'I'm stupid': SF tech founder jailed in Davos for bomb-lookalike device

3 months ago

Sebastian Heyneman, a 31-year-old startup founder from San Francisco, was detained in Davos, Switzerland, after leaving a suspicious-looking prototype device unattended in a hotel lobby.
Heyneman traveled to Davos to pitch an anti-fraud hardware device to attendees of the World Economic Forum but was arrested and held for 13 hours by Swiss authorities.
The prototype, described as looking 'super sketchy' with wires and glue, was meant to recognize silicon chip characteristics to prevent financial fraud but did not actually work.
Heyneman was handcuffed, fingerprinted, and questioned by authorities who suspected him of being an international spy or terrorist due to the nature of his device and the contents of his bag.
After explaining his device to a Swiss government technical expert, Heyneman was released but banned from Davos until the end of the week.
Heyneman plans to return to Davos in 2027 despite the incident.

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