After four months in the MITdesignX accelerator, Genius Loci wins the Audience Prize at the prestigious Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland.
On 12 December 2025, at the heart of the prestigious Institut Le Rosey in Rolle, the Pitch Day of the first MITdesignX cohort in Switzerland brought together innovation, design and impact entrepreneurship. The event took place in Le Philo, the Rosey’s new iconic building — a 16’000-square-metre futuristic innovation space.
Out of more than 100 Swiss and international startups that applied, only 15 were selected for this excellence programme, developed by the MIT School of Architecture and Planning and hosted in Switzerland for the first time by the Rosey Institute of Technology & Entrepreneurship.
At the end of Pitch Day, three awards were presented:
- Jury Prize: Inia Bioscience: life sciences innovation
- Impact Award: Vaulted: low-carbon solutions for construction
- Audience Prize: Genius Loci
A victory aligned with the project's DNA
Winning the Audience Prize, chosen by a demanding audience of investors, experts, entrepreneurs and Rosey guests, is strong international recognition. This award confirms:
• the immediate understanding of the product and its impact, • the emotional power of the storytelling,
• the societal relevance of Genius Loci’s mission.
For Steph and Eglé Cruchon, this distinction perfectly embodies the spirit of the project: innovation designed with and for people, rooted in territories and driven by communities. MITdesignX Switzerland at the Institut Le Rosey This first Swiss cohort of MITdesignX marks an important step in the development of the Swiss entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Hosted at the Rosey Institute of Technology & Entrepreneurship, the programme offered selected startups:
• four months of intensive coaching in English, based on MIT methods
• an exceptional academic setting,
• international exposure.
Find out more:
https://rosey.mit.edu
