A successful start-up – with support from the HSG Best Founders Programme
HSG alumnus Henry Müller is one of the first two ‘Champions’ of the new HSG Best Founders Programme. A grant of 100,000 Swiss francs has enabled him to focus on the foundation of his start-up ‘fortyfour’.
Support at every step of the way: from the initial idea to the launch
Thanks to the tremendous commitment of donors and supporting partners, the HSG Best Founders Programme supports and guides start-up founders through every stage of their entrepreneurial journey. HSG alumnus Henry Müller is one of the first two ‘Champions’ of the new HSG Best Founders Programme. A grant of 100,000 Swiss francs has enabled him to focus on setting up ‘fortyfour’.
Using a completely new, patented process, ‘fortyfour’s’ Direct Air Capture machines filter CO₂ directly from the ambient air and make it available cost-effectively and locally, powered entirely by renewable electricity and waste heat. This benefits all: the economy, society and the environment: new value creation in Swiss industry, a secure and regional CO₂ supply for domestic agriculture and the food industry, and lower fossil fuel emissions.
fortyfour is breaking new ground – moving away from fossil-based CO₂ supplies
CO₂ is used in many sectors today: it enhances photosynthesis in greenhouses, thereby increasing crop yields; it is used as carbon dioxide in sparkling drinks; and it serves as a protective gas in the food industry. Until now, however, CO₂ has been sourced almost exclusively from fossil fuels – mostly from industrial processes or the combustion of natural gas – and delivered to businesses by lorry over long distances.
fortyfour’s systems are modular in design and are installed directly on-site at the customer’s premises, thereby eliminating long supply chains and the associated transport emissions. This makes businesses independent of global CO₂ markets. It gives them greater planning certainty in terms of regulatory requirements and protects them from price fluctuations, such as those caused by geopolitical events.
Where entrepreneurial potential meets technological innovation
HSG alumnus Henry Müller and environmental engineer Pedro Reina met through the TalentKick programme. It brings together students from across Switzerland who are interested in starting a business. Through workshops and social events, the students get to know one another better and, based on shared interests and convictions, find common ground
The idea for fortyfour arose from their shared conviction that environmental problems can usually only be solved with hardware: the sustainable, local provision of technical CO₂. An innovative liquid solvent enables unprecedented compactness, robust and continuous operation, and easy maintenance. This makes it possible to operate many small, local plants.
In 2026, the first pilot plant will be installed at a Swiss tomato greenhouse to validate long-term operation in the field. By 2035, fortyfour aims to produce 1 million tonnes of CO₂ per year locally at over 500 sites, thereby saving the equivalent amount of emissions that would otherwise have ended up in the atmosphere in the medium term.
“As a hardware start-up with long development cycles and no traditional MVP sales, the HSG Best Founders Programme is an incredible privilege. Without this environment, we would hardly have been able to maintain this pace. Equally crucial is access to the HSG’s network for raising capital and attracting customers.”