
Hadi Barkat
CEO & Founder, Helvetiq
Alumni Award 2024
Thursday September 25th, 2025 | 6:00pm | Forum Rolex
In English
Founder and director of Helvetiq, Hadi Barkat is a Swiss entrepreneur of Algerian origin. He began his career at Shockfish in 2000, before moving into venture capital in 2003 as an investment manager at Logispring. In 2008, he created Helvetiq, an educational board game, during his preparation for Swiss naturalization. The immediate success of the game prompted him to dedicate himself full-time to Helvetiq from 2010 onwards. The company stands out for its simple concepts and clean design, and it quickly internationalized. Today, Helvetiq offers a wide range of games and books and continues to grow. In 2024, Hadi Barkat received the EPFL Alumni Award. In 2025, Helvetiq’s game Odin won the prestigious global As d’Or award.
5:30 pm Doors open
6:00 pm Welcome Address
- Leïla Ojjeh
EPFL Alumni Director
6:05 pm Introduction
- Frédéric Kaplan
Director of the College of Humanities, EPFL
6:10 pm Campus Lecture
- Hadi Barkat
6:40 pm Q&A
7:00 pm Networking aperitif
8:00 pm End of the event