Dr. Remy Buser

CEO & co-founder

Remy is a chemist by training with 5+ years of startup experience. He has also advised decision-makers on environmental bills and worked in the chemical industry in China. He is passionate about building teams, leveraging technologies and turning disruptive visions into sustainable businesses that have a global impact.

Dr. Florent Héroguel

COO & co-founder

Florent has a 7+ years’ experience leading projects in the field of biomass valorization. He enjoys building partnerships to accelerate the development of high performances products which are both sustainable and cost-competitive. His ambition is to develop a new industry standard. Previously, Florent was project leader at EPFL after obtaining a PhD in Chemistry from ETH Zürich.

Jean Behaghel de Bueren

CSO- PhD student at EPFL

Jean is a chemical engineer with experience in the Flavor and Fragrance industry. He became fascinated by the new potential of biomass valorization thanks to the use of innovative technologies. His ambition is to take part in the paradigm shift from a system where the renewability and the eco-responsability were constraints and become now profitable opportunities. He is eager to increase the potential of biomass valorisation thanks to innovative technologies.

Prof. Jeremy Luterbacher

Co-founder – Board member

Jeremy is at the head of the Laboratory of Sustainable and Catalytic Processing. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Cornell University (2012) and performed a Postdoc at University of Wisconsin Madison (2012-2014). He received the ERC Starting Grant (2017) and was awarded University Latsis Prize (2019) and Werner Prize from Swiss Chemical Society (2019).

Mathias Waehren

Board member 

Matthias is the ex-CFO of Givaudan, a role he has held until his recent retirement. Matthias knows the financial challenges of the Chemical industry inside out and supports the managing team in questions relating to strategy, legal, accounting, taxes and finances. His expertise in similar position in large chemical companies is invaluable for Bloom’s success.

Sophie Rouzeau

Board member

Sophie is an outstanding polymer chemist with longstanding experience in the industry, focused around the Plastic Cycle, Biomaterials, Recycling and Circular Economy. 

She managed the Natural Bottle Alliance with Danone, Nestlé and Pepsi and brings many years of hands-on strategic intelligence on how to conduct successful innovation on biomaterials. Bloom has built a strong relationship of trust with Sophie and is convinced that her contribution will drive the development of Bloom’s sustainable materials and chemicals and shape a stronger company vision.

Gaëtan Bonhomme

Board member – Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Gaëtan Bonhomme was a co-founder and CTO of Kurion, a US environmental management startup founded in 2008, focused on nuclear waste treatment solutions. Through Gaëtan’s leadership, Kurion was able to successfully deploy its technology in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima crisis; and the company was ultimately acquired by Veolia.

Prior to Kurion, Gaëtan worked in technology development and industrial innovation at Saint-Gobain in the US and in France. Gaëtan holds several graduate degrees, including a PhD in Materials Science working on the industrial applications of quasicrystals and an MBA from MIT Sloan where he was part of the first Entrepreneurship & Innovation cohort.

Jean Emile Zanetto

Business Developper

Jean Emile holds a PhD in Materials Science & Engineering from the EPFL as well as a MBA from HEC Paris. After a career with increasing responsibilities in R&D, corporate strategy and business positions for Rhodia, SABIC and Lonza, he has decided to join Bloom Biorenewables to support its business development.

Dr. Monique Figueirêdo

Senior Scientist

Monique is a chemical engineer by training with experience in industry and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Groningen (the Netherlands). She has a strong background in biomass valorization strategies and circular economy. As a big enthusiast of biorefineries, her ambition is to support the development of novel biobased value chains and sustainable solutions at Bloom Biorenewables.

Maxime Hedou

Head of materials – scientist at EPFL

Maxime obtained his Master degree focussing on fibres and bio-materials from UGA-Grenoble INP Pagora and perfomed an internship at Nestle Research Center. He is currently scientist at EPFL where he develops new sustainable bio-polymers. He ambitions to accelerate the switch towards bio-based products to enable reaching carbon neutrality. Maxime strengthens the development of  innovative biomaterials at Bloom Biorenewables.

Dr. Philip Scholten

Lead scientist

Philip holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Liège, BE, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, DE and an integrated Bachelor and Master from the University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. He has worked for Robert Bosch GmbH and INEOS as an intern. He also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) in Fribourg, CH, on degradable commodity plastics.

Dr. Ydna Questell-Santiago

Senior scientist

Ydna obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from EPFL. Her doctoral work involved the stabilisation of biomass-derived carbohydrates and lignin. After this, Ydna worked at MIT as a SNSF postdoc fellow in the design of multifunctional porous materials for the upgrading of biomass-derived molecules and the development of infinite recyclable polyesters. Apart from science, Ydna enjoys sports, watching movies and cooking.

Antoine Bourgeois

Engineer

Antoine obtained his Bachelor of Science from HES-SO in Fribourg and has a strong background in reactions optimisation, separation processes and analytical methods. Besides innovating for a greener future, Antoine enjoys cultural events and playing board games.

Marie Jones

PhD Student

Marie holds a Master in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London, UK and is joining the team to model and design our processes as part of her PhD thesis at EPFL under the supervision of Prof. Maréchal and Prof. Luterbacher. She is passionate about the circular economy and secured a Marie Skłodowska-Curie scholarship to develop her leadership skills towards sustainability.

Apart from her enthusiasm for science, Marie enjoys being in the great outdoors, and you’ll find her either on a bike, a boat or skis if not in the lab.

Justine Charmillot

Chemical Engineer

Chloé Wegmann

Head of production

Dr. Etienne Gatt

Chemical Engineer

Etienne holds a PhD in biomass valorization from Toulouse (France). Convinced that green innovation can lead to a more sustainable society he has participated in several biomass valorisation projects (lignocellulose fractionation, biosourced materials). His main focus is on continuous and upscalable reactive extrusion. Besides process and fractionation he enjoys climbing and playing music.

Dr. Paula Squinca

Scientist in collaboration with LGP2 – Grenoble

Paula received here Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of São Carlos (Brazil). Her doctoral project was focused on the extraction of cellulose nanomaterials using enzymatic and mechanical routes. She performed an interuniversity exchange doctorate project at Luleå University of Technology (Sweden) under supervision of Prof. Kristiina Oksman in which she worked on the development of nanocellulose-based hydrogels. Aiming to contribute with the transition from a fossil-based to fossil-free society, she wants to collaborate in solving challenges in biomass valorization projects. Besides science, Paula enjoys running, spending time with friends, playing board and card games.

Kourosh Francisco Shirazi

Business Intern

Kourosh is supporting the business development and communication team through the InTent program.

Ismael Menale

Administration / Accounting / HR

Ismael is an accounting & HR payroll specialist. He worked many years with a “Big Four” firm in Lausanne and Geneva. Within Bloom, he supports the team with in all administrative, accounting, HR and tax tasks. Beside working at Bloom, Ismael enjoys reading, playing football and board games.

Vincent Pilloud

Chemical Engineer – HEIA Fribourg

Dr. Roger Marti

Scientific Advisor – HEIA Fribourg

Roger Marti studied chemistry at the Technikum Winterthur and the ETH Zurich. He completed his PhD with Prof. Dr. D. Seebach at the ETH Zurich. After postdoctoral studies at Sandoz Pharma USA, he spent seven years at Carbogen (Switzerland) active PRD and scale-up of pharmaceuticals. In 2004, he joined ZHAW in Winterthur/Wädenswil as Professor of Organic Chemistry. Since 2009, he is Professor of Organic Chemistry & Process Chemistry at the HEIA-FR.

Dr. Michal Dabros

Scientific Advisor – HEIA Fribourg

PhD in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering (EPFL, 2008), professor of Chemical Engineering and Process Control at HEIA-FR and ChemTech since 2010. He has over 10 years of research experience, particularly in the areas of Process Analytical Technologies, on-line monitoring, simulation, control and optimization of chemical and upstream biotech processes. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed publications, two book chapters and several conference presentations