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Correntics stories: Michael Gloor on building a climate intelligence start-up

Zurich, August 19, 2026

Michael Gloor founded Correntics in 2021 together with his co-founder, Gaudenz Halter. In this interview, he reflects on his journey with Correntics, from the early days’ challenges to the company’s proudest moments, and explores the realities – both rewarding and difficult – of life as an entrepreneur.

1) What inspired you to start Correntics with your co-founder Gaudenz?

I’ve always been keen to start my own company from scratch and become an entrepreneur. As a teenager, I started a small internet business with a friend, creating content-management systems and websites for small companies. I continued running it as a side job throughout high school and during my first years of university.

After finishing my PhD in 2014, I briefly considered founding another company but decided to first gain some industry experience. The moment when I decided to start Correntics came in 2021. After working several years in the reinsurance industry as a natural catastrophe specialist and later as a climate change lead, I noticed that more and more companies were trying to understand their exposure to climate risks, not only for insurance purposes but also to anticipate potential disruptions to their operations and supply chains. Gaudenz and I saw a market niche there and a real opportunity to use our skills to create a positive impact. That’s how the idea of Correntics was born.

2) How did you start Correntics, and how different was it from the company it has become today?

At the beginning of Correntics, it was only Gaudenz and me. I had known Gaudenz for many years because I lived in the same flatshare as his girlfriend. At the time we started the company, Gaudenz was still in the middle of his PhD at the University of Zurich.

We initially focused on building and selling a data API that gave our early clients access to various climate datasets. We also developed very early prototypes of a user interface for a climate analytics platform, but it was nothing compared to the Correntics Climate Risk Analytics platform we have today. Once we had secured a few clients, we hired our first few employees, and the team grew step by step from there.

3) Did you face any challenges at the beginning of Correntics?

We started Correntics in 2021 when the startup ecosystem was booming. Unfortunately, the economic environment for startups changed drastically in 2022, and it became much more difficult to secure funding. This was also when we hired our first few employees and had to start paying salaries. It was a challenging moment in Correntics’ journey, but I believed it pushed us to build a more resilient and efficient team structure and approach.

On a personal level, there were also many challenges. For many weeks, I was working 60-80 hours a week and couldn’t spend as much time with my friends or do sports to switch off. I am very grateful to have had supportive friends and family around during that time.

4) What’s the proudest moment in your Correntics journey?

Securing our first large corporate clients was a proud moment. Seeing these large companies adopt and use the software we had built was really rewarding. Syngenta joined us in 2022, and Deloitte followed later.

It’s also been great to see team members take on more responsibility. Moving from a founder-driven effort to a real team effort has been very rewarding. Today, we have a strong team of experts, and that’s something we’re proud of.

5) Who has had the biggest influence on your entrepreneurial journey?

My wife, Sol, has been an invaluable source of support over the last couple of years. She’s a former Olympian, and we share a very similar mindset and vision, especially when it comes to motivation and competitive drive. She has encouraged me to keep pushing and continuously refining things, which has been extremely helpful.

6) What do you like and dislike about being an entrepreneur?

I love the challenge of building something from scratch and bringing the team together to achieve shared goals. I also enjoy meeting new clients and challenging the status quo. It’s a constant learning process that forces you to continuously reinvent yourself and the company.

Obviously, being an entrepreneur also comes at a cost. Your personal relationships can suffer, especially in the early days of a company. But over time, you eventually find ways to make things work. I recently got married, and Gaudenz also has a young family, so I think it’s possible to combine an ambitious entrepreneurial journey with family life.

7) What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs?

Just do it. I see a lot of people wondering about their ideas for years without ever taking the first step. Take that first step, try and learn by doing. Being able to fail, learn from your mistakes, and start again is essential.

Another important piece of advice would be to always keep an eye on the market while you’re building your product. Some startups fail because they focus too much on building their product and only later realise that there is no market for it or that new competitors or technologies have emerged that make it less relevant.

8) What’s your vision for Correntics in the future?

We see Correntics as the leading provider of enterprise climate risk management solutions in Europe and beyond, empowering companies to anticipate challenges and adapt to new realities with confidence. We are expanding our customer base and serving an increasing number of larger companies like BKW, Sika and Anthesis, while also growing in the SME segment. We will continue to innovate and build the solutions needed to stay ahead of the curve.

Looking ahead, we would also like to expand beyond climate risk by integrating other risks facing companies, such as ecosystem and geopolitical risks. Our goal is to become an enterprise risk intelligence solution, building on the expertise we have developed through creating a climate intelligence platform.