Venture Leaders Mobile 2022: Captain’s blog by LORIOT CEO Julian Studer

22.03.2022 07:00, Isabelle Mitchell

Julian Studer, founder and CEO of LORIOT, provides insights into his roadshow week with the Venture Leaders Mobile 2022.

Mobile World Congress 2022: Between restrictions, COVID, and the path toward normality
Let me start with the conclusion before I go into detail: The Venture Leaders Mobile roadshow was worth it, and I would do it again. It was a well-organized, intense week where we could meet many people and make valuable connections—not only for the business and investments but also on a personal level with the other startups.

The number of new contacts we made in such a short time was impressive: We were at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) every day, attended events, and met investors and startups. There were also some brainstorming sessions to share our experiences to learn from and support each other.

Saturday, February 26: Getting to know each other over tapas
After waking up and getting my coffee, I was already excited for the coming days in Barcelona. I wondered how the team would be (spoiler alert: the coolest team ever), how the talks would go, which investors would be listening to us, and how the MWC would be organized with the COVID restrictions. Many thoughts ran through my head while the remaining time to start packing was getting shorter and shorter. But I managed to get everything into my suitcase and headed down to the train station in Thalwil. It was a crip day, and I was seeking the sunshine while I was waiting for the train.

After checking in and heading to the gate, I was one of the first to arrive, and I started to look around to see if I recognized someone from the team. I waved at one of the guys I thought I recognized, but he ignored me, and I felt pretty stupid. I waited a bit more and saw Mathew (Adresta). Again, I waved. Again, he looked in my direction, slightly confused, and ignored me. I figured I’d reduce the probability of failing and decided to wait until at least two people who I thought were my fellow team members stood together. Finally, Raffael (Venturelab) joined Mathew, and I had my sign to not fail embarrassingly by going over and saying hi. Mathew and I agreed that we were both unsure if the other person was a Venture Leader. In the end, it’s not that easy to recognize people who wear masks and big headphones.

After a smooth flight, a bus dropped us off near the hotel in Barcelona. We quickly went up to our rooms to leave our stuff and continued two blocks from the hotel to a tapas restaurant, where Jordi and the Geneva delegation joined us. The tapas were a highlight, and we felt like in the times of the Romans: soooo much food, so delicious, and so fried. Of course, the delicious meat arrived when everyone was already close to being full, but we somehow all managed to move or open the belt to make a bit more space for the final tapas challenge.

While eating and enjoying the local wine, the team started to get to know each other better. I sat next to Beat Schillig, who told me about Venturelab’s early days, his motivation to organize events for entrepreneurs, and his passion for supporting Swiss startups’ growth. 

Sunday, February 27: From delicious tomatoes to saving lives
After a chilled breakfast—the fresh bread with tomatoes makes you start the day like a king—we made our way to the harbor. Today was sailing day, and all of us got fancy shoes that made sure we did not scratch the beautiful sailing boat Rolf Auf der Maur got ready for us. My shoes were olive green and made me feel like Peter Pan. In combination with the “hardcore” sailing jacked, I felt like a mix between Peter Pan and a character out of a science fiction movie.

The sailing trip started at a relaxed pace, and we had the first chance to talk to the investors who joined us on board. Once we were out on the open sea, Rolf’s and Beat’s eyes started to shine. We knew something was about to change: The countdown to the Venturelab Trophy 2022 was on! The sailing boats were bouncing from one side to the other at what felt like a 45-degree angle. I am used to the angle from riding motorbikes on the race tracks, but racing on a huge sailing boat on the open water with lots of wind was a new and exciting experience. We had to work together and jump from one side to the other while making sure not to hit our knees, trip, or get squeezed between all the ropes.

My second OMG moment that day—after the delicious tomatoes in the morning—was after we had to switch sides and I looked back to the other side of the boat, which felt like it was about four meters lower than where I was holding on. Mathew was halfway overboard! Peter and Olivier managed to pull him back up, and other than being wet and startled, Mathew was fine, and the whole crew eventually calmed down after that little incident. We definitely earned a drink—and more (tomato) tapas.

After a delicious paella lunch, it was back to business: We pitched our solutions to a group of investors and laid the foundation to continue inspiring conversations about innovation and entrepreneurship. 



Monday, February 28: Mobile World Congress, connections, and booths
I will leave out the tomatoes, but they were again very delicious today—and any day after that. We made our way to the Mobile World Congress around 8 o’clock. The metro was bustling, and we were all excited, knowing that it would be an interesting and long day. Arriving at the booths, we all got ready with flyers and business cards to present our solutions and attract new customers, partners, and investors.



It was a long and noisy day, but we all talked to a huge number of people, using the time to increase our networks. We had Monday evening off, but connecting with partners and competitors never stops, and I joined fellow entrepreneurs at an IoT event. 

Tuesday, March 1: Meeting with the ambassador  
Another productive day at the Mobile World Congress! This year’s congress had the perfect number of visitors and booths. I remember, three years ago, it was fully packed and hard to walk through the halls. Last year, it felt a little empty at times because of the pandemic.

In the evening, we met the Swiss Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Hanspeter Mock, at the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona. We had the opportunity to pitch our startups to the audience, eat some delicious tapas, and talk to investors and corporate executives. I noticed that many of us were a little tired—after two years of the pandemic, we were not used to standing all day. On our way home, Bart, the CEO of Fotokite, surprised us all by changing from dress shoes into sneakers. We envied his wise decision to pack an extra pair of shoes. 



Wednesday, March 2: Showing off innovation at the International Mobile Startup Pitchfest 2022
After spending the morning at the MWC, we had another chance to pitch to investors in the afternoon—together with Spanish startups! The International Mobile Startup Pitchfest 2022 featured 10 Swiss and 10 Spanish startups that pitched to an audience at the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona and online. It was interesting to learn more about Spanish innovation and see what other startups are working on.



Thursday, March 3: Celebrating a successful week at the Swiss Innovation Night
Things started to wind down on the last day of the Mobile World Congress, so we managed to get an hour’s rest before we headed to the Swiss Innovation Night. The evening included speeches, aperitivos, and a beautiful view from the rooftop.



Our team has built strong relationships over the last few days, and even though we were all a little tired after the intense week, we took our conversations from the rooftop to a nearby club. More drinks and more music made us forget how tired we were or how much our feet hurt.



We agreed to organize a Venture Leaders Mobile 2022 team event soon, and I am looking forward to meeting everyone again! 




To learn more about the Venture Leaders Mobile roadshow, watch our review: