Flavio Rump
I build AI systems that make themselves smarter and help scientists turn breakthroughs into companies. Previously: co-founded DeinDeal (→ Ringier). Early investor in Poetiq (→ ARC-AGI SOTA).
Building something new — looking for exceptional co-founders & founding engineersWhat I'm Working On
I'm deep in the weeds on AI that improves AI — recursive self-improvement, agentic systems, and the infrastructure that lets small teams outperform labs with 1000x the headcount.
Specifically interested in:
- Self-recursive AI and meta-learning systems
- Autonomous agents that actually ship work, not demos
- AI for scientific discovery — accelerating wet-lab and computational biology
- The intersection of reasoning, planning, and real-world action
Based in Zurich. Building at the edge of what's possible.
Track Record
DeinDeal
Co-founded Switzerland's leading daily deals platform. Led growth and online marketing from zero to market leader. Acquired by Ringier, one of Europe's largest media companies.
Poetiq
Early investor in the 6-person team (ex-Google DeepMind) that set the new state-of-the-art on ARC-AGI-2 — beating Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI at a fraction of the cost. $45.8M seed round (YC, FYRFLY, Surface Ventures).
ETH Zurich
Helping ETH scientists commercialize breakthrough research. Bridging the gap between world-class science and viable businesses. Part of the ETH Entrepreneurship network.
Builder & Operator
Several years in the Bay Area as co-founder, early employee, and growth consultant for tech startups. Hands-on experience from zero-to-one through exit.
ETH Zurich
Studied Electrical Engineering before co-founding DeinDeal. Later returned to ETH to complete an MSc in Computational Biology at D-BSSE — specialized in synthetic biology, bioinformatics, and machine learning.
Angel Investing
Poetiq
Impact-Driven Companies
Background
Grew up between Switzerland and the US. Studied Electrical Engineering at ETH Zurich before co-founding DeinDeal, where I learned growth and sales the hard way through to an acquisition by Ringier.
After several years in Silicon Valley as a founder, operator, and angel investor, I returned to ETH to specialize in Computational Biology at D-BSSE — learning to think about systems at the molecular and algorithmic level.
Now, I'm working at the intersection of deep science and recursive AI. I build systems that accelerate everything else — from drug discovery to AI that improves itself. Not the wrapper-on-GPT kind. The kind that requires real science, real engineering, and a tolerance for hard problems.
Writing
How Helping Others Helps Me
On a meditation retreat in Thailand, I discovered that the fastest way out of existential paralysis is to help someone who's suffering more than you are. A story about 7 Cups of Tea, engaged Buddhism, and the moment the "I" dropped away.
Systems vs. Goals
Why focusing on the process - the system - is infinitely more effective for long-term success than chasing binary goals. A deep dive into the concept popularized by Scott Adams and why it's the foundation of any sustainable venture.
How to Retain What You Learn
I read fascinating non-fiction all the time, but realized I was retaining very little. This is a deep dive into the science of memory—active recall, spaced repetition, and why your current reading habits are likely failing you.
The Six Thinking Hats
A 7-part deep dive into Edward de Bono's framework for parallel thinking. Exploring how breaking down the thinking process into six distinct modes leads to better decision-making.
Work With Me
I'm building something new.
Looking for co-founders and founding engineers who want to work on self-recursive AI, agentic systems, and AI for scientific discovery. If you're the kind of person who reads papers for fun and ships prototypes on weekends, let's talk.
Get in touch →