People behind Swiss Innovation

Time 2020-11-02 02:03:58

Web Name: People behind Swiss Innovation

WebSite: http://www.inno-swiss.com

ID:101968

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People behind Swiss InnovationThe Inno-Swiss platform is dedicated to boostSwiss innovation and the people behind Online Scale Up Bootcamps connect industry leaders with fast-growing startups for rich business development opportunities in 2020 Fr. 30.10.2020, 10:10 Facing limited possibilities for physical meetings in 2020, the Scale Up Bootcamps offered an excellent opportunity to connect industry leaders with fast-growing startups in a virtual setting. The online format enabled efficient matchmaking to exchange business development proposals during virtual 1:1 meetings in 6 different verticals. ...Read more More than 150 1:1 meetings enabled, including more than 60 further meetings pre-scheduled for today s bootcamps, connecting more than 65 corporate representatives with 67 entrepreneurs in overall 6 bootcamps throughout 2020. On average each of the attending corporates was interested in a further follow-up with 3 startup companies after the first discussions held at the bootcamps. The Scale Up Bootcamps powered by digitalswitzerland, Gebert R f Stiftung and Venture Kick have been extremely fast in adjusting to the new reality through COVID-19. Fully virtual but with a human touch. Well done! said Anne Lohmann, Assistant to the CEO at ChainIQ. CHF 40,000 for startups developing novel therapeutics in oncology, a personalized surgical plan for complex traumas and, making PCR technology accessible to more scientists Mi. 28.10.2020, 16:00 ABOLOGIX, CustomSurg, and PeakPCR Teams win Venture Kick’s financial and entrepreneurial support. Their projects increase overall survival of lymphoma patients, provides personalized solutions in complex trauma surgery, based on a proprietary process, and allow turning any existing underground environments into a renewable source of thermal energy for buildings....Read more B-cell lymphocytes play a critical role in the fight against infections and cancer. But these cells can become cancerous and transform into white blood cell cancers called lymphomas, leading, in many cases, to death. Most available therapies show efficacy in the early stages of treatment. Unfortunately, patients usually become resistant to these therapies and eventually die. ABOLOGIX, a biopharmaceutical company based in Geneva and spin-out from the laboratories at the University of Geneva, is developing a new therapeutic option to serve lymphoma patients. The founders of the company are Dr. Ignacio Faus, a successful entrepreneur with more than 20 years of management experience in the pharma and biotech industries, Dr. Beat Imhof, Professor at the University of Geneva, the leading expert in the field of JAM-C biochemistry/immunology, and Dr. Thomas Matthes, a physician at the University of Geneva Hospitals with a specialty in hematological cancers. The company´s lead program is a monoclonal antibody (code-named H-225) for the treatment of several sub-types of non-Hodgkin´s lymphoma (NHL), specifically Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), a disease of very poor prognosis. H-225 blocks the function of JAM-C, a cell adhesion molecule involved in the transmigration of lymphocytes out of the tissues and into the bloodstream. In preclinical in vivo animal models ABOLOGIX has shown that treatment with H-225 leads to a dramatic increase in overall survival. The next steps are the humanization of H-225 (in progress) and testing the potential of the molecule in Phase I/IIa clinical trials. They then intend to license/sell H-225 to a large pharma company for further development and commercialization. The expected market potential in 2024 for the treatment of drug-resistant blood cancers is of the order of 20 billion USD. The Venture Kick funds will first be used for a market research study and to refine and improve the development plan of the molecule.venturekick.ch/abologix CustomSurg: Personalized solutions in complex trauma surgery Bone fractures involving a joint are complex in nature, causing difficult and time-consuming procedures for treating orthopedic surgeons with several hours of occupation of the operating room. CustomSurg, developed by co-inventors Dr. sc. Thomas Zumbrunn (ETH Zurich), Dr. med. Arvind von Keudell (Harvard Medical School), and commercial strategist Valentin Splett, optimizes complex bone reconstruction and could significantly reduce the duration of surgery. CustomSurg provides personalized solutions in complex trauma surgery, based on a proprietary process. They propose biomechanical optimization of surgical planning as well as implant and instrument design, based on case-specific fracture patterns. This could improve patient outcomes through better fracture stability and reduced impact (invasiveness) during surgery. The product-service bundle, consisting of a personalized surgical plan together with patient-specific implants and instrument design, is sold to hospitals and surgeons via a made-to-order model. The use of this technology could improve quality of life for 400’000 annual trauma patients, capturing part of a $1.2 billion market. They now have an existing implant prototype that was designed using the basic version of the simulation. A patent application is in submission through ETH transfer. The funds from stage one will be used for in-depth quantitative market research through a larger number of surveys with surgeons and hospital administrators.venturekick.ch/customsurg peakPCR: making PCR technology accessible to a wider audience The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a widely used molecular technique to make millions of copies of a DNA sample, with applications in a variety of fields such as medical diagnostics, biotechnology, and forensic sciences. CEO Dr. Michele Gregorini, CTO Philippe Bechtold, and Co-founder Prof. Wendelin Stark from the ETHZ have analyzed the heat transfer limitations of conventional PCR machines. This has led to the design of a completely new sample holder with extremely high heating and cooling rates and a much lower sample volume, in order to cut analysis time from currently 1-2 h down to 10 minutes, and reagent consumption by 90%. Next to a first stand-alone desktop instrument, they have also developed a portable version that is battery-powered and that operates in conjunction with a smartphone. peakPCR aims to deploy these PCR devices to research and private laboratories at affordable prices. The team will use the Venture Kick funds to finance the finalization of the technology for the market launch.venturekick.ch/peakPCR Startups developing a novel electric wheelchair, tracers for early detection of neurological diseases, a cloud platform for location analytics and business intelligence, and ultra-photorealistic 3D digital models for urban spaces each win CHF 10,000 Mi. 28.10.2020, 14:00 Exomotion, Nemosia, UrbanDataLab and, Uzufly win Venture Kick's first stage of financial and entrepreneurial support. Their projects help people with mobility difficulties to move around in different environments, pharma companies, and hospitals to detect and combat neurological diseases, real estate professionals by providing them with easy access to custom location knowledge, and the public community and construction stakeholders better visualize and apprehend future construction projects....Read more Exomotion: Developing ALLURE, the most liberating electric wheelchair Moving freely and with ease has been the dream of humans since long before the invention of the wheel. Exomotion, as an EPFL spin-off, disrupts the way we move and think about mobility in a way which has never been possible before, by re-inventing the wheel to provide freedom in any mobility device. Currently the focus of Exomotion is on personal mobility devices for people with mobility difficulties. ALLURE is the next generation of powered wheelchairs. This product addresses three main issues with the existing devices in the market; mobility, negative social impact, and the service connectivity. This novel electric wheelchair provides the highest level of manoeuvrability for its users, enabling them to move in any direction they desire, in a wide range of environments. Benefitting from an elegant design, ALLURE appearance represents the cutting edge robotic technology used in this device. “Our product, ALLURE, gives back one degree of freedom to those who have already lost it, to increase their quality of life. This is our ultimate goal” said the CEO of Exomotion, Mohsen Falahi. Exomotion team has been hosted by Professor Auke Ijspeert, the head of BioRob lab at EPFL, to develop their technology further and go to market soon. In 2021, only a limited number of units will be distributed among early supporters. The assistive mobility market has been projected for more than 7.9B USD in 2022. This is a growing market with a CAGR of more than 17%. The growth of this market comes from the increase in ageing population of elderly people and the need for automation in clinics and hospitals. Starting with ALLURE, Exomotion aims to shape the future of mobility. The funds from VentureKick will be spent on technology development and proof of market.exomotion.chNemosia: Tracers that can provide early detection of various neurological diseases Neurological degeneration severely impacts quality of life and hence represents one of this century's greatest medical challenges. Billions of dollars have been invested over the last two decades and yet, still no cure. Nemosia is an ETH Zurich spin-off project developing tracers for early diagnostics of neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. They use PET imaging, a non-invasive technique, to visualize the receptors inside the brain. The team, composed of CEO Awa Diagne, Director of Clinical Development Dr. Hazem Ahmed, Director of R D Dr. Ahmed Haider and Advisor Prof. Simon Ametamey. Their target customers are first Pharma companies which they can support from day #1 in their drug development and preclinical studies. Then, after completion of clinical development phase 2, they will add patient recruitment and therapy monitoring to their offering and extend their customers base to Hospitals. Finally, after FDA approval, their tracers will empower everyone to take early measures to combat the diseases. Proof of Concept is completed with preclinical studies on primates, the team is now in preliminary clinical trials Phase 1. Besides, Nemosia also aims to raise public awareness of neurological disorders and promote a culture where it is seen as normal and safe to do regular brain check-ups even if there are no visible symptoms of neurological disorder. The Venture Kick fund will be used to strengthen their patent position and further support their clinical development.nemosia.comUrbanDataLab: The cloud platform for location analytics and business intelligence Developers and investors in real estate need to have local knowledge to acquire assets and manage their portfolios. While there is a huge growth in available spatial data this data is often found to be inconsistent, especially across regions and countries which makes it challenging to scale internationally. Moreover, the increase in volume and complexity of data comes with a high cost on expert know-how and IT-infrastructure. UrbanDataLab's team develops a cloud platform that takes this burden off an organization by providing real estate professionals with easy access to location knowledge, AI-driven business analytics and intuitive decision support tools. It enables professionals to create custom strategies and to use cutting edge data science techniques which reduces or even makes obsolete expensive in-house expertise in data and geo science as well as the managing of its own IT infrastructure. The core-team consists of geospatial, IT and business experts: Patrick Schirmer (PhD in urban simulation at ETHZ) and Lorenz Walthert (Msc Statistics, ETHZ) have been developing insights for the real estate industry for years. Pablo Viejo and Silvan Geser have years of expertise in product and platform development as well as B2B Sales. First clients have already licensed the application in Switzerland. Currently, a pilot project is also running for the Indonesian market.The Venture Kick financing will be used for market research and professional marketing support.urbandatalab.chUzufly:Ultra-photorealistic 3D digital models to represent urban spaces and future construction projectsForurbanprojects, public consultationisa key stageduring which future constructions are presented to local communitiestoensureprojects aretailoredtothe population’srequirementsandwishes.However, current2D plans or computer-generatedimagerymethodsonly provide a verylimited representationof futureconstructionprojectsto local communities.To maximize project approval rates andensure the population has access to valuable information, Uzuflydeliversultra-photorealistic3Ddigitalmodelsgenerated from aerial methods (such as drones)andintegratesthedesigns offutureconstructionswithintheir designated area.Those 3D modelsprovide a realistic understanding of the volume and architecture ofplanned projects, with aproject scoperangingfrom a single building to an entire city or canton.Furthermore, thosehighlydetailed 3D models can be converted to technical drawings and topographic surveysto support architects and construction engineers in their work.Uzufly’steamisledbyfounderRomain Kirchhoff,who holds aBScin Civil EngineeringfromEPFL and HKUST,aMScin Management, TechnologyandEntrepreneurshipfromEPFL, andis aswissprivatepilot (PPLholder).The funds provided byVenturekickwill helpUzuflyupgrade its hardwareand buildawebplatform tofurther streamline andautomateUzuflycustomers’journey.www.uzufly.com 4iLabs wins CHF 150,000 to advance personalized cancer therapy options Mi. 28.10.2020, 07:00 4iLabs assists clinicians in the cancer therapy decision-making process by providing them with state-of-the-art molecular assessments of their patients’ disease and pointing them toward personalized therapy options. The startup project is led by Dr. Gabriele Gut and will use the CHF 150,000 Venture Kick funding to accelerate the clinical development of 4iLabs’ diagnostic toolbox....Read more The molecular processes underlying a patient s cancer are often unique. Currently, next-generation sequencing (NGS) is often used to analyze the genetic information from biopsies to inform clinicians on the use of specific cancer therapies. However, even with NGS-guided therapies, patients can relapse contributing to the long-term low cancer survival rate of around 50%. 4iLabs supports clinicians in the therapy decision-making process for patients with progressed cancer beyond the standard of care, for whom genetic testing holds limited actionable information.The startup uses the patented 4i technology that generates highly multiplexed images of biological samples to get a deeper and more efficient molecular view of tumors than with existing processes. 4i technology (the four i s refer to iterative indirect immunofluorescence imaging) assists scientists in pharma and academia and clinicians in multiple fields such as drug discovery, target identification and validation, cancer assessments, and AI-powered digital pathology efforts for biomarker discovery. The startup targets cancer-related industries that are expected to become a USD 40 billion market in the next four years. 4iLabs starts with the launch of two products: Oriflamme diagnostics report (OR) and DeepTissue Phenotyping services (DTP). The OR is a diagnostics report that provides clinicians with evidence-based therapy recommendations for each patient, based on the multiplexed molecular drug response of their biopsied cancer cells. DTP is a multiplexed tissue imaging service that, unlike others, measures the abundance and distribution of dozens of proteins at very high throughput. It is, thus, uniquely capable of studying large patient cohorts simultaneously. In conjunction with an AI-powered analysis, DTP will help to characterize drug-related tissue changes, propel biomarker discovery, and improve cancer diagnoses.Dr. Gabriele Gut developed the proprietary 4i technology in the group of Prof. Lucas Pelkmans at the University of Zurich, and he is preparing, supported by the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowship and the InnoSuisse BRIDGE Proof of Concept program, to launch 4iLabs in early 2021. As of next year, 4iLabs will use their OR in multiple clinical trials with different European cancer centers and support hospitals and pharma companies with DTP. The startup will remain heavily focused on R D to extend their diagnostics technology toolbox to provide clinicians and scientists with first-in-class, actionable, spatially resolved multi-omics information at scale. 4iLabs plans to use the Venture Kick funding to support their clinical trials and to expand their online presence. Question time during a jury session is learning prime time for me, said Gut when asked about his experience at Venture Kick. It is a real privilege to have a group of industry leaders scrutinize your startup, your ideas, and your thought processes. They see things from different angles and ask challenging questions, and through that, help me grow and, most importantly, improve 4iLabs business case. SmartHelio wins CHF 150,000 to optimize solar plant performance through AI-driven analytics Fr. 23.10.2020, 09:55 SmartHelio has developed AI-based advanced data analytics for solar panel diagnostics and a prescription for the proactive maintenance of solar assets. The technology of the Lausanne-based startup aims to improve solar plant performance and optimize the ROI for solar companies and their clients. SmartHelio was founded in November 2019 and will use the CHF 150,000 Venture Kick funding to scale its operations in Europe and India and improve its cloud platform. ...Read more In the next 10 years, the solar photovoltaic industry is expected to become a USD 1 trillion market, which will be dominated by emerging markets. Despite this potential for growth, solar-plant maintenance is highly manual and reactive, which results in loss of time and money. Currently, monitoring solutions only provide data acquisition and visualization; diagnosis and root-cause analysis are highly manual. This has created a need for more advanced tools and solutions for the solar industry.SmartHelio, founded by Govinda Upadhyay (CEO), addresses the lack of diagnostic solutions and makes fault-localization for solar panels more automated. The startup has developed an AI-based cloud platform that analyzes critical factors such as shading, connector faults, or wire rust. The SmartHelio technology currently works for solar plants of any size (rooftop to utility-scale), and the cloud solution can seamlessly connect with any existing monitoring platforms to enhance the ability to locate faults in real time. SmartHelio currently has 30 pilot customers located in Switzerland, France, India, and the Netherlands.To become the one-stop solution for solar asset management, the startup has also developed its own panel-level Smart IoT sensor, called HelioHealth, which is powered by edge computing and further improves the diagnostics. SmartHelio plans on making the sensor intelligent and improving data analytics, which will help reduce sensor cost by 80% and achieve a 50% faster fault-location.SmartHelio has witnessed a near 200% jump in demand for its deep-data-driven solar asset management solution during COVID-19. To take care of this growing demand in Europe and India, SmartHelio plans to use the Venture Kick funding to further develop its IoT sensor and AI-based cloud platform and expand the team. Venture Kick has been very supportive, even before our inception. They provided us with the right contacts, funding, and support we needed to launch our product. Their support has been very instrumental during the COVID time, where we had to change our strategy, and we really needed advice and funds. We are looking forward to working closely with the Venture Kick team, especially at this scale-up stage, said Govinda Upadhyay, SmartHelio CEO. Araris Biotech raises CHF 15.2 million to boost the development of their antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-linker technology Do. 22.10.2020, 10:53 The Zurich based company Araris Biotech completes CHF 15.2 million seed funding round. The round was led by Pureos Bioventures, 4BIO Capital, btov Partners, Redalpine, VI Partners and Schroder Adveq....Read more Araris Biotech, aSwiss Biotech start-upfocuseson the commercialization of novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-linker technology. This enablefast and precise production of ADCs using their proprietary peptide linkers. The innovative approach has the potential to set new benchmarks interms of development, analysis and performance.The investment round was led by Pureos Bioventures with participation from new investors 4BIO Capital, btov Partners and existing investors Redalpine, VI Partners and Schroder Adveq. The proceeds will be used to nominate a clinical candidate and advance Araris lead program into preclinical and clinical development. The new funds will also support the development of a broad proprietary pipeline of ADC compounds.Philipp Spycher, CEO and Co-counder of Araris, said: We see this funding as strong validation of our company, lead programs and the Araris ADC-linker platform. We re focused on using our unique linker technology, that allows development of ADCs without engineering the native antibody, to design better medicines for cancer. This capital will allow us to advance our lead program to the next stage of development and progress our preclinical pipeline towards the clinic. We are also pleased to further strengthen our investor base with such a distinguished group of investors, all of whom have a proven track record of supporting successful emerging companies. Araris Biotech had participation in theVenture Leaders,TOP100and Venture Kickprograms. Philipp Spycher says: Venture Kick was essential in the starting phase. We received extremely valuable input on business plan development and pitching while the financial support allowed us to attend partnering meetings and scientific conferences. There we got in touch with many pharma companies which enabled us to get a first foot-into-their-door. Challenging feedback at the Kickers Camps also prepared us for the critical questions we encountered when fundraising. Bota Systems team (from left to right): Ilias Patsiaouras (CTO and co-founder), Klajd Lika (CEO and co-founder), and Prof. Marco Hutter (scientific advisor and co-founder) Bota Systems wins CHF 150,000 for enabling robots to better interact with humans Fr. 16.10.2020, 11:00 Bota Systems addresses the growing need for robotic systems that can safely work in a dynamic environment and close to humans: The startup equips robotic systems with force sensing to feel and shape interactions with their environment. Bota Systems’ sensing solution can be integrated into a range of robotic systems—including robotic manipulators, inspection drones, surgical robots, or autonomous excavators. The Zurich-based startup was founded in March 2020 and will use the CHF 150,000 Venture Kick funding to promoting and expanding the product portfolio. ...Read more It is expected that more than half a million industrial robots are going to collaborate with humans by 2023. In contrast to existing solutions, robots that interact with or near humans require tactile and force-controllable systems. With the growing need for robotic systems that can safely work in a dynamic environment, machines must be equipped with force sensing to feel and shape the interaction with their surroundings. However, until today, even the best available solutions are unreliable, bulky, and expensive.Bota Systems aims to contribute toward accessibility in automation by developing a state-of-the-art sensing solution for safer interactions between humans and machines. Founded by Klajd Lika (CEO), Ilias Patsiaouras (CTO), and Marco Hutter (scientific advisor), the startup has developed an innovative plug-and-play force-sensing solution that is scalable and modular. Bota Systems solution can be integrated into any robotic system that requires sensing the interaction force with their environment, such as service and household robots, robot-assisted surgery systems, or manufacturing robots.Bota Systems expects to enter and capture a big share of a market that will grow five times and reach up to USD 5 billion by 2025. Examples of customers are integrators and operators of manufacturing robots, robot-assisted surgery platforms, rehabilitation devices, or autonomous excavators. Several companies and laboratories including the EPFL Robotics Lab, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of California have ordered and are using Bota Systems sensors. The startup is also supported by ESA BIC Switzerland.The next steps for Bota Systems include bringing awareness to its product portfolio and launching a new product in early 2021. Venture Kick will support Bota Systems plans for marketing and fundraising to scale the business and achieve international growth. Besides its financial support, Venture Kick connected us with a large network of business experts in the Swiss startup ecosystem. We were also able to attend business workshops and have intensive training with experienced professionals free of charge, which is much needed for our startup to create a business mindset, said Klajd Lika, CEO of Bota Systems. Climeworks’ TOP 100 keynote: ‘Stick to your purpose, and eventually, you will achieve your vision’ Mi. 14.10.2020, 07:01 A clear vision and perseverance can remove obstacles and—in Climeworks’ case—CO2. Founded in 2009, the cleantech startup looks back at a decade in which it proved all critics wrong and shattered the fundraising record for investments in direct air capture. Christoph Gebald and Jan Wurzbacher, the two Climeworks founders, are here to tell us more about their entrepreneurial journey and their innovative subscription model that allows people to remove CO2 from the atmosphere to contribute to reversing climate change....Read more Christoph Gebald and Jan Wurzbacher founded Climeworks in 2009. The ETH Zurich spin-off builds plants that take CO2 from the air and put it underground permanently—thus, empowering people to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere and contributing to reversing climate change. When the two engineers set out to provide a technology solution to remove CO2 from the air, “fundraising was a nightmare,” and the scientific community and the media were skeptical, to say the least.Thanks to the support of investors who believed in the Climeworks vision, combined with Gebald and Wurzbacher’s courage to tweak Climeworks’ strategy, business model, and technology, the Zurich-based startup continued to grow—and recently raised CHF 100 million, the largest ever investment into direct air capture. The Climeworks founders show that a clear vision and perseverance can change the world.In the last ten years, Climeworks was a Venture Kick winner in 2010, a Venture Leader China in 2017, and one of the TOP 100 Swiss startups for four consecutive years (2011-2014), making it to the top 10 in 2014. This year, Gebald was on the TOP 100 stage once again:Watch his TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award 2020 keynote and read Climeworks co-founder Jan Wurzbacher’s interview on their innovative subscription model that provides direct, measurable, and permanent climate action—one kg of CO2 at a time.To learn more about Climeworks' subscription model and plans for the future, we talked to Climeworks co-founder Jan Wurzbacher.Jan, Climeworks just closed a record-breaking fundraising round by raising CHF 100 million. What are your next goals?We are very happy about the trust our investors showed towards our strategy, technology, and team. The funding will be used to further scale and optimize Climeworks’ direct air capture technology and make it accessible to even more stakeholders: people, businesses, and organizations alike. The next step of our scale-up roadmap is a new plant that we are currently building. It will be able to remove 4,000 tons of CO2 per year.In our last interview, you mentioned that Climeworks’ vision is to inspire 1 billion people to remove carbon dioxide from the air. One way you do this is through subscription models that allow individuals to remove up to 24,000 kg of carbon dioxide from the air per year. How does a Climeworks subscription work?We remove carbon dioxide from the air with our direct air capture machines. Our partner Carbfix mixes the CO2 with water and pumps it deep underground. Through natural mineralization, carbon dioxide reacts with basalt rock and turns into stone within a few years.To join this journey towards a climate-positive world, go to our website, and choose the amount of carbon dioxide you want us to remove from the air in your name. After signing up, you will have access to your “Pioneers” dashboard, where you see your removal orders, you are allowed to create a wish for the planet, and you will receive updates about our progress and other important news.We specifically chose the subscription model, as we believe people who have understood our mission and the importance of DAC to keep global heating to safe levels will want to keep taking action—every month, every year.You have three different subscriptions on your website. Of course, it is best to remove as much carbon as possible, but how do I choose between the subscription models?We believe in the power of small steps and that every climate-positive action counts. We offer different options for the amount of CO2 you want to have removed from the air, and you can choose them according to your lifestyle and your means. Of course, you can also adjust your subscription any month.What has been the feedback from subscribers?We have an active community of pioneers, and we highly appreciate their feedback. So far, their reactions have been great! We recently launched our community page, a platform for our subscribers to share their thoughts. How do you plan on growing your community?We are growing our community in several ways. One important approach is to create awareness for carbon dioxide removal solutions, like direct air capture. Many people are not yet aware that it is not enough to just reduce emissions and that, on top of that, humanity needs to remove the excess carbon dioxide that’s already in the air. We provide the information and material on these topics, and our pioneering customers and partners, both businesses and individuals, help to spread the word. Climeworks’ vision is to inspire 1 billion people to remove carbon dioxide from the air. By providing accessible climate action, we strive to empower as many people as possible.You also offer gift cards. With the holiday season approaching, why is a carbon dioxide removal subscription the gift that keeps on giving?Although the world is struck by a global pandemic, the urgency of the climate crisis does not subside. Scientists agree: We need many carbon dioxide removal solutions working together to keep global heating to safe levels. Climeworks’ carbon dioxide removal has the smallest land and water usage of all carbon dioxide removal approaches, it is exactly measurable, and CO2 is stored through natural processes, safely and permanently.A Climeworks gift card is the ideal gift, as it gets your loved ones started on their journey to climate positivity and can ignite the spark to reverse climate change. CHF 10,000 each for startups developing next-gen industrial robotics, a homemade food peer-to-peer app and, a platform to treat respiratory viruses infections Di. 13.10.2020, 14:00 Isochronic, Neia, and ViRelieve Therapeutics win Venture Kick's first stage of financial and entrepreneurial support. Their projects help industrials save time and money with next-generation "Continuous-Motion" robots, connect home-chefs and office-eaters via an app, and doctors treat respiratory syncytial virus infection, a leading cause of hospitalization in newborns, infants, and adults thanks a first-in-class stapled peptides targeting a different mechanism of action compared to traditional approaches....Read more Isochronic's CEO Melvin Haas and VP Software Albrecht Lindner, both from the EPFL, together with VP Hardware Pierre-Alain Buchs develop the next generation of industrial robots based on the Continuous Motion Robotics (CMR) principle. Higher speeds, longer transport distances and improved precision are rendered possible at the same time by the innovative CMR robot concept. Capable of transporting multiple parts simultaneously, Isochronic's technology is based on a novel robot kinematic which greatly enhances the performance of pick place operations in automated production lines, most notably industrial applications such as packaging-, part inspection- and palletizing operations within market segments such as electronics/semiconductors, medical/pharma, food processing as well as the precision- watchmaking industries. They will use the Venture Kick funds to co-develop a first mechanical prototype with a pilot customer, including the development of advanced motion control systems and path planning algorithms.isochronic.com Neia: Homemade, well made. Imagine being at your office and realising when lunch time comes that you don’t have anything tasty, nutritious or healthy to eat.You end up going to the supermarket or to the same corner take-away almost every day. You know that eating the wrong food is making you perform poorly in your personal and professional life, so sometimes you treat yourself to a restaurant, but that ends up being too expensive for your everyday. Neia's team is committed to circular economy and to a socially responsible approach. Their community and ecosystem bring together Home Chefs and Eaters for you to have access to homemade, well made meals. Since their MVP release in Geneva back on May 15th in the middle of the COVID pandemic, more than 1’700 customers have registered at Neia and have traded almost 1’000 meals. Furthermore, Neia’s ecosystem of trust has managed to achieve a 55% second purchase ratio and has now been upgraded to an escalable V2 version, which is being released in Lausanne.Neia is a group of professionals who are together for the same reason: making well made, homemade meals available to every working professional across all major European cities. Within the founding team, employees and Board Members, Neia counts with an extensive list of serial entrepreneurs, top-rank school alumni, corporate executives and marketing experts. After having successfully closed their Pre-Seed Round back in February 2020, Neia is now looking to achieve national coverage by February 2022 with more than 120k registered users and a total of 131k traded meals and to raise CHF 1.5mio to support this development.neia.app ViRelieve Therapeutics: an innovative therapeutic platform to treat respiratory viral infections with a multi-billion dollar market opportunity Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most common pathogen associated with respiratory conditions such as bronchiolitis, croup and pneumonia. It is a major cause for admission to hospital for newborns, infants and adults. It is estimated that 33.8M RSV infections occur every year in children under 5 years old from which more than 2M lead to hospital admissions and more than 200 000 deaths per year. As well RSV is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Currently, there are no good therapeutics on the market. Each year, the virus causes a huge economic burden in the western world because of the large number of infants that must be hospitalized in intensive care units. Globally 64M people/year look for RSV drugs that are not currently available and the total economic burden for health care system is about 5bn per year. ViRelieve is a spin-off of the HES-SO Valais-Wallis co-founded by Dr Ivan Ivanov (President CEO), Dr Craig Shimasaki, MBA (Business Development Director), and Pr Origène Nyanguile (Vice President of Preclinical Development) who is the main inventor of the assets. ViRelieve develops first-in-class peptides with great added value compared to small molecules and antibodies. Our broad vision is the development of a technology platform targeting several viruses in the same family (Parainfluenza, MetaPneumovirus, Ebola, Zika and Nipah). The Venture Kick funds will be used for business development and intellectual property patent prosecutions. ViRelieve is in the process of raising seed capital and Venture Kick Phase I grant is well suited to support our fundraising process. The visibility Venture Kick provides to start-ups in the Switzerland ecosystem will help us accelerate our growth.virelieve.com CHF 40'000 Each for Startups Developing Greenhouse Filters with Nano-Coatings and Contactless Robotic Grippers Mo. 12.10.2020, 14:00 Infrascreen and No-Touch Robotics Teams win Venture Kick’s second stage of financial and entrepreneurial support. Their projects increase the energy efficiency of greenhouse manufacturers and save time and money to industrials thanks to contactless robotic grippers for small and fragile objects....Read more Greenhouses are the key to a future where vegetables, fruits and flowers are grown sustainably. Infrascreen unlocks this vision by using nanotechnologies to drastically improve the financial and environmental performance of greenhouses. Together with the CSEM under the direction of Pr. Christophe Baillif from EPFL, Infrascreen's CEO Henri de Lalande and CTO Benoît de Combaud have developed a thin film used in the manufacturing of greenhouse climate control equipments. As of today, they have demonstrated the proof of concept of their product in lab conditions. The team estimates a total addressable market superior to 500 million CHF / year. They plan to use Venture Kick funds to pursue through the R D phase and to initiate formal collaboration with the Wageningen University in the Netherlands. www.infrascreen.com No-Touch Robotics: contactless robotic grippers for small and fragile objects Conventional robotic grippers are limited in their ability to handle small and fragile components. By using acoustic levitational forces, ETHZ spin-off No-Touch Robotics, co-founded by CEO Marcel Schuck and CTO Marc Röthlisberger, develops damage and contamination free contactless robotic grippers for handling fragile objects. With this technology, prospect customers in watchmaking, micromechanics, and the semiconcductor industries can save time and money by using the same gripper for a variety of object shapes. They can further improve product quality, yield, and their environmental footprint. No-Touch Robotics will sell grippers that can easily be integrated into existing production lines and will provide design-in services. There is currently no other technology in the market that can provide contactless gripping for various object shapes. The Venture Kick financing will be used to develop the technology further to serve a broader range of applications and secure the respective IP. www.notouchrobotics.comPowered by startup.ch and Handelszeitung60 venture kickers made it to the TOP 100 startupsEach year, startup.ch launches the TOP 100 STARTUP AWARD in cooperation with the Handelszeitung. From over 100,000 young companies, the 100 most innovative and promising Swiss startups are picked by top startup experts.Check out the TOP 100 venture leadersventure leaders program – ten intense days in USA or ChinaSwiss startups ready to take over the World.The venture leaders - the members of the Swiss national startup team- have a clear-cut goal. They envision themselves as global players and want to take the first step to their global expansion. The ten-day business development program is specifically structured to help them achieve this goal.More venture kickKick your startup idea to success with venture kickventure kick helps potential entrepreneurs by giving them the opportunity to win up to CHF 130,000. Moreover, startups can also use the know-how of experienced experts and entrepreneurs and be granted access to a national network of investors.Apply venturelab workshops Powered by industry professionals Learn from entrepreneurs and industry leaders In the last 10 years venturelab alumni have raised several 100 millions from investors and built successful businesses. Now they are ready to share with the next generation of talented hightech startups. Learn more about the programDirectory of active investorsPowered by startup.chThe investors in early stage Swiss startupsIn the last 5 years the venture kick startups raised more than 365 millions. Following all these transactions we compiled and update the list of active startup investors in different fields and stages.Filter your potential investors Institut für JungunternehmenThe first address for Startups in SwitzerlandMore than 50.000 startups were accompanied by the IFJ. A little more then 25 years ago, we have made it our mission to guide these entrepreneurs on their way to successful businesses. So they can develop their role as a part of the Swiss economy.More Connecting the dots between Switzlerand and the world Gioia Vichis Deutscher is the director of swissnex Brazil. After spending four years as the Haed of Startup and Innovation Services for swissnex San Francisco, Gioia Deutscher is now taking the lead in opening a new swissnex office in Brazil.More on Swissnex Brazil Suzanne Hraba-Renevey is the director of swissnex Singapore. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoree. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation.More on Swissnex Singapore Pascal Marmier is the director of swissnex China. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoree. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation.More on Swissnex China Felix Moesner is the director of swissnex Boston. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoree. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation.More on Swissnex Boston Chistian Simm is the director of swissnex San Francisco. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoree. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation.More on Swissnex San Francisco Balz Strasser is the director of swissnex India. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoree. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation.More on Swissnex India 60 venture kickers made it to the TOP 100 startups Each year, startup.ch launches the TOP 100 STARTUP AWARD in cooperation with the Handelszeitung. From over 100,000 young companies, the 100 most innovative and promising Swiss startups are picked by top startup experts. Check out the TOP 100 Kick your startup idea to success with venture kick Venture Kick is a philanthropic three stage funding model initiated to support Swiss startups with initial funding to kick-start their entrepreneurial success. Startups can qualify to receive up to CHF 150,000 in start capital. After each stage, promising entrepreneurs are also offered professional guidance. More Swiss startups ready to take over the World. The venture leaders have a clear-cut goal. They envision themselves as global players and want to take the first step to their global expansion. The ten-day business development program is specifically structured to help them achieve this goal. More The first address for Startups in Switzerland More than 50.000 startups were accompanied by the IFJ. A little more then 25 years ago, we have made it our mission to guide these entrepreneurs on their way to successful businesses. So they can develop their role as a part of the Swiss economy. More

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