PORTFOLIO

The European and Swiss climate strategy increase the regulatory pressure on companies. They are directly mandated or indirectly urged by business partners and customers to operate more sustainably and to be transparent about it. A reliable and comprehensive inventory of carbon emissions forms the basis for the development of a successful climate strategy, ultimately driving increased sustainability within a company. Current research in sustainability reporting of Swiss small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) shows that the challenges originate in the accessibility of the data, limited personnel resources and the lack of intragroup expertise, while the pressure from B2B customers and investors is increasing.
The Zelsius project aims to significantly facilitate the process of carbon emissions reporting for Swiss SMEs, by developing a carbon management platform that connects all relevant stakeholders in the ecosystem. For SMEs the platform enables the easy and fast quantification of their carbon emissions, resulting in the final output in the shape of a standardized report according to the relevant guidelines. The SMEs can then publish their data and reports on their platform profile in order to showcase their sustainability efforts. Larger companies that are required by law to report on their carbon emissions can search through the platform for a suitable supplier with low carbon emissions and investors receive decision guidance for their sustainable investments.
Overall, the Zelsius project pursues the goal of making Swiss SMEs and the Swiss economy more sustainable through user-friendly and pragmatic carbon management.

Zelsius successfully launched the MVP of its climate accounting platform in May 2025, enabling Swiss SMEs to calculate and visualize their corporate emissions and download audit-ready reports. The tool supports full Scope 1 and 2 accounting for all industries and includes Scope 3 coverage for the metal manufacturing sector. With nearly 20 companies onboarded and several active customer accounts, the platform closes a major gap in accessible, sector-aligned climate reporting for SMEs. The Zelsius AG was incorporated in June 2024 and has the official status of a spin-off of the HSLU. The project has led to the growth of Zelsius AG as a dedicated start-up and to strategic partnerships, including with Swissmechanic and the Albert Koechlin Stiftung. Further collaborations and customer acquisition activities are ongoing, with continued development supported through early revenue and targeted follow-up funding.