Qaptis: The Venture Leader Cleantech developing an affordable and fast retrofitting solution for cutting carbon emissions in freight transportation

23.10.2023 15:30, Rita Longobardi

Meet Masoud Talebi Amiri, CEO of Qaptis. The Sion-based startup's innovative technology for the trucking and shipping industry can significantly reduce CO2 emissions, by up to 90%, without requiring external energy sources.

Name: Masoud Talebi Amiri
Location: Lausanne
Nationality: Iranian
Graduated from: EPFL
Job title: CEO
Number of employees: 7 FTE
Money raised: CHF 1.9m


 

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Can you tell us who your product or solution helps, and how?
For manufacturers and owners of heavy-duty vehicles that want to decarbonize their fleet, Qaptis is developing a cost-effective and fast-to-deploy solution to reduce the CO2 emissions of the operating vehicles by up to 90% using our patented mobile carbon capture technology.

What market are you addressing and what is the potential of your startup in that market?
Our target market is the fleet owners and logistics operators. Estimation of the market size is based on a kit price of CHF 30k. The European market has a value of about CHF 26bn. Our beachhead market is focused on Switzerland and the trucks that work in closed-loop logistic systems. This way, we minimize the costs related to CO2 handling and logistics. This represents a market of CHF 270m. About 9’000 trucks out of currently 60’000 on the Swiss roads.

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
The idea of Qaptis was born after observing the success of Direct Air Capture (DAC), led by the Zurich-based startup, Climeworks. A major challenge of DAC technology is the low concentration of CO2 in the air compared to the sources of the emissions, which results in a high cost of capture. To overcome this challenge, our laboratory at EPFL developed a technology that is suitable for Point Source Capture (PSC) based on a similar concept. The very first market that we apply this technology is for decarbonization of heavy-duty vehicles in freight transport.

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders Cleantech roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision?
Our main goal is to take the first step towards entering the German market, and from a more global perspective, into the industrial and startup ecosystem. Considering its timing as the start of our seed fundraising round, as you can guess, we are looking to raise funds too.

What are your team’s key achievements to date?
Qaptis was incorporated in July 2021 in Switzerland, as a spin-off from EPFL, Sion. We successfully tested the prototype and Proof of Concept (PoC) in 2023. This qualifies us for TRL 4. We have gathered a team of 7 FTE and established the first partnerships according to our partnership map and our stage. So far, we have raised CHF 1.9 in grants and equity, and about CHF 1m through a joint development agreement.  

What is the most challenging and rewarding aspect of being a founder?
The biggest challenge for me is to understand and predict the dynamics of the market, and major forces at a macro level, and to incorporate it in the company’s strategy and vision. Of course, this a continuous process and as a founder this is the thought that I wake up with in the morning. There are many rewarding aspects of being a founder. The most valuable one for me is the opportunity to learn and to be exposed to vast learning opportunities that could be very limited otherwise. In combination with the intellectual freedom that comes with it, makes being an entrepreneur a truly unique career. 

What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
It is hard to point out the single most important lesson. Yet, learning from the mistakes and success stories on this journey, I realized that efficient and well-defined delegation of tasks and responsibilities is extremely crucial to overcoming the challenges of growing a business from ideation to exit. 

What is your favourite productivity hack/tool and why?
I use many tools, probably Slack the most. I don’t have a favourite, but I like the MS project in general. It is quite powerful for planning projects with great details, and also for keeping track throughout the project with an easy interface for revisions.

What was your dream job when you were a child?
In primary school, I wanted to be an engineer. Later on, as I became better at playing football for my club, my goal was to sign a professional contract with the team and become a professional footballer. Since I am 21, I just do what I think will make me happy through the impact it brings back to society, each individual owes a lot.

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Venture Leaders Cleantech 2023 were chosen from over 90 applications by an expert jury. The roadshow in Munich will accelerate their ventures’ growth and expand their international presence. Venture Leaders Cleantech is organized by Venturelab and supported by EPFL Lausanne, ETH Zurich, EY, Helbling Technik, Romande Energie, St.Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke (SAK), Swisscom Ventures, Vaud, and Vischer.