D-INFK news channel

Three young computer scientists, including D-INFK alumnus Julian Schilliger, have achieved what researchers have been trying to do for 270 years: Using artificial intelligence, they have extracted text fragments from fragile papyri. This has been generously rewarded.

For a two-​part interview, we visit our alumnus Tobias Nägeli. In this second part, Tobias gives us an insight into his former student days and tells us how he met his three co-founders. Additionally, we learn more about the skills from his studies that benefit him today as CEO.

For a two-part interview, we visit our alumnus Tobias Nägeli. In this first part, we learn more about the turbulent times of founding the spin-off Tinamu and how Tobias and his three co-founders managed to find the right market for their technology. We also discover the connection between starting a business and his two hobbies, marathon running and paragliding, and how a tragic accident influenced his willingness to take risks.

In an interview with the ETH Foundation, Computer Science Alumnus Francisco Fernandez speaks about ambition, gratitude and promoting talented people.

Riccardo Roveri è cofondatore di Animatico, una spin-off del Politecnico Federale di Zurigo che ha creato avatar interattivi ed è stata acquisita nel 2022 da NVIDIA. In questa intervista, ci parla del suo amore per la grafica digitale e di cosa abbia significato per lui trasferirsi da Lugano a Zurigo per portare avanti gli studi.

Riccardo Roveri has co-founded Animatico, an ETH spin-off that creates interactive avatars and was acquired by NVIDIA in 2022. In this interview, he talks about his love for computer graphics and how he experienced moving from Lugano to Zurich for his studies.

The Max Planck Society honours Alexis Block, a former doctoral student at the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems, with the prestigious Otto Hahn Medal for her fundamental and innovative research in the field of human-robot interaction.

Flavio Pfaffhauser completed his Master's degree in computer science at ETH Zurich in 2010. Today, as Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) and co-founder of the ETH spin-off Beekeeper, it is his mission to take the rising software provider to the top of the world.

Remo Gisi studied computer science at ETH Zurich from 2005 to 2012. A few years later, he founded the spin-off Tastelab, which operates at the intersection of food, science and sustainability. His knowledge of computer science also helps him with tasks and hobbies that have nothing to do with programming.

As one of the first computer science students at ETH Zurich, Cornelia Haldemann began her studies in 1981 and graduated in 1987. Today, she heads the product data management of an internationally active Swiss company and, after many years of work, meets change with serenity.

Christian Plattner completed his diploma in computer science at ETH Zurich in 2002. Already a coder while at secondary school, he worked in industry while studying at ETH and founded his own company while still a doctoral student.

Mathias Wellig completed his Bachelor’s and Master's in Computer Science at ETH Zurich. During his studies, he and two fellow students tinkered around with the recently launched iPhone and went on to found the company Ubique.

Stefan Nägeli completed his Master's degree in computer science at ETH Zurich in 2006. As co-founder and CTO of swisspeers AG, he now uses his skills to solve complex business problems in the finance software industry.

Sarah Hauser completed her Master's degree in computer science at ETH Zurich in 2008. As a professor and Vice Dean at the computer science department at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, she now shapes the next generation of computer science students.

Urs Hölzle studied computer science at ETH Zurich from 1983 to 1988 and gained his doctorate at Stanford University, before joining Google in 1999 as employee number eight. As a top manager at Google, Urs Hölzle not only shapes the global technology landscape but also affects the lives of millions of people through his work.

Daniel Schenker received his diploma in computer science from ETH Zurich in 1988. Afterwards, he turned his hobby into his job and vice versa: today, he is a jazz musician and music professor who enjoys coding in his free time.

Gabriela Keller studied computer science at ETH Zurich from 1988 to 1993. Today, she is the CEO of Ergon Informatik, where she started working as a software developer shortly after graduating. She still feels connected to the department today.

The Zurich City Councillor Michael Baumer studied computer science at ETH Zurich from 1994 to 1999 and was president of the Association of Computer Science Students (VIS). Today, he is applying the skills and experiences he gained during his studies on the political stage.

Christina Pöpper, a professor at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), studied and earned her doctorate at ETH Zurich, where she also advocated for women at the Department of Computer Science. Today, she shows her students the elegance and beauty of computer science.

Christian Reiter has co-founded several successful start-ups and does not shy away from new ideas, industries and business areas. In this interview, he explains how his studies in computer science have helped him along the way.

Severin Hacker, D-INFK alumnus and founder of the language-learning platform Duolingo was chosen as Entrepreneur of the Year by One Young World.

Avaloq CEO Francisco Fernandez is bursting with ambition. Despite quadrupling his company’s turnover and staff since the beginning of the financial crisis, he refuses to rest on his laurels. His mission: a total rethink of banking, and developing the best solutions for the industry.