For knowledge without boundaries
Joël Mesot
President of ETH Zurich
© ETH Foundation / Valeriano Di Domenico
Australia, 38 degrees in the shade, nearly 50 inside the driver’s cabin of Silvretta – the solar car built by the ETH student team aCentauri Solar Racing. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025 took them more than 3,000 kilometres right across the Outback – a challenge on technical, mental and logistical levels. The 32-strong team, led by Excellence Scholar and co-lead Clara Nörenberg, mastered it with team spirit, expertise and passion.
Clara, what was it like to be at the starting line with your solar car?
An incredible feeling! We designed, built and tested Silvretta ourselves at the Innovation Park in Dübendorf – so much dedication went into it. Having the chance as ETH students to carry out a project of this scale is something truly special. Of course, there were challenges too: Would everything be ready in time? Would the car run? Would we find enough financial support? But together we made it happen. I’m proud of that.
What motivated you personally to invest so much energy in the project?
Without a doubt: the team, and the chance to make an impact beyond everyday student life. The Excellence Scholarship was decisive for me. Without that support, I would never have been able to commit myself to this extent.
Professor Günther Dissertori
Rector of ETH Zurich
support pioneering spirit
© ETH Foundation / Valeriano Di Domenico
Tiny robots that navigate blood vessels, detect diseases and release medication with millimetre precision – what sounds like science fiction is becoming reality at the Medical Microsystems Lab of Professor Simone Schürle. At the intersection of robotics and medicine, microsystems are being developed that make diagnoses more accurate and therapies more effective.
How does your research contribute to the medicine of tomorrow, Professor Schürle?
At the core of our work are microrobots that can detect diseases at an early stage and deliver drugs precisely at the site of illness. This makes diagnoses more reliable and significantly reduces side effects – since the active substances are no longer widely distributed throughout the body, but rather delivered where they are needed. This is made possible through the close collaboration of robotics, engineering and clinical research.
How are such tiny robots guided through the human body?
Our microrobots are magnetic. We generate magnetic fields externally to supply them with energy and steer their direction. Instead of pulling them through the entire body, we first let them drift with the bloodstream. Once they reach the vicinity of the target site – for example, constricted cardiac vessels – we apply rotating magnetic fields. These set the robots rolling, allowing us to manoeuvre them precisely into the tissue. Once there, they release their therapeutic agents in locations that are often unreachable for conventional treatments.
Professor Annette Oxenius
Vice President for Research, ETH Zurich
© Tethys Robotics / 12AHEAD
High-tech for the deep sea: Tethys Robotics’ smart diving robot makes underwater recoveries safer and inspections more efficient. The two founders Jonas Wüst and Pragash Sivananthaguru were supported by a Pioneer Fellowship as they took the leap into entrepreneurship.
How does Tethys Robotics create value for society, Pragash and Jonas?
Our diving robot makes underwater tasks safer, more predictable, and more sustainable. It operates where human access is difficult or hazardous, whether retrieving objects from murky or fast-moving waters or inspecting large underwater structures like offshore wind farms.
How did the Pioneer Fellowship help you move forward?
It was a real game-changer for us! The Pioneer Fellowship allowed us to fully commit to our startup, gain access to expert knowledge, and develop the robot into a market-ready product.
Dr Severin Hacker
Co-founder and CTO of Duolingo, donor
learn more
© Synhelion
Synhelion transforms solar energy into renewable synthetic fuels, bringing the vision of sustainable aviation closer to reality. The idea was born at ETH Zurich.
Airplanes powered by solar energy – how did this idea come about, Philipp Furler?
During my studies at ETH Zurich, I first encountered Professor Aldo Steinfeld’s solar energy research through a semester project. This led to a master’s thesis, then a doctoral dissertation – and finally, the idea for Synhelion. My co-founder and I quickly recognized the potential of this groundbreaking technology: it had to move from the lab into real-world application. Today, we’ve achieved exactly that – Synhelion produces renewable fuels and contributes to sustainable mobility.
How important is philanthropy for such projects?
It creates room for big visions. Technologies for a sustainable future often take years to become economically viable, but their social and environmental benefits are immense. Without support programs like the Pioneer Fellowship, Synhelion would never have taken off.
Dr Philipp Furler
Co-CEO and Co-founder of Synhelion
Get inspired four times a year by stories about ambitious entrepreneurs, young talent, and innovative projects at ETH.
Questions and answers
ETH Zurich enjoys a high level of recognition. However, few people are aware that it is also possible to support ETH philanthropically. Additional funding is playing an increasingly important role in enabling ETH to deliver top-level research and teaching – and to achieve even more than is possible through basic public funding.
This campaign aims to raise awareness of the fact that it is possible to support research and education at ETH, and thereby create added value for science and society.
We would like to address people who feel a connection to ETH – those who care about promoting young talent, have a strong interest in a particular research topic, or simply share our belief that education and research are key to solving many of today’s challenges. All of them are warmly invited to help shape the future together with ETH.
Whether through a small donation or a legacy gift – every contribution is valuable, and together they make a big impact.
We are seeking funding for talent and scholarship programmes to support exceptionally gifted students and aspiring young entrepreneurs who face financial barriers. In addition, we aim to strengthen and expand research in ETH’s strategic focus areas – from medicine and health to environment and resources to digital transformation – by providing additional resources.
Particularly valuable are unrestricted donations to our Poly Fund. These allow the ETH Executive Board the greatest flexibility to allocate resources where they are needed most.
Here you can find an overview of current funding opportunities.
We would also be happy to advise you personally if you have a specific funding idea in mind.
Yes, donations to the ETH Zurich Foundation are tax-deductible within the framework of applicable laws. We are happy to provide a donation receipt.
Donations from Germany and the United States are also tax-deductible via the ETH Foundation Germany or the ETH Foundation USA. More information can be found in the bank details.
100% of your donation goes directly to the intended purpose. The ETH Foundation’s Board of Trustees works on a voluntary basis, and the administrative costs of the foundation office are covered by returns on managed assets.
Donations are gifts and therefore do not entail any direct return. However, in addition to our gratitude and appreciation, you can take pride in knowing that your contribution is helping to create meaningful change for the future. Your name will be published in our annual report and on our website.
Donors also receive regular updates on the progress of the projects they support and are invited to exclusive events where they can experience the impact of their engagement firsthand.
The nature of science is that it is never “finished” – it is an ongoing process that builds on existing knowledge and continuously expands it.
With this slogan – which is, of course, somewhat bold – we want to express that philanthropy can be a key lever in accelerating or even enabling research in the first place.
