Company

Logo Creaholic

SMIXIN™ is a spin-off from Creaholic, a Swiss innovation house with 25 years experience in disruptive innovation and with established track records in technological start-ups.

After the incubation period within Creaholic’s environment, SMIXIN™ was co-founded with two private entrepreneurs in December 2009 with the objectives of:

  1. Strengthening and valorizing its core competence: smart mixing unit for smart water systems.
  2. Establishing strategic alliances with companies active in the sanitary and soap industries.

Team

Denis Crottet, CEO & Board Member

Denis Crottet Denis believes that an innovation can only be judged successful when it becomes accessible to the end-user - when the created value is effective, not when the technology is invented. His educational background is primarily science and business, with qualifications that include a master in physics, a PhD in biomedical engineering and an executive master in business and administration with a focus on technology and new venture. In 2006, after completing his research at university, Denis joined Creaholic as a project leader and as an adviser for physics-related questions to become a partner in 2009. In addition to his broad scientific know-how, he has ability to multi-task and to elaborate broad concepts and strategies while still remaining focused on critical issues of detail. Denis is co-founder of SMIXIN™ and Chief Executive Officer since its foundation.

André Klopfenstein, Chairman

André Klopfenstein Andre is a partner and board member at Creaholic since joining the company in 1992 with the aim of helping to build the business. Today he continues to lead new business development, manage innovation programs as well as assume the role of Chief Operating Officer. With degrees in mechanical and software engineering as well as business entrepreneurship, André started his career as a consultant in the software development sector. At Creaholic, he has significantly contributed on many innovation projects and patents in a wide variety of industries including fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), automobile and health care. In 1998 he took a sabbatical and relocated to Zimbabwe where he collaborated with a non-profit NGO. André is co-founder of SMIXIN™ and chairman of the board since its foundation.

Christian J. Ahrenkiel, Board Member

Christian J. Ahrenkiel Christian is the sole shareholder and chairman of the Ahrenkiel Group, which is composed of more than 15 companies active in ship owning, ship management, cargo logistics and financing. After holding several positions in USA, Christian joined the former Ahrenkiel Liners GmbH in 1981 as managing director. Since then, the group has become a reliable provider of international maritime transportation and maintains an entrepreneurial independence and flexibility. Strategically oriented investments and partnerships have greatly increased the range of operations and boosted the growth of the group, which counts today with a team of 1’250 people and a fleet of 50 ocean ships. Christian is also founder and chairman of Swiss Climate AG in Bern, a company active in climate label and climate protection strategies for companies and organizations. Christian is co-founder of SMIXIN™ and board member since its foundation.

Gerhard Jansen, Board Member

Gerhard Jansen Gerhard is a successful entrepreneur and owner/co-owner of several companies in different industries. In 1991, he acquired a small Swiss mechanical factory with 30 employees and developed it with a partner for 17 years to become today Schleuniger Group, the global No. 2 in the field of wire processing machines. In January 2008, Gerhard organized his follow-up and sold the Schleuniger Holding to Metall Zug. He then accompanied and led the company until November 2009 as chairman of the board. Through the platform of a privately owned holding company, Prival AG Ittigen, Gerhard continues his entrepreneur route as active investor as well as board member in selected projects. Gerhard is co-founder of SMIXIN™ and board member since its foundation.

Elmar Mock, Board Member

Elmar Mock Elmar believes that most people talk of innovation but what they actually do, is renovation. After co-inventing the Swatch, Elmar launched his own innovation firm - Creaholic - in 1986. Creaholic works on a wide range of products, from hearing aids to ski gear, from packaging to flavours, from software to micromechanical devices. Creaholic’s creative model is inspired by nature: ideas travel from a “gas phase”, that of high-energy creativity, fantasy and dreams (and chaos), to a “liquid phase”, where they start to coalesce and take a tangible form to a “solid phase” where the value of the idea can be truly measured. Turning a dream into an actual product is what gives Creaholic’s clients a timely business advantage –and therein lays Elmar’s passion for mythmaking. Elmar has created more than 50 patents in various industries including consumer goods, automobile and medical. Elmar is co-founder of SMIXIN™ and board member since its foundation.

Markus Zimmermann, Board Member

Markus Zimmermann Markus is an attorney-at-law and owner of primelegal.ch gmbh. Markus began his career in a law firm and was later Head of Court Office in Berne. He then joined an international telecommunications group with head offices in Switzerland. For over 20 years Markus has been the General Counsel of this group of companies. In this position he has been responsible for many M&A transactions and his practice also included drafting and negotiating all kinds of complex commercial agreements. Further, he served as member or chairman in over 50 in-house and external Board of Directors. After retiring from his position as General Counsel in 2010, Markus has been advising various clients, mainly start-up companies, on commercial issues arising in mergers, acquisitions and private equity. Markus is co-founder of SMIXIN™ and board member since its foundation.