Spark Summit Journey

1. Apply

Submit the registration form with your contact details and a 300-word[GP1] concept description outlining:

The problem you are solving
Your proposed solution
Why it matters for the hospitality industry

Applications are reviewed through a screening process to ensure relevance and feasibility.

2. Pitch to Students

Selected applicants will deliver a 3-minute pitch to Les Roches students at the start of the Summit.

Student groups supporting the selected projects will be formed according to individual interests and strengths, ensuring each project benefits from a diverse mix of skills and perspectives.

3. Collaborate & Refine

Over the next day, the selected teams will work closely with:

Les Roches students
Industry experts and mentors across technology, business, innovation, and hospitality

Teams will use the campus as a living laboratory to:

Validate assumptions
Strengthen the value proposition
Refine the business and pitch narrative

4. Final Pitch Day

The Spark Summit culminates in a dynamic Final Pitch Day, where participating teams present the progress and insights developed throughout the Summit.

Projects will be showcased to a jury of industry experts, faculty members, and innovation partners, highlighting the strength of each concept, its validation journey, and its potential impact on the hospitality industry.

Final Pitch Day celebrates collaboration, creativity, and forward-thinking ideas, recognising the projects that demonstrate the greatest promise for real-world application and future growth.

Spark Summit Prizes

Swisstech Discovery Program

3 months free access to Switzerland Innovation’s ecosystem, infrastructure, and networks.

Les Roches Incubation Program

3–6 months incubation at the Les Roches Crans-Montana campus with industry go-to-market support.

Industry Go-to-Market Partnership

Potential pilot, partnership, or market-entry opportunity with corporate partners (TBC).

Selected Start-Ups

Upwind Aviation

Jesus Ernesto Rivera Aguilar, Director upwindaviation.ch →

Making private aviation more accessible through a seamless digital platform.

Upwind Aviation is a digital platform making private jet travel more accessible by connecting travellers directly with operators. It streamlines booking while helping operators optimise capacity and revenue. As demand grows for more flexible travel, Upwind enables a seamless, high-quality experience supported by smarter operations and reduced complexity.

Hotellistat

Philip Kuchelmeister, CEO hotellistat.com →

AI-driven revenue intelligence for smarter hotel performance.

Hotellistat is an AI-driven revenue management platform that unifies data across pricing, demand, reputation, and digital performance. Its system provides tailored insights and recommendations, helping hotels move from reactive pricing to proactive strategies. The solution enables properties of all sizes to optimise revenue, improve market positioning, and make faster, data-driven decisions.

Noah Journey™

Erico Lopes and Joerg Rodig, Co-Founders noahjourney.pet →

Making pet travel seamless through verified, end-to-end journey management.

Noah Journey™ simplifies international pet travel by coordinating documentation, regulatory compliance, and logistics across airlines, authorities, and accommodations. By validating requirements before departure, it reduces costly errors and uncertainty. The platform builds a foundation for AI-assisted compliance, transforming fragmented travel rules into structured, reliable processes for global mobility.

Grill (Wiil)

Saba Moseshvili, CEO grill-landing.vercel.app →

A unified AI layer delivering real-time guest intelligence to hotel teams.

Grill is an AI platform that connects hotel systems to provide staff with real-time, personalised guest insights. By centralising data from multiple touchpoints, it enables seamless communication and enhances service delivery. The platform empowers teams to better understand guest preferences, improve experiences, and operate more efficiently without switching between systems.

Guest Pulse

Stephane Compagnon, Chief E-Reputation Officer guest-pulse.com →

Turning guest feedback into a proactive, service-driven process.

Guest Pulse transforms how hotels collect guest feedback by integrating it into daily service interactions. Using NFC-enabled tools, staff actively capture real-time sentiment, increasing data accuracy and volume. The platform helps hotels better understand performance, strengthen reputation, and create accountability by making feedback collection a natural part of the guest experience.

Agimus Technologies

Marco Scialanga, Co-Founder / CTO agimus.ai →

Transforming fragmented data into reliable foundations for AI-driven operations.

Agimus provides a platform that connects and structures fragmented operational data into a unified model, enabling reliable AI applications. By preserving context and relationships across data points, it supports accurate insights and faster decision-making. The solution helps organisations move from disconnected systems to scalable, AI-ready operations that improve efficiency and performance.

Bantu Stall

Kudakwashe Mazhetese, Founder & Head of Product bantustall.com →

AI-powered retreat planning built around real team challenges and meaningful experiences.

Bantu Stall helps companies design impactful team retreats by starting with organisational challenges such as misalignment, burnout, or leadership change. Using AI-powered diagnostics, the platform matches teams with curated facilitators and experiences across Africa, including wellness, strategy, cultural immersion, and local activities that drive stronger team connection.

Student Registration

Join the Spark Start-Up Summit and collaborate directly with innovative start-ups to develop real-world ideas shaping the future of hospitality.

Following the Pitch Night on 15 April, students will select the start-up they wish to support and work alongside founders and expert mentors over two days. Participation includes:

Justified absence from regular classes
Hands-on experience in business validation and pitch development
Exposure to real start-ups and industry experts
Valuable experience for future assignments and career opportunities

Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage applications from committed and motivated students.

Kindly note that you can submit until Wednesday 15 April, 10pm.

You will receive an email within 30 minutes after the closing session confirming the team you have been allocated to, so that you may meet the representatives and organise your work for the following day.

spark@lesroches.edu