EP #522 - Pierre Bi: Owning the risk to own the market: The Startup Decarbonizing Real Estate

Timestamps:

13:04 - Spotting untapped markets through first-hand pain

18:49 - Turning CO2 roadmaps into revenue models

26:06 - Building recurring revenues in a capex-heavy industry

32:16 - Why sustainability is already profitable

This episode was co-produced with SEF-Growth, the Swiss Economic Forum's Growth initiative to support Swiss startups and SMEs with growth plans free of charge. Check out the link in the bio to learn more! The cover portrait was edited by Smartportrait.

Episode Description

Pierre Bi is the founder and CEO of enshift, a Swiss startup helping real estate portfolios transition to green energy by executing decarbonization projects. He founded and sold his first startup Aeries Health to iRobot and holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.  

In this episode, Pierre shares how enshift taps into the tipping point of renewable energy being cheaper than fossil fuels, and how they help building owners capture that opportunity without upfront capital. He explains the startup’s financing model, why owning the risk became their differentiator, and how real estate investors can transform their portfolios while boosting returns.

The conversation also dives into founder lessons: the importance of credibility from past exits, why being willing to shoulder risk can unlock trust and clients faster, and how monetization opportunities emerge when capital, sustainability, and timing align.

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