ABOUT US
Innovation first
01
Innovation
We look for highly innovative and transformative technologies.
02
Switzerland
03
Early-stage
01
Innovation
We look for highly innovative and transformative technologies.
02
Switzerland
03
Early-stage
Innovation
technologies.
01
Switzerland
02
Early-stage
03
WHAT WE DO
Our Investment Focus
Medtech
Biotech
Adv. Engineering
Security
Fintech
Blockchain
Medtech
Biotech
Adv. Engineering
Security
Fintech
Blockchain
WHO WE ARE
Meet the team
Partner at EFI
Giovanni Leo joined EFI in 2020 from Innogest Capital where he was also a partner since 2017. Prior, he was VP of R&D at St Jude Medical, following the acquisition of Endosense in 2013, which he co-founded to develop a novel technology for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Before that he was a director for Acrostak Corp. (a Boston-Scientific funded medical device company), a software quality manager at LeCroy Corp. And had a CERN fellowship. He earned an Executive MBA from the HEC of Lausanne, following a degree in management engineering from Politecnico of Milano, Italy.
Giovanni Leo
Co-Founder of EFI
Sandy is co-founder of Efficient Frontier Investing. Sandy formerly established Bedrock SA, an independent wealth management company in Geneva as Managing Director. He was a Senior Investment Consultant with IRR Capital. Prior to that, Sandy was General Manager of the Republic National Bank of New York, Treasurer of Safra Republic Holdings, Chairman and CEO of the Republic Group's fund management arm and member of Executive, Credit and Treasury Committees. Sandy holds many board seats, leveraging his wealth of experience in the world of finance. Sandy holds an MBA from Stern School of Business at NYU.
Sandy Koifman
Co-founder of EFI
Toby is co-founder of Efficient Frontier Investing. Toby formerly created Isla Capital Management SA in Geneva, having raised and run a German PERE strategy and structured several complex debt issuances. He previously worked with Sandy at Bedrock, having launched the advisory services and invested together in some Swiss start-ups. Previously he was at UBS investment bank in London and moved to Geneva with his family in 2008. Toby holds a honours degree in Mathematical Physics from Nottingham University in the UK.
Toby Main
Investment Manager
James was formerly Investment Manager and Head of Valuations at Octopus Investments in the UK, managing over £10 billion of AuM spanning VC, PE, infrastructure and quoted funds. He was previously at KPMG Corporate Finance in London, Dubai World (UAE) and originally UBS Investment Bank. James joined EFI in 2021.
James Barclay
Investor Relations Manager
Rachel joined EFI in 2019 as Head of Investor Relations after finishing her Bachelors in Economics and Masters in Management in London. She began her career working for a family-owned boutique investment bank. Born in Brazil, raised in Canada and educated in the UK, she brings a global view to our business and has fostered strong relationships with our investment community. Rachel helps connect our people and products and can do it brilliantly in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Rachel Martins Costa
Junior Accountant
Talitta’s career began with 10 years in the food and beverage industry after completing a degree in Tourism and Hotel Management. After moving to Geneva, she earned her first accounting diploma and worked in the luxury automobile and technology industries for several years. She now supports EFI across all of its businesses as an Accountant.
Talitta Marchal
investment Analyst
Alicia joined EFI in 2023 as an Analyst. She has worked for 10+ years in multidisciplinary research projects in the biomedical field at the University of Geneva and the London Center for Nanotechnology. She holds a PhD in Biophysics from the University of Geneva, an engineer diploma from Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg as well as a Master in Health and Drug Discovery from the University of Strasbourg.
Alicia Daeden
Venture Partnert
Bettina co-founded Bernina BioInvest, an early-stage biotech and medtech investment company, and was instrumental in building its portfolio. She also serves on the board of several early-stage biotech companies in Switzerland, on the board of the Swiss Biotech Association, and as a member of the advisory board of the Swiss Entrepreneur Fund and the Innovation Council of Innosuisse. Bettina is a co-founder of two biotech companies. Prior to her investment and entrepreneurial activities, she worked for 10 years in fundamental immunology in the US and in Europe. Bettina holds a PhD in immunology and an undergraduate degree in natural science from the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.
Bettina Ernst
Partner at EFI
Giovanni Leo joined EFI in 2020 from Innogest Capital where he was also a partner since 2017. Prior, he was VP of R&D at St Jude Medical. Before this he was a director for Acrostak Corp. (a Boston-Scientific funded medical device company), a software quality manager at LeCroy Corp. and held a CERN fellowship to carry out development activity for the control system of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). He earned an Executive MBA from the HEC of Lausanne, following a degree in management engineering from Politecnico of Milano, Italy.
Giovanni Leo
Co-Founder of EFI
Sandy is co-founder of Efficient Frontier Investing. Sandy formerly established Bedrock SA, an independent wealth management company in Geneva as Managing Director. He was a Senior Investment Consultant with IRR Capital. Prior to that, Sandy was General Manager of the Republic National Bank of New York, Treasurer of Safra Republic Holdings, Chairman and CEO of the Republic Group's fund management arm and member of Executive, Credit and Treasury Committees. Sandy holds many board seats, leveraging his wealth of experience in the world of finance. Sandy holds an MBA from Stern School of Business at NYU.
Sandy Koifman
Co-founder of EFI
Toby is co-founder of Efficient Frontier Investing. Toby formerly created Isla Capital Management SA in Geneva, having raised and run a German PERE strategy and structured several complex debt issuances. He previously worked with Sandy at Bedrock, having launched the advisory services and invested together in some Swiss start-ups. Previously he was at UBS investment bank in London and moved to Geneva with his family in 2008. Toby holds a honours degree in Mathematical Physics from Nottingham University in the UK.
Toby Main
Investor Relations Manager
Rachel joined EFI in 2019 as Head of Investor Relations after finishing her Bachelors in Economics and Masters in Management in London. She began her career working for a family-owned boutique investment bank. Born in Brazil, raised in Canada and educated in the UK, she brings a global view to our business and has fostered strong relationships with our investment community. Rachel helps connect our people and products and can do it brilliantly in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Rachel Martins Costa
Investment Analyst
Alicia joined EFI in 2023 as an Analyst. She has worked for 10+ years in multidisciplinary research projects in the biomedical field at the University of Geneva and the London Center for Nanotechnology. She holds a PhD in Biophysics from the University of Geneva, an engineer diploma from Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg as well as a Master in Health and Drug Discovery from the University of Strasbourg.
Alicia Daeden
Investment Manager
ames was formerly Investment Manager and Head of Valuations at Octopus Investments in the UK, managing over £10 billion of AuM spanning VC, PE, infrastructure and quoted funds. He was previously at KPMG Corporate Finance in London, Dubai World (UAE) and originally UBS Investment Bank. James joined EFI in 2021.
James Barclay
Junior Accountant
Talitta’s career began with 10 years in the food and beverage industry after completing a degree in Tourism and Hotel Management. After moving to Geneva, she earned her first accounting diploma and worked in the luxury automobile and technology industries for several years. She now supports EFI across all of its businesses as an Accountant.
Talitta Marchal
Venture Partnert
Bettina co-founded Bernina BioInvest, an early-stage biotech and medtech investment company, and was instrumental in building its portfolio. She also serves on the board of several early-stage biotech companies in Switzerland, on the board of the Swiss Biotech Association, and as a member of the advisory board of the Swiss Entrepreneur Fund and the Innovation Council of Innosuisse. Bettina is a co-founder of two biotech companies. Prior to her investment and entrepreneurial activities, she worked for 10 years in fundamental immunology in the US and in Europe. Bettina holds a PhD in immunology and an undergraduate degree in natural science from the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.
Bettina Ernst
PARTNERS
Our advisory board
PhD and MSc in Physics for work performed at Stanford University and CERN, Piero is Founder of Andrew Alliance and previously CTO of SpinX Technologies leading the development of advanced microfluidics platforms.
Piero Zucchelli
Italian Physicist founder of Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) with years of experience on different international research projects in the field of energy production and nuclear waste transmutation.
Stefano Buono
Physicist from the University of Naples and PhD from the University of Bern, Vittorio is co-founder and CTO of TVP Solar in charge of R&D. Vittorio leads the concept, engineering, development, qualification and patenting of TVP innovations.
Vittorio Palmieri
PhD and MSc in Physics for work performed at Stanford University and CERN, Piero is Founder of Andrew Alliance and previously CTO of SpinX Technologies leading the development of advanced microfluidics platforms.
Piero Zucchelli
Italian Physicist founder of Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) with years of experience on different international research projects in the field of energy production and nuclear waste transmutation.
Stefano Buono
Physicist from the University of Naples and PhD from the University of Bern, Vittorio is co-founder and CTO of TVP Solar in charge of R&D. Vittorio leads the concept, engineering, development, qualification and patenting of TVP innovations.
Vittorio Palmieri
COMPANIES
Our portfolio
value creation and start-up success.