Mahendra Patel wins Inflection Award
© Inflection
School of Engineering PhD student Mahendra Patel has been recognized as one of the 30 best young scientists in the world working on solar fuels.
A PhD student in EPFL’s Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering (LRESE), led by Sophia Haussener, Mahendra Patel is one of 30 young scientists to be honored with the inaugural Inflection Award: the world’s first-ever award dedicated to celebrating early-career scientists working on solutions to climate change.
Selected through a rigorous assessment process by a panel of 17 judges, representing leading institutions and organizations tackling the climate crisis, Mahendra Patel stood out among 500+ applicants worldwide for his groundbreaking research in solar-driven fuels generation and its potential to drive real-world impact.
Speaking about this recognition, Patel said: “Science is more than discovery; it’s about creating solutions that drive progress, solve global challenges, and improve life through knowledge and technology.”
The Inflection Award is organized by Marble, Europe’s only deeptech venture studio exclusively focused on climate, and supported by Breakthrough Energy Fellows and the Quadrature Climate Foundation. The 2025 Inflection Award cohort comprises PhD students and graduates from the world’s top institutions, including MIT, Oxford, ETH Zurich, Stanford, and others. Each awardee is working on cutting-edge solutions to climate change across diverse sectors, from chemical engineering to geosciences.
All 30 laureates attended an awards ceremony in Paris on March 11, where they had a firsthand learning experience with some of the most influential figures in climate science, investment, and policy.