice President – North America, Lucerne Business; Colin Gounden, Co-Founder and CEO, VIA; Markus Börlin, Ambassador, Consul General of Switzerland; Kate Ravanis, Co-Founder and COO, VIA; Daniel Bangser, Trade Commissioner for Investment; Benjamin Bollmann, CEO, Swissnex Boston.

 

It’s official! VIA team members presented with the Tell Award at VIA’s office in Somerville, Mass.

Pictured above (left to right): Joe Babiec, SVP of Strategic Initiatives, VIA; Kate Ravanis, Co-Founder and COO, VIA; Colin Gounden, Co-Founder and CEO, VIA; Daniel Bangser, Trade Commissioner for Investment; Adam Eisenman, VP, Public Sector, VIA.

 

About VIA

VIA is powering the clean energy revolution. Working with the world’s leading utilities, clean energy companies, and government agencies, VIA’s software overcomes the most common barriers to AI: lack of data, data quality issues, and data privacy concerns. As a result, VIA’s software accelerates the AI required for the clean energy transition. VIA also provides the bridge that enables EVs, battery storage, demand response, and distributed energy resources to be on the grid. VIA is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, with a technology center in Montreal, Quebec. For more information, please visit www.solvewithvia.com.