AIT India 2025/26: DeltaSpark
Meet Luc Bondaz, one of the ten participants in the 2025/26 edition of the Academia-Industry Training India programme.
Interview with Luc Bondaz
“DeltaSpark’s vision is to turn CO2 into building blocks of the future: building materials and clean H2. I always thought CO2 is seen as a major problem due to our failure to harvest it as a resource.”
What problem does your startup solve, and why is it important to you personally?
DeltaSpark’s vision is to turn CO2 into building blocks of the future: building materials and clean H2. I always thought CO2 is seen as a major problem due to our failure to harvest it as a resource.
What inspired you to become a sciencepreneur, and what has been your biggest “aha!” moment so far?
It really clicked for both Suhas and me during our PhDs, when we joined the PhD Excellence Program, a leadership course focused on public speaking and entrepreneurial skills. That’s where we became friends and started to see how our strength and interests could complement each other. For me, the spark came from the desire to flip the narrative around CO2, from seeing it as a waste to a valuable resource; for Suhas, it was his love of engineering and design. During that program the idea of DeltaSpark took shape, and that was our true “aha!” moment.
What unique perspective does your academic background bring to your startup?
During the two first years of my PhD in chemical Engineering at EPFL, I did a Master’s in Business Analytics at Imperial College London. This dual background gives me the tools to bridge the gap between deeptech innovation and business strategy.
What’s one surprising lesson you’ve learned since launching your startup?
I’ve learned that you can never have too many backups. You need to imagine every possible scenario, even the unlikely ones, and prepare contingencies for them. This allows the team to move quickly, stay resilient, and keep progress aligned with our ultimate goals, no matter what challenges arise.
If you could host a dinner with three innovators (past or present), who would they be and why?
Katherine Johnson, the brilliant NASA mathematician. Her calculations were crucial for early space missions. I admire her not only for her technical brilliance but, even more, for her resilience in the face of adversity.
Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. He inspires me with his ability to blend environmental responsibility and visionary leadership with building a successful, purpose-driven business.
Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. She inspires me with how she turned a simple idea into a global business while maintaining deep respect for her employees and focusing on their growth and development.