Stephan Uhrenbacher is CEO of Sustainable Aero Lab, the only global accelerator for startups in sustainable aviation and sustainable energy.
In 2023 and 2024, Sustainable Aero Lab received funding from Breakthrough Energy, an organization founded by the Gates foundation. Sustainable Aero Lab has mentored more than 90 startups in aviation with a global network of mentors from Boeing, Airbus, Lufthansa, Embraer, Pratt & Whitney, Jetblue Ventures and many others.
In 2024, Sustainable Aero Lab started a mentoring program for startups in energy, covering energy efficiency, storage, smart grids and electrification of heat.
Stephan is also a Fellow at Artificial Intelligence Centre Hamburg, Germany. Since, 2016 he is a Mentor in the artificial intelligence program at Creative Destruction Lab in Toronto.
As an entrepreneur, Stephan launched the Flio in 2014, the most used airport app in the world. Before that, in 2010, he built 9flats.com, a global competitor to Airbnb. He cofounded Avocado Store in Germany, an ecommerce market place in eco friendly lifestyle. His largest business was Qype, a local reviews website, which dominated the European market and was later sold to Yelp.
Stephan held senior management positions at large media and e-commerce companies: He served as COO at DocMorris.com the largest mail order pharmacy in Europe; Head of Content at Bild.de, the largest media website in Germany; Head of Northern Europe, lastminute.com, London and at the media company Bertelsmann, where he founded one of the first online travel websites in Germany.
Stephan Uhrenbacher has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration in Germany and completed part of his education in Canada.
Companies founded by Stephan Uhrenbacher
Sustainable Aero Lab
A global accelerator for startups in sustainable aviation
Flio
Founded Flio, the largest global airport app
9flats.com
Founded 9flats.com, the largest competitor to airbnb. Bought wimdu.com. Partial exit to Wyndham hotels
Qype
The largest local review website in Europe, sold to yelp.com
Avocado Store
Cofounded avocadostore.de, Germany’s largest eco-marketplace, sold to DDVG in 2017
