News & Trends

Jessica Farda – Swiss Futuremovers

16.07.2024 2 min

CLEVERLY PACKAGED: Jessica Farda developed a bioplastic film made of seaweed with her start-up Noriware — and completed her studies at the same time.

At the age of 26, Jessica Farda has achieved more than most people in a lifetime. She gave her business idea a boost with CHF 2.7 million in funding and together with Stefan Grieder founded Noriware, a company that produces a bioplastic film made of the renewable raw material algae. The founder from Aargau appears in the “30 under 30” list in the German-speaking edition of Forbes magazine.

Jessica Farda

Entrepreneur

But who is this innovative young entrepreneur? Jessica Farda first studied business administration at the University of St.Gallen and then opted for international relations, politics and economics.

She was still studying when she came into closer contact with seaweed as a fast-growing, renewable resource on holiday. That was three years ago — for Jessica Farda it probably feels more like three decades. As in this short time, she has managed to acquire knowledge in all areas that are important for a successful start-up: fundraising, business law, marketing and so much more.

My goal is
to have a global
impact that
is quantifiable.

Experimented in the Kitchen

After absorbing everything she could find out about algae, Jessica Farda began experimenting in the kitchen with algae extract and plasticizers. Gradually, she developed an understanding of the raw material and recognised its potential in the packaging industry. “What I’m good at is just going for it,” she said in a recent interview with Women in Business. With tenacity and skill, she has simply worked her way through the maze of challenges. She makes no secret of the fact that this process took a lot out of her: alongside funding rounds, reports and appearances, she completed her studies. For Noriware, this is just the beginning: Jessica Farda hopes to have an impact beyond the packaging industry: “My goal is to have a global impact that is quantifiable.”

What Motivates Jessica Farda?

Jessica Farda is a futuremover because she is driving the urgently needed resources transition. Even renewable resources such as wood are coming under intense pressure, as paper and cardboard are increasingly replacing plastic packaging. Algae, on the other hand, grow quickly without the need for much land, which makes them an interesting raw material.

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