The team behind Soleva

Curdin Wüthrich

CEO and co-founder

Starting with the dream about a more sustainable way to travel with all the comfort of van life, the first seeds of Soleva were planted in his mind about 3 years ago. The concept grew from just a sustainable living space, over a solar-powered hydrogen engine, to what it is now. Aside of photographing landscapes or climbing, Curdin is researching nuclear fusion for his PhD position at the EPFL. He has a Master degree in physics & engineering from EPFL and experience in the field of photovoltaics manufacturing research at CSEM. Now our CEO, Curdin holds the reins of the project, handles external relations, manages our team, and, as he likes to say, does everything that no one else has time to do.

Matthieu Bourgois

CTO and head of mechanical integration

Matthieu is our technical mastermind behind Soleva and has been at the heart of the concept from the beginning as co-founder. He studied mechanical engineering at EPFL and is now working in the natural fibre composite industry. He is passionate about vehicles of all kinds and is not afraid to get his hands dirty. For the Formula Student, Matthieu built a racing car completely from scratch as a member of the Lausanne Racing Team. At Soleva, Matthieu handles the technical side of the project, coordinating the various domains. With his vast expertise in working on cars and in mechanical design, he is an invaluable member of our Team.

Max Chevron

Head of treasury & battery management

Max is responsible of replacing the fuel tank with batteries. After studies in economics and work in management consulting, his urge to contribute to the energy transition led him to a career shift. He is now an electrical engineer specialised in energy systems. He was a battery team member of EPFL hyperloop and is currently working in a startup in battery energy storage systems control. Moreover, Max is always up for a new adventure, especially if it includes mountains and rock climbing! Hence, with a passion for travelling and care for sustainability, he felt intrinsically motivated to contribute into Soleva's mission.

Tobia Wyss

Co-founder and head of solar integration

With a MSc in Energy management and sustainability at EPFL, Tobia works in building renovation, and helps people to accomplish their energy transition. After having spent a year around the world on his bicycle, he's eager to contribute to the creation of our entirely solar powered vehicle. His job at SOLEVA is to supervise the design and building of the foldable solar system, in order to serve the electric vehicle in the most efficient way.

Sara Bossuyt

Co-founder and head of communication and habitat

After studying Environmental engineering in Leuven, Belgium, Sara now works in the field of water distribution in Valais, Switzerland. She is driven to find new ways to reduce our environmental footprint. While camping and travelling through nature is among her favorite forms of travel, why not search for solutions there? At Soleva, Sara is in charge of the communication (such as social media profiles) and the design of the interior living space. She is also part of the journey from the beginning as co-founder.

Sévane Bercher

Head of law

Sévane studied law in the universities of Geneva and Lausanne and is now working as a trainee lawyer in the area. Even though it's not her field, she loves to learn more about “retrofitting”, solar mobility and sustainable travel. As a good friend of Curdin, she immediately loved the concept and contributed to building this project from scratch as co-founder. Her knowledge is very precious to follow all Swiss legislations. Sévane also has a great network of interesting people in Switzerland and has great communication skills that helped us get visibility in the local newspaper, radio and even TV.

Lucanaël Kopf

Project manager mechanical integration

Roman Schmitz

Project manager electrification

Nicola Offeddu

Head of sustainable habitat construction

Nico is an avid mountaineer with a passion for nature and all things outdoors. Crazy about climbing and wood, he has built saunas and treehouses and currently works as a climbing teacher in Lausanne. After earning his PhD in Nuclear Fusion from EPFL, he joined Soleva and is now in charge of woodworking, building the habitat and making Sunny the van cozier than ever!