Dübendorf, Zurich, Switzerland
CEO & Co-Founder of BTRY, an ETH Zürich and Empa spin-off developing ultra-thin solid-state batteries. Dad of three, passionate about building teams and organisations that combine strong execution with curiosity and long-term thinking. At BTRY, we are commercialising a new class of batteries for applications where lithium-ion reaches its limits: fast charging, high power, compact form factor, and reliable operation across a wide temperature range. I lead the company’s overall direction and execution, including strategy, fundraising, partnerships and organisational build-up, as well as the transition from research to product and manufacturing. Previously, I was a scientist at Empa, leading R&D in solid-state batteries and coordinating academic and industrial projects. PhD in Physics (cum laude, top 5%, University of Amsterdam). Completed the CAS in Entrepreneurial Leadership at ETH Zürich. Author of 30+ publications and multiple patents.
Co-founded BTRY to commercialise ultra-thin solid-state battery technology from ETH Zürich and Empa. As CEO, I lead strategy, financing, partnerships and the scale-up from lab to manufacturing. Highlights • Raised >€6m across pre-seed and seed rounds • Built team to 12+ people across R&D, engineering and business • Established pilot production and validated manufacturing approach • Signed >10 commercial agreements with industrial partners • Advanced technology from research to pilot production with a clear path to industrial scale
Conducted research on hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductor pn-junctions, focusing on energy-level alignment as part of master’s thesis work. Publication • M. H. Futscher et al. Electronic properties of hybrid organic/inorganic semiconductor pn-junctions. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 31, 064002 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648X/aaf310 Teaching • Internship advisor for bachelor’s students during their laboratory exercise courses.
Worked on polymer systems, studying temperature-dependent phase behaviour and material properties. Publication • M. H. Futscher et al. The role of backbone hydration of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) across the volume phase transition compared to its monomer. Scientific Reports 7, 17012 (2017), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17272-7
Conducted research on next-generation solar cells, focusing on performance limits and degradation mechanisms of perovskite-based devices. Developed models to predict real-world energy yield and introduced measurement techniques to quantify ion migration and device stability. Highlights • Developed models for performance and energy yield under real operating conditions • Introduced measurement techniques to quantify ion migration in perovskite devices • Contributed to understanding of stability and degradation in next-generation solar cells Selected publications • M. H. Futscher and B. Ehrler, Efficiency limit of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. ACS Energy Letters 1, 863-868 (2016), https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00405 • M. H. Futscher and B. Ehrler, Modeling the performance limitations and prospects of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells under realistic operating conditions, ACS Energy Letters 2, 2089-2095 (2017), https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00596 • M. H. Futscher et al. Quantification of ion migration in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells by transient capacitance measurements. Materials Horizons 6, 1497-1503 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1039/C9MH00445A • M. H. Futscher et al. Quantifying mobile ions and electronic defects in perovskite-based devices with temperature-dependent capacitance measurements: Frequency vs time domain. Journal of Chemical Physics 152, 044202 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5132754 Teaching • Supervised undergraduate and master’s students • Teaching assistant for the photovoltaics master course, the organic photovoltaic master course, and the physics of energy workshop at the Universiteit van Amsterdam.
Led R&D projects in solid-state batteries, including anode-free systems, conversion cathodes and monolithically stacked thin-film architectures. Managed funded research projects and supervised PhD and undergraduate students. Highlights • Secured >EUR 2m in competitive research funding and led multiple R&D projects • Initiated and spun out BTRY from academic research into a venture-backed company • Organised and led international scientific conferences (up to 400+ participants) Selected publications • M. H. Futscher et al. Monolithically-stacked thin-film solid-state batteries, Commun Chem 6, 110 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-023-00901-w • M. H. Futscher et al. Influence of amorphous carbon interlayers on nucleation and early growth of lithium metal at the current collector-solid electrolyte interface, J. Mater. Chem. A 10, 15535-15542 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1039/D2TA02843C Patents • Multi-cell monolithic thin-film battery and fabrication method thereof • Li-Se-based rechargeable battery with light-assisted charge-discharge capabilities Teaching • Solar cell lecture at ETH Zurich