Cantonal students from Uster place energy chewing gum at Coop

(CONNECT) The energy gum from Joltz has been available since August 28, 2025 at Coop To Go available. The company and its product, an alternative to energy drinks, took shape in the 2023/24 school year as part of a school project run by the non-profit association Young Enterprise Switzerland (YES) from Schlieren. At that time, four 15 and 16-year-old Uster cantonal school students attended the YES Company Programme as an optional subject and founded Joltz as a mini-company.

The aim of the programme was to bring entrepreneurship to life in a practical way. As a provider of practice-oriented business and opinion-forming programmes, YES supports pupils in setting up a company and running it for a year. During this time, YES teaches the basics and supports the young people in developing and marketing their own product. In order to do justice to the school's general conditions, these companies are then dissolved.

However, it was clear to the Joltz foursome right from the start that they wanted to continue running their company independently. In the meantime, they have developed a new flavor and found a sales partner in Coop To Go. "Making contacts, gaining experience in sales and understanding what it actually means to set up a company - the YES programme year really taught us a lot of skills that are necessary for running a company," Joltz CMO Daniel Wettstein is quoted as saying.

For the four founders, who are now 17 and 18 years old, this is just the beginning: "We want to establish ourselves in Switzerland and expand our range so that we can then expand throughout Europe," they say. Johanna Aebi, CEO of YES, wants to "promote entrepreneurial thinking and action with the Company Program. It's all the nicer to see when the companies that are founded continue and grow afterwards." ce/mm