Entrepreneurship

After more than 20 years as Head of Certifications at the Swiss Safety Center, Heinrich A. Bieler will be taking his well-deserved retirement in June 2025. He is handing over his life's work, the certification body that he has built up into a renowned player in the Swiss certification market, to his successor.

His successor is Michael Grünenfelder, Dr. oec. HSG. As an experienced leader in the professional services industry, Michael Grünenfelder has headed national and international departments as a line manager and has extensive experience in managing large projects and project teams for infrastructure projects (thermal power plants and renewable energies). He also has extensive experience in working with authorities and in the area of compliance, avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring impartiality.

His practical experience in the field of certification includes numerous use cases for process optimization and the development of management systems according to various standards.

Dr. Elisabetta Carrea, CEO of Swiss Safety Center AG, sees the appointment of Michael Grünenfelder as the new head of the certification body as an opportunity to consolidate the company's position as a renowned and leading certification provider in Switzerland and at the same time to continue the successful path for further growth in this area.

(CONNECT) Veloplus AG is expanding its range of self-developed children's bikes with two mountain bike models. The FLiZZi-MTB 20-inch and the FLiZZi-MTB 24-inch are characterised by a lightweight aluminium frame, child-friendly ergonomics and details such as easy-to-operate gearshifts, Veloplus explains in a press release. The bicycle and bicycle accessories supplier is presenting its two new products for children at Cycle Week in Zurich until May 25.

Like the other children's bikes in the FLiZZi range developed by Veloplus, the new mountain bikes are not simply a scaled-down version of an adult bike, but are specially designed for the anatomy and needs of children. The 20-inch FLiZZi-MTB therefore does not have a suspension fork, for example, as this is “hardly functional for the target group's body weight and makes the bike unnecessarily heavy”, explains Veloplus. The damping is provided by voluminous tires instead. The FLiZZi MTB 24 inch has an 80 millimeter air suspension fork in the front frame for damping. Like all FLiZZi bikes, the new children's mountain bikes are equipped with extra-long saddle rails and a special flip-flop stem to adapt the bike to the child's growth. ce/hs

(CONNECT) Venture has announced this year's 60 finalists. According to a press release, 396 applications were received for this year's competition, more than ever before. The award ceremony will take place on June 23, 2025 at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH).

The competition supports aspiring entrepreneurs in developing their business ideas into successful start-ups. Each of the submissions was evaluated by experts from science, business and investment. The 215 jury members applied criteria such as innovation, market potential, feasibility and team strength.

Ten of the finalists are active in each of the six venture sectors: Health and Nutrition, ICT, Finance and Insurance, Industry and Engineering, Retail and Consumer Services and Social and Environmental Affairs. According to the information provided, the applications came from almost all parts of Switzerland and a particularly large number from Zurich. There are three start-ups from the Züri Innovationspark(BZI) office, including the DNAir team, which moved in this year and specializes in biodiversity monitoring. A total of seven start-ups are former or current participants of the RUNWAY Startup Incubator, a program of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences(ZHAW). These include the agrifood data company Terensis and Ionic Wind, whose founding team has developed a new cooling technology.

In the coming weeks, the finalists will be brought together with mentors and will be able to network with each other as well as with other experts. Pitch training prepares them for the final presentation of their business idea. Finally, three projects from each of the six competition sectors will emerge as venture winners.

Venture was founded in 1997 by Dr. Thomas Knecht. As a joint initiative of ETH and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, McKinsey & Company, the Knecht Group and Innosuisse, venture has been managed by the Venture Foundation since 2013. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Zurich-based MoveAgain AG is acquiring the German moving platform Movinga, which has run into financial difficulties. "David takes over Goliath" writes the Swiss relocation platform in a corresponding press release. By integrating the much larger company Movinga, MoveAgain aims to become the leading digital relocation service provider in Europe. No details of the purchase price are given in the announcement.

Movinga is active in Germany, Austria, France, Sweden and Switzerland. "By pooling our expertise and focusing on service quality, we are creating a platform on which we can offer our customers even more efficient and seamlessly integrated services," MoveAgain CEO Dominic Schütz is quoted as saying in the press release. Movinga from Cologne is to be retained as a brand under the MoveAgain umbrella. As a first step, MoveAgain plans to integrate the Movinga portal in Switzerland and Germany by the end of the year. France, Sweden and Austria will gradually follow later. ce/hs

(CONNECT) At the fifth SEF.WomenAward from NZZ Connect, Paulina Grnarova received the prize for Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Born in North Macedonia, she founded DeepJudge in Zurich in 2021. The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) has developed artificial intelligence (AI)-based software that makes it possible to find, analyze and link data sources such as law books, court rulings, commercial registers and encyclopedias.

"Under her leadership, DeepJudge has made significant progress and has been recognized in the industry," according to a brief portrait by the Swiss Economic Forum (SEF). She was included in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list "and, as a female CEO with a strong technical background, is setting an example in the male-dominated fields of law and technology". In an oversubscribed seed financing round in 2025, DeepJudge raised almost 10 million Swiss francs for further expansion.

"I am incredibly proud of how far we have come with my DeepJudge team in such a short time," says Grnarova on LinkedIn. "What began as an idea after our doctorate at ETH Zurich has developed into Switzerland's leading AI start-up, which serves thousands of lawyers in leading law firms worldwide."

The honorary award winner of the year is Bea Knecht. She receives the award as an exceptional personality who has spent her life working for a strong Swiss economy. Knecht founded the streaming service Zattoo in 2005. She relinquished the position of Managing Director in 2012 and has since acted as Vice President of the Board of Directors. According to the SEF jury, it is also committed to sustainable corporate governance, promoting women in tech professions and supporting start-ups.

Entrepreneur of the Year is Antje Kanngiesser. She has been CEO of the Alpiq energy group since March 2021. According to SEF, her focus is on the strategic realignment and consistent transformation of business models and companies. "Humor, value-based modern leadership and consistent cross-team collaboration with a passion for performance and success are her tools." ce/mm

(CONNECT) The Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the Swiss Startup Association are entering into a strategic partnership to strengthen the Swiss startup ecosystem, the HWZ announced in a press release. The university only offers part-time degree programs and aims to "become the most entrepreneurial university in Switzerland", the statement continues. The Swiss Startup Association has more than 1800 members and uses its network to represent the interests of the Swiss startup scene.

As a first step, the two partners want to launch the CAS Entrepreneurship HWZ part-time degree program. In the press release, HWZ Rector Brian Rüeger explains that it will teach participants "important entrepreneurial skills with a strong practical focus". "Our aim is to promote entrepreneurship in a targeted manner and provide founders with the necessary tools." The new course will be offered for the first time from September 19, 2025.

Further projects are to follow. Among other things, the press release mentions further training programs for start-ups with certification by the HWZ as well as research projects on relevant start-up topics. A think tank for start-ups is also planned. "The close cooperation with the HWZ is an important milestone for us," explains Raphael Tobler, President of the Swiss Startup Association. "Together, we can create innovative educational programs that help start-up founders in concrete ways." ce/hs

(CONNECT) The Zurich-based Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation (DTN) and the Basel-based Startupticker Foundation have launched a joint information platform for investors. According to a press release, both private venture capitalists and institutional investors can find out about start-ups and their business models on the deeptechnation.ch platform.

According to its initiators, the platform is intended as a central point of contact where interested parties can find out about Switzerland's decentralized DeepTech ecosystem. To this end, both foundations want to pool their expertise and resources.

"The information platform reflects our commitment to increasing available growth capital," Joanne Sieber, CEO of DTN, is quoted as saying in the press release. "By efficiently pooling information about the Swiss deep tech ecosystem, we deliver a compelling message about the significant financial opportunities that investors can find in Swiss innovation."

Stefan Kyora, editor-in-chief of startupticker.ch, sees the initiative as an opportunity to provide investors with clarity and the necessary information on the start-up scene.

In addition to the two initiators, the platform is supported by Gebert Rüf Stiftung, Basel Area Business & Innovation, IMD, Innosuisse, SICTIC, Swiss Startup Association, Swisscom Ventures, Startfeld and UBS. ce/ww

(CONNECT) "Design your company. Take off with your company" is the title of the IFJ Institute's Startup Guide for young companies. According to an announcement, the focus is on the twelve do's - or commandments for action. "In our Startup Guide, we provide you with the 12 key success factors that will prepare you optimally for founding and launching your company," says the 32-page Startup Guide, which can be downloaded from the IFJ website.

These twelve do's are based on the findings of experienced experts and provide the necessary knowledge and tools to turn the dream of your own company into reality. The twelve focal points are: Vision, company foundation, team, focus, customer management, marketing, sales, network, finance, crisis management, innovation and further development. There is detailed information on each individual point of these recommendations for action.

The "3 most common mistakes" made when setting up a company are also highlighted. According to the IFJ, these are: "Accept everything: Threat of overload and inefficiency." Regarding the mistake of ignoring market needs, it says: "Focus on solutions with broad market potential." The third mistake is: "Not setting priorities: Time and money are lost on the wrong projects."

The history of LensContact AG in St.Gallen is presented as an example of a successful company foundation. Founder Danica Djordjevic is active in the field of contact lenses. In this interview, she talks about her self-employment. LensContact specializes in tailor-made contact lens solutions. ce/gba

(CONNECT) With its Bhutan Entrepreneurial Education Program (BEEP), the HWZ aims to promote sustainable business ideas in Bhutan. It was developed by the HWZ together with the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship, which is part of the Ministry of Economy in Bhutan. Close cooperation with local partners is essential for the success of the programme, explains Dr. Hugo Bigi in an interview about the project.

"What makes BEEP special is the combination of Swiss economic expertise and Bhutanese culture, in particular the principles of Gross National Happiness," explains Bigi. He is a specialist lecturer and principal lecturer at the HWZ and head of the BEEP project. It aims to empower Bhutanese entrepreneurs to develop sustainable business ideas and promote economic growth that is both socially and environmentally responsible.

According to Bigi, each module is designed to match the Gross National Happiness values. Bhutan's holistic approach to development places prosperity, cultural preservation and environmental protection above economic growth. "In doing so," says Bigi, "we not only teach traditional business management skills, but also focus on innovation, digitalisation and ethical entrepreneurship." 

At the same time, the experiences in Bhutan, "the first CO2-negative country in the world" (Bigi), should also serve as inspiration for the HWZ and Switzerland, particularly with regard to the interplay between economic success and social responsibility. Bigi's ten-year goal is for BEEP to become "an independent centre for innovative, practice-oriented entrepreneurial education with a broad international network". ce/mm

(CONNECT) This year, the Swiss umbrella organization for business succession is once again honoring SMEs that have been in existence for at least 100 years. Applications for this year's Phoenix Award for long-term Swiss entrepreneurship can be submitted online until May 31, the CHDU announced in a press release. The prerequisite for participation is that the company was founded in 1925 or was entered in the Swiss commercial register or is celebrating a milestone birthday over the 100th.

A jury will select up to three award winners from the applications received in a multi-stage process. Particular emphasis is placed on the company's ability to innovate and disrupt, its team performance and its contribution to society and the economy. The award ceremony will take place in the fall.

The Renaissance Investment Foundation will now support the CHDU as a partner organization in the implementation of this year's competition and the further development of the Phoenix Award. "Traditional companies play a very important role for Renaissance and the Swiss economy," Andreas Camenzind, Investment Director at Renaissance, is quoted as saying in the press release. According to him, the investment foundation currently has holdings in three companies that are more than 100 years old. "We therefore identify with the Phoenix Award for long-term Swiss entrepreneurship in a natural way." ce/hs

The Swiss umbrella organization for company succession(CHDU) has presented Fröhlich Info AG with this year's Phoenix Award for companies with up to 50 employees. The award recognizes family businesses "that have mastered their succession planning for at least a century", writes the CHDU in a press release on the award ceremony. The award-winning media and communications company with its own print shop in Zollikon is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Anniversary.

Fröhlich Info AG is currently managed by the fourth generation of the family on the Executive Board and the third generation on the Board of Directors. The jury was won over by the family business with its consistent and forward-looking succession plan and several family members working in the company, according to the press release. Further evidence of the award's worthiness includes the "early development of the business model", a "commitment to sustainability" and "pronounced innovation potential and commitment to preserving the print industry".

Family entrepreneur Anja Jenner, member of the Phoenix Award jury, expressed her respect for Fröhlich Info AG's courage and commitment "in an industry that has been pushed back by digitalization". Samuel Mösle, Co-Head of Location Promotion for the Canton of Zurich, paid tribute to the "incredible achievement of keeping a company going for 100 years and successfully mastering challenges ranging from succession planning to permanent change in the market and the world of work". ce/hs

Lumexus will take over the management of the Naturwissenschaftliche Gesellschaft Winterthur on October 1, the Technopark Winterthur-based company specializing in communication, marketing, IT and administration announced in a press release. Lumexus won the corresponding tender for the position last spring. "We are very proud to be able to support this highly relevant scientific society in the current environment of fake news and disinformation," Lumexus Co-Managing Director David Peran is quoted as saying in the press release.

The six-strong team from Winterthur succeeds u&m projekte GmbH, which is also based in Winterthur. She had led the NGW in recent years in setting up and establishing the office. In addition to his new involvement with NGW, Lumexus is also active in the management of the energie bewegt winterthur association. The company has also been responsible for communication at Technopark Winterthur since the end of 2023. ce/hs

The Funk Group in Zurich, which is active in pension and insurance management, has been classified as a Top Employer 2024, according to a statement from kununu. The award is given to companies that have been rated particularly highly by employees on the kununu platform for evaluating employers. After 2022, Funk was once again recognized as a top employer in Zurich in the category of companies with up to 250 employees (SMEs).

This award underlines the company's ongoing commitment to a positive work culture, employee satisfaction and progressive working conditions, according to a Funk Group press release. "We are delighted that we have once again achieved 1st place after our outstanding result in 2022. We see ourselves as a team that invests together in the culture and development of the company," says Rolf Th. Jufer, Partner and Member of the Executive Board of Funk Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

"Our journey to becoming the leading integral risk management service provider has now really taken off. The fact that the feedback from the team has been so great during this intensive change process is inspiring," continues Jufer. The selection of the best employers is based on the ratings given by employees on the kununu platform. Aspects such as working atmosphere, work-life balance, career opportunities and the relationship with superiors were highlighted as particularly positive. Funk stands out for its high level of employee satisfaction and strong sense of community, according to the Funk Group. ce/gba

Zurich-based soap manufacturer Soeder wants to increase its market presence. According to a press release on Linkedin, the company has gained Georges Kern, CEO and co-owner of watch brand Breitling, as a new investor. Kern will also be a member of Soeder's Board of Directors in future, according to the press release.The parties involved have agreed not to disclose the amount of the investment. Georges Kern's expertise will help the company to open up new markets.

Soeder was founded in 2014 by the two Swedes Hanna and Johan Olzon Akerström. The company initially sold designer items, including soap products. Unsatisfied with the quality of these products, the founders began to experiment and produce their own soap.
One of the company's quality features is its focus on sustainable raw materials and products, as well as the option of selling soap products in refill bottles.

Soeder intends to use the new investment to launch new products such as shower gel and sun cream on the market. ce/ww

Ruf has launched a new microphone preamplifier. The VisiWeb DMPE model is intended for use in rail and streetcar vehicles, according to a press release from the Schlieren-based information technology company. The application is intended to enable vehicle drivers to establish better contact with the control center or communicate better with passengers. The amplifier controls dynamic microphones in the vehicles, enabling better sound quality and reliability and thus making the work of staff easier.

In addition to its electro-acoustic advantages, the microphone preamplifier is built so robustly that it can also be used for other applications. The device complies with protection class IP67. This means that it is protected against dust and splash water and can withstand mechanical or electrical impacts without being damaged. The amplifier is operated with direct current in a voltage range of 24 to 110 volts.

According to the press release, the new microphone preamplifier has passed its first operational test in the streetcars modernized by Ruf in Halle an der Saale. ce/ww

Swiss Life Asset Managers has reached a binding agreement with Condecta AG on a complete takeover of the modular construction specialist from Winterthur, Swiss Life Asset Managers announced in a press release. The asset manager of the Swiss Life Group, which specializes in real estate and infrastructure, intends to expand Condecta's presence and offering. The Winterthur-based company is currently represented in Switzerland, Germany and Italy.

The two partner companies have agreed not to disclose the purchase price."The Swiss market for rental solutions in the modular space sector has potential, particularly in the public sector, industry, construction, architecture and the private sector, which require high-quality modular building solutions," said Gianfranco Saladino, Head Value-Add Infrastructure at Swiss Life Asset Managers, in the press release.

"Condecta, known for its high Swiss quality, is well positioned to meet the growing demand." According to Condecta CEO Olivier Annaheim, the company has found "the perfect new owner in Swiss Life Asset Managers to drive forward our growth and innovation plans and further expand our market leadership in the area of room systems in Switzerland".

For Matthew Dooley, Investment Director at Swiss Life Asset Managers, Condecta is "complementary to Swiss Life Asset Managers' extensive real estate and infrastructure business in Switzerland". ce/hs

I am looking for people who are willing to share their valuable experiences in an interview. Your insights could make an important contribution to supporting and promoting entrepreneurs 50+.

The interview will last approximately 1 hour and will focus on topics such as your entrepreneurial motivation, the challenges you have faced and your general well-being. I will ask open questions and you will have enough time to answer them in detail. We can agree a suitable date and time together. The interview can be conducted either on site (at a location of your choice) or online via Zoom. As a thank you for your participation in the interview, we can offer you a voucher worth CHF 30.

I would be very happy if you could take the time to talk to me. Please let me know if you are available for such an interview and we will find a suitable date together. If you are not available, perhaps you can refer me to someone who is.

I would be very grateful if you could let me know if you know someone in your network.

Thank you very much for your support!

Maxine Knöpfel | Master student UZH | maxine.knoepfel@uzh.ch

GNL, the sports shoe brand based at Technopark Zurich, and Technopark Zurich want to motivate Technopark employees to do something for their health and well-being. To this end, the two partners have launched the #TechnoSteppers initiative. Every Tuesday at 12.30 pm since July 16, people are invited to take a 30-minute walk. The invitation is aimed at anyone who wants to get some fresh air over lunchtime, writes Technopark Zurich in a corresponding event description. Sportswear and sneakers are not required; you can walk in normal clothing. You can walk in any weather, except in thunderstorms and storms. "Numerous studies prove this: People who walk regularly strengthen their muscles, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and many other chronic illnesses and mobilize the immune system," says the event description. In addition, exercise releases happiness hormones. The fresh air is said to help you relax and improve your mood. The good supply of oxygen to the brain combats tiredness and supports the ability to think. Walking in a group can also strengthen social bonds and reduce loneliness and isolation. "Just give it a try - alone or with your whole team," advise GNL and Technopark Zurich. ce/hs

FLOWIT AG, Voliro AG and QUMEA AG have won this year's Swiss Economic Award in their respective categories, according to a press release. With this award, the Swiss Economic Forum(SEF) and its partners Helbling, Swisscom and UBS promote entrepreneurial thinking and young business talent in Switzerland. In total, over 100 young companies from all over Switzerland applied. In each of the three categories, only three companies made it to the final in Interlaken following a multi-stage selection process.

FLOWIT won the service category. The digital platform for personnel development from the start-up from Opfikon ZH enables focused team development, establishes a feedback culture among all employees and is based on diversity and inclusion as a matter of course. Since September, FLOWIT has acquired over 50 customers with more than 30,000 employees. According to the information provided, they were able to reduce their fluctuation costs by up to 50 percent with the Software-as-a-Service solution.

Voliro won the Deeptech/Life Sciences category. With its inspection, maintenance and repair drones, the Zurich-based start-up has developed a robotics-as-a-service offering. According to the press release, it was able to conclude 31 annual subscriptions within just 14 months. According to SEF, Voliro has thus proven that its innovative technology is also in great demand.

The Solothurn-based digital health company QUMEA came out on top in the Production/Commercial category. Its palm-sized radar sensor detects the body movements of sick people throughout the patient's room. If, for example, a patient at risk of falling tries to get out of bed, the medical staff can intervene preventively and supportively. 90 facilities are already using this technology. ce/mm

Kompotoi, the Winterthur-based manufacturer and distributor of portable composting toilets, has been awarded one of this year's Swiss Ethics Prizes by the School of Economics and Engineering of the Canton of Vaud(HEIG-VD). According to a press release, the jury found the company's ecological commitment to closing the field - plate - toilet - field cycle by processing human excrement hygienically and safely into fertilizer and compost worthy of an award.

The idea behind the composting toilet developed by company co-founder Jonas Casanova in 2012 is to use wooden toilets instead of the plastic chemical toilets commonly used at events, which convert human waste into compost using litter. More than 700 Kompotois are currently in use in Switzerland. In addition to renting and selling composting toilets, Kompotoi is committed to establishing sustainable sanitary systems with the founding of the VaLoo association in 2022.

The HEIG-VD Ethics Prize was awarded for the 19th time in 2024 for sustainable and socially responsible business practices. Kompotoi is one of this year's four award winners. Panatere from Saignelégiee JU, Rework from Bern and AgroSustain from Renens VD were also awarded a prize. ce/ww

What concerns and motivates the players in the Z-Kubator community? What do they do? How do they shape the future of art, culture and the creative industries and bring entrepreneurial thinking and action to art? And how do I get started?

"What's Up?" asks precisely these questions and provides tips and tricks on how to turn study and research projects into life tasks and entrepreneurial reality. Each semester, the Z-Kubator team selects a focus topic from the cosmos of topics covered by its teaching, advisory and support programs that is relevant in a broader context and which is addressed in greater depth at "What's Up?".

The spring semester is dedicated to the topic "Creative impact: Going beyond aesthetics". In the latest portrait in this series, we present the design brand Maison Verte.

Lightium, a Zurich-based start-up in the field of photonic integrated circuits (PIC), has secured CHF 2.67 million in funding from Innosuisse. According to a press release, the company intends to use this capital to transfer the production of its thin-film lithium niobate platform (TFLN) from the prototype phase to series production. The move is scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2024.

TFLN can improve previous industry standards in the telecommunications sector by significantly expanding the communication bandwidth and achieving transmission speeds of up to 1.6 terabytes per second. At the same time, TFLN reduces power consumption.

"The support from Innosuisse is not only a financial boost, but also a confirmation of the central role of our technology in shaping the future of data communication and energy efficiency," said Dr. Amir Ghadimi, CEO and co-founder of Lightium, in the press release. "The versatility of our TFLN platform means that its advantages can also be used for other applications and markets such as satellite communication, quantum computing and LIDAR applications." ce/eb

INOS wants to make it even easier for SMEs in Eastern Switzerland to implement new business ideas and bring innovations to the market. To this end, the innovation network has expanded its coaching services, INOS announced in a press release. Funding has been increased from the previous maximum of CHF 10,000 to a maximum of CHF 15,000. INOS has also simplified the approval and project communication process.

A grant of 10,000 francs corresponds to 55 hours of consultation, explains INOS. In the first stage, SMEs can use the hours flexibly in their innovation project. The new additional funding amount of up to CHF 5,000 can be applied for in a second stage. The prerequisite is that the company contributes at least the same amount to the consulting program.

"With our new, more flexible coaching offer, we want to support even more SMEs in Eastern Switzerland in implementing their innovations and strengthening their competitiveness in the long term," INOS Managing Director Lukas Budde is quoted as saying in the press release. "Our experts are looking forward to supporting many more exciting projects." The Innovation Network Eastern Switzerland is supported by the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden, Glarus, Graubünden, Schaffhausen, St.Gallen, Thurgau as well as the Zürioberland location promotion agency and the federal government. ce/hs

Decentriq has been awarded the ZKB Pioneer Prize Technopark by the Zürcher Kantonalbank. The award ceremony took place on May 7, 2024 in Zurich's Technopark. The Zurich-based DeepTech start-up has impressed with its Software as a Service (SaaS) platform with data protection technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, according to a press release.

Founded by Maximilian Groth and Stefan Deml in 2019, the start-up sets a new standard "by using AI tools to generate real added value from protected data sources. By breaking down data silos, new value-creating analyses are made much easier or even possible in the first place," Michelle Tschumi, Head of Start-up Finance at ZKB, is quoted as saying.

The platform enables companies to "work together on confidential data and create insightful statistics or AI models without ever sharing the raw data", it says. Decentriq uses confidential computing, which is described as a "new, highly secure chip and cloud technology", to process encrypted raw data.

Decentriq emphasizes the high standards of data security and the utilization of data. "With our platform, we make it possible to use sensitive data collaboratively - in a protected and verifiably inaccessible manner," CEO Maximilian Groth is quoted as saying.

Two other prizewinners were awarded 10,000 Swiss francs each: Avelo (Schlieren ZH) has developed a Breath Aerosol Collector, while Stimit (Biel BE) received the prize money for a product to train the respiratory muscle. The Audience Award went to 4QT from Zurich, which specializes in the electrification of heavy machinery.

The ZKB Pionierpreis Technopark has been awarded since 2001 by Zürcher Kantonalbank and the Technopark Zurich Foundation for deep tech companies that are about to enter the market. Commitment and willingness to take risks are particularly appreciated. ce/heg

Anapaya Systems AG, headquartered in Zurich, is a pioneer in SCION architecture (Scalability, Control, and Isolation on Next-Generation Networks), a solution for secure connections on the Internet. Martin Bosshardt, CEO of Anapaya, is pleased to have "Cape Capital and Nagy Moustafa as investors to secure business-critical services with the SCION Internet architecture", according to a press release. This additional financing of 10 million Swiss francs will drive forward the company's global expansion efforts. The company's presence in Switzerland will also be further strengthened.

SCION was created in 2012 under the leadership of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH). Anapaya Systems was spun off from ETH in 2017. SIX has been investing in the company via the SIX Fintech Venture Fund since 2021. Mysten Labs is also one of the existing investors. Building on its success in sectors such as finance and healthcare, Anapaya plans to extend its reach into new industries where a secure internet infrastructure is essential, including energy and payment systems. "I am firmly convinced that together we can open up new international opportunities," Nagy Moustafa, investor and CEO of InfoSec Global, is quoted as saying. "With this investment, I hope to bring the vision of Adrian Perrig, the inventor of SCION, to life and provide the world with reliable and scalable connectivity."

Anapaya's innovative approach to network security represents a compelling value proposition for companies operating in today's digital landscape, according to Alex Vukajlovic, founder and CEO of Cape Capital. ce/js

According to their media releases, Ivoclar and SkyCell are pioneers in optimized reverse logistics. The two companies have joined forces to avoid empty freight from the USA to Zurich in future. "With this innovative concept for success, companies not only gain economic advantages, but also make a contribution to their sustainability," says a press release from the Liechtenstein dental and medical technology company Ivoclar.

SkyCell ships its air freight containers loaded with medical products from various pharmaceutical manufacturers to the USA. These transport containers have so far been returned empty to Zurich. Ivoclar is now loading these empty boxes with pallets of its products, which are manufactured at the Ivoclar site in Somerset, New Jersey, and are intended for distribution in Europe.

"By integrating Ivoclar pallets into our hybrid containers, we are optimizing freight efficiency, which leads to lower CO2 emissions and brings us closer to our goal of climate neutrality," Paulo Baumgartner, Head of Operations Supplier & Procurement at SkyCell, is quoted as saying in a statement from his company. SkyCell has offices in Zug and in the Technopark Zurich.

Bremen-based transport and logistics partner DSV Air & Sea facilitates distribution in Europe by providing the container returns in its warehouse. The freight arriving in Zurich is distributed to its final destinations in Europe with the help of the Swiss company Fischer Road Cargo, which specializes in logistics solutions for regional road transport. ce/mm

The Swiss Umbrella Organization for Business Succession (CHDU) has entered into partnerships with three other players in the field of business succession. According to a press release, the aim is to expand its offering for entrepreneurs who want to pass on their company or, conversely, take over a company.

The consulting firm Tfy, based in Arosa GR, supports companies in becoming fit for the future and succession. This includes analysis as well as strategy development in the area of sustainability.

Purpose Switzerland offers both proven and alternative models for solving succession issues. The experts in the network advise on the implementation of a suitable succession solution.

The Smallholders' Association has been offering a contact point for non-family farm succession since 2014. This simplifies the search process both for those who want to sell a farm and for those looking for one.

Together with EXPERTsuisse, the CHDU already offers a series of seminars for consultants who are involved in the succession of companies. An introductory seminar is now followed by three in-depth seminars. The first, on May 22, is dedicated to basic legal tools. This is followed by seminars on communication and on the process of searching for transferees.

The CHDU was founded in 2021. It advocates the appropriate discussion of SME succession in politics and research as well as the professionalization of succession consulting and offers SMEs practical support. ce/stk

ReclaimTheFacts has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the creation and promotion of a groundbreaking handbook. According to the press release, this reveals the manipulative strategies and techniques of disinformation and is intended to contribute to increasing media literacy. In addition, the campaign, which was initially founded as an initiative by Peter Metzinger and has been registered as an association since 2023, aims to "build a community of active supporters who are committed to strengthening media and information literacy in their environment". Metzinger runs the consulting firm Mr. Campaigning AG, based in Dietikon.

The Handbook of Disinformation will go into detail about manipulative strategies and techniques and give readers practical skills to recognize and protect themselves from disinformation. Studies have shown that people who know these techniques recognize manipulation and misinformation faster and better. The effect can be compared to a vaccination against a virus, according to the press release.

ReclaimTheFacts invites individuals and explicitly also companies to participate in the crowdfunding or to support the initiative through sponsorship. The campaign aims to raise 3,000 francs. This sum will make it possible to finance the handbook and the associated activities in the fight against disinformation. ce/gba

The world of work is changing rapidly. Highly specialized experts no longer want to spend their entire lives working for a single company. Conversely, companies need expert knowledge for certain projects without wanting to employ specialists. FlexAgility aims to bring both sides together. The start-up, which was founded this spring, offers companies the experts they need and for as long as this expertise is needed.

The two founders Olivier Maeker and Jan Podokschik are building on their years at consulting firms and banks. "We provide talent instead of personnel," says Maeker. For many companies, it is a challenge to find the right people for special projects. "This cost block is eliminated thanks to FlexAgility."

Conversely, there are many experts who want to contribute their knowledge to different companies, says Podokschik: older experts in their pre-retirement years, mothers who want to return to work, graduates on their way into their careers. "We work with people who love what they do."

FlexAgility initially focuses on legal issues and compliance with complex legislation. The start-up is focusing on the financial industry, but also on other sectors with a high level of regulation. "We offer talent for both listed companies and start-ups," says Podokschik.

FlexAgility works together with Müller Paparis. The start-up's clients can therefore not only rely on the experts themselves, but also on the legal knowledge of a two-decade-old law firm. One of the partners, Rolf Müller, is a member of FlexAgility's Board of Directors. exelixis capital AG holds a stake in FlexAgility. ce/stk

The jury of the ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark has selected the deep tech start-ups Avelo, Decentriq and Stimit for the final, according to a press release. The prize of 100,000 Swiss francs will be awarded on May 7 at Technopark Zurich. The other two finalists will receive prize money of CHF 10,000.

Avelo is a company founded by Melanie Aregger (CEO) and Tobias Broger (CTO) in Schlieren ZH. Its Breath Aerosol Collector is designed to enable rapid diagnosis of respiratory diseases via laboratory tests using breath, which can facilitate the diagnosis of tuberculosis, for example. "The expected impact of Avelo technology on human health, including in the Global South, played a key role in our decision-making process," jury member Andreas Plückthun is quoted as saying in the press release.

Behind Decentriq from Zurich are Maximilian Groth (CEO) and Stefan Deml (CTO). They have developed a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform with data protection technologies and advanced artificial intelligence solutions. "We as the jury believe that the start-up's unique know-how will make confidential computing usable in a simple and secure way," jury member Christof Bühler is quoted as saying.

Stimit in Biel BE uses its solution to stimulate the respiratory muscles, which break down within a few days in ventilated intensive care patients. Activating the diaphragm is intended to maintain the respiratory muscles and thus promote machine-independent breathing. "Stimit is striving for a conceptual change in artificial respiration," jury member Emanuela Keller is quoted as saying. The jury sees the technology as a decisive turning point for intensive care medicine.

The ZKB Pioneer Prize has been awarded by Zürcher Kantonalbank and the Technopark Zurich Foundation for over two decades. ce/js

Axelra, a Zurich-based IT and business development company, is one of the leading start-up hubs in Europe according to a ranking by theFinancial Times. According to a press release, Axelra is ranked first in the Alpine countries of Switzerland and Austria in the ranking initiated by the business newspaper and compiled using Statista methods. The company ranks 32nd in Europe as a whole.

More than 2000 companies and organizations were invited as evaluation criteria to determine leading start-up hubs. Evaluations of 2600 young companies were included in the overall score with a weighting of 85 percent. Statista and the Financial Times ultimately recognized 125 hubs from 21 countries with the highest score as Europe's leading start-up hub in 2024.

The evaluation for Axelra stated that the concept of the Zurich-based company is closely linked to the respective start-up, from idea generation to scaling. According to the press release, splitting the capital equally will allow the start-up company to participate in the profits from the outset and accelerate its path to Series A financing. ce/ww

Locatee will be part of Tango in the future. Founded in 2014, the Zurich-based company has developed a holistic analysis for the optimal use of office space. To do this, Locatee combines data from sensors with information from other sources such as WLAN and wired networks. The solution provides companies with a complete picture of the occupancy of their workstations. This allows space to be better utilized and costs to be saved.

Dallas-based Tango wants to combine the Locatee solution with its cloud-based software for real estate management and building maintenance. Pranav Tyagi is quoted in a press release as saying that the average space utilization is only 40 percent. "Organizations are actively seeking to better understand utilization," says Tango's CEO.

The Locatee site in Zurich will now become the European headquarters of Tango. "We look forward to combining occupancy data at the building, floor and zone level with Tango's industry-leading space management and reservation solutions to provide our clients with a complete picture of planned, projected and actual occupancy," Myriam Locher, co-CEO of Locatee, is quoted as saying.

Benedikt Köppel takes a similar view. "Tango is a leader in the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the built environment," the Locatee founder and co-CEO is quoted as saying. "Locatee adds a comprehensive occupancy dataset to the vast amounts of data that Tango already analyzes, providing insights that benefit the entire real estate lifecycle, including portfolio strategy, space optimization, maintenance and sustainability."

Tango serves over 500 customers in 140 countries. ce/js

"I wanted to do something that would help a lot of people in their everyday lives," says Gian-Mattia in the interview. And lo and behold, this wish came true. After working at SBB as the Head of Ticketing and spearheading major projects within the ticketing system, including a large but discarded hardware-based automated ticketing system, he left SBB and founded his own consulting firm. A few months after leaving SBB, Gian-Mattia was not entirely satisfied with the result and began experimenting with digital ticketing solutions on the side. This turned into an entrepreneurial project and he finally took the plunge and founded FAIRTIQ AG to bring this pioneering solution to the market.

Simplicity for Various Public Transport Logics

Today, many of us are familiar with the solution and use it in everyday life, e.g. in the FAIRTIQ app or in the SBB app function "Easy Ride". You activate the tracker in the app when you get on the bus or train and deactivate it again when you get off. In the meantime, the app has tracked your journey and calculated the cheapest ticket price. This means that no matter how complex the public transport plan is or which route you take, if you know which zones you will and will not pass through on your journey, you will have no problem buying your ticket in time for the right route.

This technology makes it incredibly convenient for the end user, the public transport user. Users even go so far as to say: "Thanks to FAIRTIQ, I've started using public transport and I really like it" or "My 95-year-old neighbor recommended Easy Ride to me". This feedback proves that this type of digital ticket purchase does not exclude older people from using public transport, as it is very easy to use.

Passengers and operators benefit equally from the technology

The advantages for public transport operators are also worth mentioning. They benefit from an affordable sales channel that requires no infrastructure and offers them additional services such as data analysis. Since tickets are sold via an app, transport companies can also use this channel to support behavioral patterns, e.g. by offering discounts for train journeys at off-peak times. The use of FAIRTIQ technology has increased significantly in recent years. While 100,000 transactions were processed via the software in the first year, today it is 100,000 transactions in half a day. "This growth was made possible by the expansion from a few regions in Switzerland to the whole country, including with the SBB app." FAIRTIQ has also been extended to parts of Austria, Germany and France and will soon also be available in Denmark.

Danish Public Transport Embraces FAIRTIQ's Vision

The introduction of FAIRTIQ technology in Denmark is worth a story. "Fifteen years ago, Denmark introduced a card-based system nationwide. For the past five years, the authority responsible for this system has been planning to make the ticketing system for public transport hardware-free. Over the next two years, our software will replace this system. This is the biggest project in our company's history and will triple the transaction volume," says Gian-Mattia proudly. "A fun fact I'd like to add: the project manager who introduced the card system 15 years ago is now responsible for implementing the software-based ticketing system for us. And he is enthusiastic and impressed by the speed with which we can introduce the system there. The completion of this project is also the next milestone that the scale-up is focusing on. A user test with 10,000 users this spring will mark the next big step.

"I wanted to do something that would help many people in their everyday lives."

- Gian-Mattia Schucan, Founder and Co-CEO FAIRTIQ Ltd

Challenges on the Path to Success

Another interesting fact that other entrepreneurs can learn from is that this Danish project was won after FAIRTIQ lost a smaller tender. "Every time we lost to competitors in smaller tenders, it was followed by a big win. This has taught us not to sink into frustration, but to learn from the situation and make something big out of it," says Gian-Mattia. However, the biggest setback came in 2016, when the BLS announced an equivalent solution to compete with FAIRTIQ shortly before the launch of its technology. "At first we were shocked because we were under the illusion that we could secretly develop something that the world was waiting for and be the only provider. Then we decided to go all in and grew faster than BLS's technology. We started working with them and they eventually became our customers."

Creating Trust through Vision and Achievements

While such customer wins are rather above average on the path of an entrepreneur, FAIRTIQ can look back on prestigious awards such as the Swiss Economic Award 2018, the Worldwide UITP Public Transport Award 2019 and the SEF.Growth Label 2023. "These achievements reflect our progress and support the process of building trust with potential new customers. With our great team, our clear vision and the recognition from third parties and awards, we will continue our success story."

About SEF.Growth

The SEF.Growth program supports start-ups and SMEs in overcoming growth hurdles. Since 2012, we have provided support to over 100 start-ups and helped them secure over CHF 200 million in growth capital. The program offers a wide range of services tailored to the needs of start-ups: From validation and strategy assessments to financial and legal advice from experienced experts. Following a successful evaluation, the "SEF.Growth High Potential Label" award strengthens the market position.

SEF.Growth regularly organizes best practice events in collaboration with partners, which offer exclusive insights, practical tips for the scaling process and an exchange with experts and other female founders.

From March 8, 2024, a podcast will be published every two weeks in which life science expert and consultant Claire Murigande talks to international FemTech founders. The series was created in cooperation with the Artefact Open Innovation Switzerland association. The five interviewees were panelists at Artefact's AI for Life Summit in Geneva in December 2023. Claire Murigande broadcasts the series in the context of her podcast Narratives of Purpose, which has already featured 58 personalities since 2020 and was nominated for the International Women's Podcast Award in 2023.

The five female founders interviewed are all committed to equal opportunities in the healthcare sector and have developed integrative approaches. One guest is Danielle Ralic, who founded the start-up Ancora.ai in Zurich. She is working on a digital solution that collects information on clinical trials using public registers. This should enable patients and healthcare professionals to better evaluate treatment options and democratize information.

In other episodes, Claire Murigande talks to Elise Mekaoui from Matricis.ai, Sasha Ottey from PCOS Challenge, Alia Rahman from Amplexd Therapeutics and Fatoumata Ly from ninti. ce/yvh

Dietikon-based media retailer Ex Libris has been nominated for the Sales Award 2023 organized by BuchmarktFORUM, according to a press release. The award will go to Ex Libris' campaign last fall to convert billboards into bookshelves. In the process, 12,000 books were laid out to be given away.

This year's Sales Award jury met in Munich at the Bavarian regional association of the Börsenverein and voted on the applications submitted. Three applicants each from the product range and publishing sectors were nominated as candidates for the main prize. The winner will be announced on Thursday, March 21, at 12 noon at the Leipzig Book Fair.

The aim of the Sales Awards is to recognize outstanding sales strategies in the book industry that focus on their impact on readers and end customers rather than on quantifiable success in book sales. The prize is organized by BuchmarktFORUM and supported by the Leipzig Book Fair and the Hamburg bookseller Libri. BuchmarktFORUM is a cooperation between the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, Landesverband Bayern, and the booksellers' cooperative eBuch e.G. in Heidelberg.

As part of the Ex Libris gives away books campaign, special poster stands were set up in 61 locations in German-speaking Switzerland in October and November 2023. Hanging from them were specially made bookshelves with the latest thrillers, novels, children's and non-fiction books to take away. The campaign, in which 12,000 books were given away, was accompanied online by an announcement campaign and clips that reminded people what books are actually for - reading, according to the Dietiker media retailer's press release. This is how Ex Libris awakens the joy of reading. ce/gba

Aepsy now offers therapy spots for couples and families in addition to individual therapy on its online platform. According to a press release, there were an average of 70 psychological professionals available without a waiting list daily and at any given time last year. Expanding its services from individuals to couples and families, Aepsy has taken the opportunity to create a new visual identity.

The visual concept was entrusted to the renowned Swiss photographer and director Sandro Baebler, known for his portraits and sports photography, as indicated in the announcement. He frequently captures international celebrities from the entertainment industry for global campaigns, among other subjects. For Aepsy's new visual concept, Baebler captured the beauty of nature in the Swiss Alps. In addition, he photographed amateur models in Zurich, including a pregnant woman, a couple, and a family with a toddler. "Our new visual language focuses on capturing the complexity of the human mind visually," explains Aepsy CEO and co-founder, Adonis Bou Chakra.

Baebler is deeply passionate about the topic of mental health, as he was greatly affected by the mental strains of loved ones during his youth, the photographer expressed in the statement. "I am convinced that Aepsy can contribute to destigmatizing the issue in Switzerland, so that more people can receive the psychological support they need or desire. I am excited to now be a part of Aepsy's journey with my photography," Baebler expressed in the statement.

Venturelab is hosting its roadshow in Silicon Valley again this year. The startup promoter will present ten technology startups from across Switzerland to investors and in workshops from April 7th to 12th. A jury of investors and technology experts selected the companies from over 200 applications, as Venturelab writes in a statement. "By interacting with investors and industry leaders in Silicon Valley, startups gain unique access to the US market and valuable business insights to help them grow globally," said Stefan Steiner, co-managing director of Venturelab.

The jury selected Acodis from Winterthur, among others. Its platform allows unstructured content to be extracted from PDFs. St. Gallen's Advertima Vision aims to enable retailers to use digital tools in their stores with computer vision and sensors. Ascento from Zurich offers surveillance robots for large private properties. DuoKey from Prilly, VD, provides encryption technology for data clouds. Flybotix from Ecublens, VD, has developed a drone solution for inspecting confined spaces. Gilytics from Zurich offers a geodata-based solution for optimizing infrastructure planning. The robots from Isochronic in Denges VD enable simultaneous transportation of parts in a factory. Syntheticus from Dietikon ZH helps organizations to exploit the potential of artificial intelligence. Zurich-based Unisers has developed an inspection tool for the semiconductor industry. Basel-based Zoundream analyzes infant cries with artificial intelligence.

The program is supported by DPD, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and Zurich, Helbling Technik, Kellerhals Carrard, Rothschild & Co, Unicorn Anchor and the Canton of Vaud. ce/stk

Classtime, the Zurich-based EdTech specializing in learning progress monitoring, exercises, and digital examinations, has successfully completed a growth financing round (Series A) following an initial seed funding, as announced in a statement. In addition to new private investors, Classtime has also been able to attract Swiss Post Ventures and SuperCharger Ventures as investors. The amount of funds raised is not communicated in the press release.

"We are delighted that we were able to bring institutional partners on board in this financing round, which will expand our own network as well as access to new markets and potential new partnerships," Classtime Co-CEO Jan Rihak is quoted in the press release. Founded in 2019, the company intends to use the funds raised to generate growth in the DACH region, the UK and the USA. In addition, the Classtime platform is to be further developed with the help of generative artificial intelligence. The focus here is on functions that free teachers from routine tasks and the generation of learning content for in-depth study.

Furthermore, Classtime advocates for empirical evidence of the effectiveness of educational software. EdTech is working with the Jacobs Foundation to develop corresponding evidence-based standards. "We still need more empirical studies on the impact of educational software," says Rihak. "Here, we aim to lead and contribute to increasing understanding of the empirically meaningful use of technology in education." ce/hs

At the Swissbau trade fair in Basel, three start-ups from the construction and real estate industry received awards at the second Swissbau Startup Challenge. According to a press release, the assessment was based on the business model, business plan and financial plan. The jury selected three companies from the 17 candidates taking part in the innovation competition that are working on innovative solutions in the field of sustainable construction.

Irmos Technologies from Zurich, which emerged in 2023 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH), impressed with the development of an intelligent platform for building monitoring, predictive building analysis and building safety, according to the press release. Vibrations from daily information sources such as traffic, wind and construction work" serve as the data basis.

Rematter, based in Zug, has been launching ceiling elements made of clay and wood on the market since 2022. The system, developed on behalf of the architects Senn and Herzog & de Meuron, creates an alternative to concrete using locally available, low-carbon materials. In terms of load-bearing capacity, fire resistance and sound insulation, the highest requirements are met. The production combines natural materials and robot-assisted high-tech.

Oxara from Zurich produces cement-free aggregates. The ETH spin-off has been working on the development of an additive technology for the production of cement-free concrete from excavated material containing clay since 2019. Oxara also received the special Green Award, presented for the first time, which was created for special commitment in the area of sustainability.

The award ceremony marked the end of the Swissbau construction trade fair. This was preceded by nine months of preparation. During this phase, the young entrepreneurs were able to learn from 13 specialist judges, experts and coaches from the Startup Academy and work on and present their business ideas. The innovation competition is a joint project between Swissbau, Startup Academy, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and Standortförderung Baselland. ce/heg

The ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark 2024 will be presented on May 7 at Technopark Zurich. An eight-member jury shortlisted eleven start-ups from 45 applications.  According to the press release , almost half of the nominees deal with technology solutions in the medtech environment, while two thirds are spin-offs from the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich(ETH) and Lausanne(EPFL). The prize is awarded by Zürcher Kantonalbank(ZKB) and Technopark Zurich

The selected start-ups are: 4QT in Zurich, which has developed a new environmentally friendly twin-rotor drive for heavy construction machinery. Decentriq in Zurich offers a platform that enables companies to work together on confidential data without sharing the raw data. Deepjudge, also based in Zurich, offers an artificial intelligence (AI)-based knowledge search engine for law firms and legal experts.

With its innovative Breath Aerosol Collector , Avelo in Schlieren uses existing PCR tests to enable simple and rapid diagnosis of lower respiratory tract pathogens. Eightinks in Schlieren has developed a new manufacturing process for more powerful next-generation lithium-ion batteries. NexMR, also based in Schlieren, is improving the magnetic resonance method for imaging and diagnosing patients and for analyzing chemical substances in drug development.

Flybotix improves aerial drone inspection with a  propulsion system that doubles the flight time. Haya Therapeutics is developing treatments to reprogram disease-related cellular conditions associated with tissue scarring (fibrosis), which is responsible for 45 percent of deaths worldwide. Limula is developing a bioreactor for cell and gene therapies (CGT) that offers hope for patients with previously incurable cancers. Flybotix, Haya Therapeutics and Limula are based in Lausanne.

Stimit in Zurich uses its innovation to stimulate diaphragmatic function in artificially ventilated patients. The Zurich-based start-up Unisers has developed a contamination analysis system that detects dirt particles in the production of computer chips and thus improves semiconductor production. ce/gba 

According to a press release, the start-up promoter Venture Kick has gained Fondation ALCEA as a new consortium member and financial backer. Venture Kick has set itself the goal of promoting around 3,000 science-based start-ups by 2033, which should create 100,000 jobs in Switzerland. In order to achieve this goal, the foundation is expanding its partner consortium to increase financial support for start-ups. The Fondation ALCEA was founded in 2016 and is based in Geneva.

"After several years of supporting startups and entrepreneurs who wish to realise their professional aspirations, Fondation Alcea decided to join Venture Kick, whose partners share the same vision of supporting innovation" Alcea Foundation President Jean Donnet is quoted as saying.

"Collaboration amongst the entrepreneurial forces is essential to achieve a major impact and advance a thriving ecosystem where promising startups can flourish and contribute to Switzerland's economic prosperity and global impact" explains Pascale Vonmont, President of the Venture Kick Strategy Board, on joining the foundation.

The Fondation ALCEA will join the existing partners of Venture Kick. These include Gebert Rüf Stiftung, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Hauser-Stiftung, André Hoffmann, Hansjörg Wyss, Martin Haefner, Fondation Pro Techno, ESA BIC Switzerland and Swisscom.

In the past 16 years, according to their own statements, Venture Kick has supported over 1000 startups, which have received more than 8 billion Swiss Francs from investors and created over 13,000 jobs. ce/gba

The Visual Practitioners Switzerland Association has been founded in Zurich. Its purpose is to make the diverse work and tools of these visual communication experts better known and to simplify access to professional visual thinkers.

Visual practitioners are professionals who use visual techniques to facilitate communication, problem solving or understanding. They work in various fields, including business, education, consulting and moderation. Members offer their services on the association's website. It is sponsored by the Zug-based company Neuland, which offers professional equipment for seminars, training courses and visualizations.

Visual practitioners are used, for example, in explanatory videos or in coaching or consulting processes. Visual summaries (graphic recording) allow you to capture information in real time during meetings, workshops, conferences or presentations using visual notes or drawings.

Visual facilitation involves the use of visual material during group discussions, brainstorming sessions and problem-solving activities. Visual practitioners create large-format graphics such as diagrams and charts to promote group processes.

Strategic visualizations are used to communicate strategic concepts, plans and information in a clear and accessible way. Such visualizations also play an important role in strategic management and help those involved to better understand the strategy, vision, mission and values of an organization. ce/mm

The Schlieren start-up Mapin has launched a new app for social interactions. Users can share real-time information about social events at their current location in the form of images. At the same time, they can see what information other users are sharing. This creates an interactive map on which information on social events at various locations is displayed in real time.

According to a statement from Mapin, the app does not allow filters on the images. The aim is to show an "unfiltered image of reality" . To ensure that the content is up to date, the images shared by users disappear again after twelve hours. Since its launch on January 11, Mapin has reportedly already recorded an "active user base".

The app is currently still in the test phase and will be continuously developed further. Mapin wants to finance itself through advertising and later also with a paid version for corporate customers and influencers. But before that, a critical mass of users needs to be reached. The start-up is also planning a financing round in the next six months. So far, it has been self-financing. ce/ssp

A total of ten projects from DIZH universities were approved, including four projects from the ZHAW. By funding the step from pure start-up idea to proof of concept, potential founders can show that their conceptually developed projects can be realised in practice. Funding is provided at the four DIZH universities (ZHAW, University of Zurich, PHZH, ZHdK) during the “incubation phase”, during which questions of technical and economic feasibility can be validated.

Development of smartwatches and interpreter apps

The Founder Call in the innovation program was launched for the first time in summer 2023. The approved projects are characterised by their innovative strength and their contribution to digital transformation. Digital technologies and applications are used in various areas. Researchers from the ZHAW Departments Life Sciences and Facility Management as well as the School of Health Sciences are developing a smartwatch to promote concentration in children with ADHD. In another project, the ZHAW Departments Applied Linguistics and the School of Management and Law are developing an interactive app with realistic interpreting situations. Project descriptions of all funded projects can be found on the DIZH website.

Foundation for the establishment of a start-up or spin-off

Financial support for these projects is provided by the DIZH special credit with a maximum funding of CHF 75,000 per project and a project duration of up to 12 months. During this period, the approved project teams develop a proof of concept and thus lay the foundation for the establishment of their start-up or spin-off. The application for the 2nd Founder Call is planned for autumn 2025. The 2nd Structure Call is currently being advertised. More information on the calls.

Author: Corporate Communications, ZHAW

Every year, talented students and researchers from the University of Zurich set up their own companies and bring innovative business concepts to life. Last year, five teams signed a license agreement with UZH to commercialize new methods and technologies. The new spin-offs are based on research work in the fields of medicine, dentistry and chemistry.

Better oral health

Digital scanning technologies, which make it possible to measure teeth and the inside of the mouth with high precision using optical cameras, are becoming increasingly common in dental practices. In addition to the fabrication of dental prostheses, this scan data opens up a wide range of diagnostic possibilities. The spin-off Dentexion is developing a software platform that allows dentists to analyze 3D data from patients and evaluate changes over time. The technology, developed at the Department of Computer-Assisted Restorative Dentistry, uses AI to analyze 3D scans of components such as teeth, gums and bone in order to detect and document pathological changes at an early stage, which is particularly helpful in cases of tooth tissue loss or inflammation.

Hope for lead poisoning

Food, tap water or even air particles contaminated with lead pose health risks. Even small amounts of the heavy metal can lead to kidney damage, anemia, high blood pressure, cardiovascular failure and cognitive and neurological impairments.

There are currently only two drugs available to treat severe lead poisoning. Over 90 percent of diagnosed cases remain untreated. Chemist Michal Shoshan wants to change this with her spin-off metaLead Therapeutics AG. She and her team at the Institute of Chemistry have developed novel short peptides that overcome the disadvantages of conventional therapies. Of the 50 or so peptides synthesized, eight show promising properties. The leading drug candidate tested in animal models significantly reduced lead levels in the blood, brain and liver without affecting essential metal concentrations.

New immunotherapies to combat cancer

The spin-off ATLyphe AG is developing antibodies to stimulate immune cells that could be used in the future to treat blood stem cell diseases. The current main project focuses on an antibody that activates T cells to fight acute myeloid leukemia. Due to the structural similarities between diseased leukemia cells and healthy blood stem cells, this biospecific antibody could also be used in the future before the transplantation of foreign or genetically corrected hematopoietic stem cells. This would be a promising treatment option not only for patients with acute myeloid leukemia, but also for patients with other leukemias and congenital blood disorders. The safety and efficacy of the therapy in people with acute myeloid leukemia will soon be tested in a Phase I study. ATLyphe is based on research work at UZH and ETH Zurich. It is headed by Markus Manz, Professor of Hematology and Director of the Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology at the University Hospital Zurich, and Dario Neri, Professor at ETH Zurich.

New treatment for endometriosis

The spin-off FimmCyte is researching a new treatment for endometriosis, a disease in which endometrium-like cells grow outside the uterus. Endometriosis often causes severe chronic pain; it is estimated that around 10 percent of women of childbearing age worldwide are affected. Instead of the usual hormone treatments or operations, FimmCyte relies on antibody therapy. The antibodies developed by the start-up company recognize a specific protein that is excessively present in endometriosis cells, thus enabling direct treatment of the affected tissue.

The scientific discovery comes from the laboratory of Brigitte Leeners, UZH Professor of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine. The young researchers Valentina Vongrad and Mohaned Shilaih from her team discovered this specific protein overexpression and developed the antibody therapy as a result. The treatment is currently in the test phase.

Innovative treatment approach for autoimmune diseases

Seito Biologics AG is developing a new immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Unlike conventional treatments, which suppress the immune system and thus increase the risk of infection and cancer, the spin-off focuses on regulating the immune system. To this end, the spin-off is working on a therapy with Treg cell engagers. These aim to improve regulatory T cells, also known as Treg cells. Treg cells help to keep the immune system in check by preventing excessive or misdirected immune reactions. The therapy improves both the function and the number of these Treg cells. This stabilizes the immune system and prevents it from mistakenly turning against its own body, which is the case with autoimmune diseases. The promising therapy is based on research conducted by the UZH Chair of Clinical Immunology and Allergology.

Remarkable successes

Since 1999, 152 spin-offs have been created at UZH, of which 129 (85%) are still active. This result is remarkable in that, according to the latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office, the nationwide survival rate of newly founded companies after five years is only around 50%. Some of these UZH spin-offs were particularly successful last year.

• Navignostics was funded with an Innosuisse grant of just under CHF 2.4 million. Founded in 2022, the spin-off develops innovative diagnostic methods to analyze tumor samples.
• ICephalo is supported with a grant of 2.3 million euros from the European funding program "Eurostars". The biotech company can thus further develop its technology platform for combating brain tumors.
• The biotech start-up EraCal Therapeutics Ltd. entered into a research collaboration with Nestlé Health Science. This aims to identify novel nutraceuticals to control food intake.
• The UZH spin-offs askEarth and Prometheus Life Technologies have been selected to join the Swiss Space Incubator ESA BIC Switzerland. This incubator promotes Swiss space-related high-tech start-ups by providing technical, business and financial support as well as networking and community-building opportunities.
• For Cutiss, a UZH spin-off that develops customized skin grafts, 2023 was an extremely successful year: in March, it tested the regeneration of skin cells with an experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). The results of the clinical phase II study show that the skin product "denovoSkin" is highly effective. Cutiss is receiving a grant of CHF 2.5 million from Innosuisse to drive forward the pioneering automation program.
• IniVation is cooperating with ETH Zurich to integrate its innovative high-speed eye sensors into VR and AR glasses.

Promoting innovation at UZH

The University of Zurich actively promotes the founding of start-ups and spin-offs by its researchers, doctoral students, students, employees and alumni. The term spin-off is used specifically for companies that have concluded a license agreement with UZH. Since 2017, UZH has also been awarding the UZH Startup Label, which identifies the connection to the university and can increase credibility with customers and investors. The awarding of this label is based on criteria such as the founders' relationship to UZH, the legal form, the innovation potential, a scalable and ethical business model and solid initial financing. Last year, eight companies were awarded the UZH Startup Label.

UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships

With the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships, the University of Zurich provides funding, coaching, training and laboratory facilities to young scientists who want to set up a company based on UZH research. The co-founders of the new spin-offs metaLead Therapeutics AG, FimmCyte AG and Seito Biologics AG - Michal Shoshan, Valentina Vongrad and Ufuk Karakus - were supported by the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowship. The program is made possible by generous donations from the Werner Siemens Foundation and the Hans Eggenberger Foundation.

UZH Innovation Hub

The UZH Innovation Hub is the hub for innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Zurich. As a catalyst, it accelerates the further development of new inventions and ideas and strengthens the transfer of innovative research and teaching to industry and society.

Author: Nathalie Huber, UZH

The Founder Call in the innovation program was launched for the first time in summer 2023. By funding the step from pure start-up idea to proof of concept, potential founders can show that their conceptually developed projects can be realised in practice. Funding is provided at universities during the “incubation phase”, during which questions of technical and economic feasibility can be validated. The project ideas selected in the first evaluation stage by the members of the innovation panel were presented by the applicants at a pitch final in November 2023. The pitches took place in front of mixed juries consisting not only of members of the innovation panel, but also experts from the Zurich and Swiss start-up scene.

The approved projects are characterised by their innovative strength and their contribution to digital transformation. Digital technologies and applications are used in various areas, e.g. in the development of a smartwatch to promote concentration or an app for training interpreters. Whether it is the visualisation of historical texts, the development of AI-driven user manuals, digital biomarkers for the assessment of fatigue or clinical diagnoses, all projects rely on advanced technologies to tackle challenges and create innovative solutions. Financial support for these projects is provided by the DIZH special credit with a maximum funding of CHF 75,000 per project and a project duration of up to 12 months. During this period, the approved project teams develop a proof of concept and thus lay the foundation for the establishment of their start-up or spin-off.

The five new spin-offs from the University of Zurich, which were created in 2023, are based on research work in medicine, dentistry and chemistry, according to a press release. Dentexion GmbH, for example, is working on a software platform that allows dentists to analyze and document 3D data from patient scans using artificial intelligence. This should help to evaluate changes in teeth, gums and bones over time and detect them at an early stage.

metaLead Therapeutics AG has developed novel, short peptides that overcome the disadvantages of conventional therapies for severe lead poisoning. Over 90 percent of diagnosed cases remain untreated. The leading drug candidate tested in animal models significantly reduced lead levels in the blood, brain and liver.

ATLyphe AG develops antibodies to stimulate immune cells. The current main project focuses on an antibody that activates T cells to fight acute myeloid leukemia. A Phase I trial will begin soon.

FimmCyte is researching an antibody therapy for endometriosis with the aim of replacing the usual hormone treatments and operations. The antibodies developed by the start-up recognize a specific protein that is excessively present in endometriosis cells. This enables direct treatment of the affected tissue.

Seito Biologics AG uses so-called Treg cell engagers to regulate the immune system in autoimmune diseases. They aim to keep regulatory T cells (Treg cells) in check. This therapy is intended to replace conventional treatments that suppress the immune system and thus increase the risk of infection and cancer. ce/mm

Molecular Partners and Orano Med have announced an agreement for the development of radio-DARPin therapeutics(RDTs). This involves the targeted administration of radioactive payloads to cancer tumors. This development agreement covers several oncology targets, including Molecular Partners' previously disclosed RDT target DLL3. According to the announcement, the two partners will share the costs of preclinical and clinical development and will also supply their respective materials. The first clinical trials on humans are scheduled to begin in 2025.

Orano Med, which is based in Plano, Texas, and is part of the Paris-based Orano Group, will contribute its expertise in targeted alpha therapy with lead-based (212Pb) alpha emitters. Together with Molecular Partners' DARPin therapeutics, a new class of customized binding proteins, DLL3 will be developed as an RDT target.

"Orano Med offers extensive expertise and safe delivery of a powerful, highly focused radiation source for precision cancer treatment and expands our RDT portfolio in new directions," Molecular Partners CEO Patrick Amstutz is quoted as saying. His company has been able to prove that the DARPins attack tumor cells effectively and highly selectively. "But it is essential that we join forces with partners who have the scientific, technical and logistical expertise to develop, manufacture and supply radiotherapeutics."

Molecular Partners, based at Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich , was founded in 2004 by researchers from the University of Zurich. ce/mm

GlycoEra AG has announced that the New York-based pharmaceutical group Bristol Myers Squibb(BMS) has joined as an investor. The biotech company was thus able to expand its Series A financing. The scope of the investment was not disclosed.

BMS joins existing investors, including 5AM Ventures, Roche Venture Fund and Sofinnova Partners, to advance GlycoEra's preclinical programs. The company's pipeline includes innovative drugs for the treatment of a range of autoimmune diseases through the rapid and profound degradation of pathogenic proteins.

These can be relevant in a variety of application areas such as oncology, neurology and infectious diseases. "As an established leader in the field of targeted protein degradation and immune-mediated diseases, BMS will be an important investor in advancing the company's portfolio," GlycoEra's CEO Dr. Ganesh Kaundinya is quoted as saying in the announcement.

In addition, GlycoEra was able to recruit industry veteran Dr. Greg Fralish as Chief Business Officer. He has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of business development and strategy positions, both with large pharmaceutical companies and in biotechnology. "GlycoEra's innovative biologics promise a potentially groundbreaking approach," says Fralish. "I am excited about GlycoEra's potential to transform patient care." ce/mm

The start-up promoter Venture Kick has selected three young companies for the second phase of financial and entrepreneurial support, according to a press release: Amporin Pharmaceuticals from Basel, battery developer BTRY from Dübendorf ZH and Checktor Biosciences from Zurich. Each company receives 40,000 francs in funding.

Amporin Pharmaceuticals is founded in Basel to develop a new class of small molecule drugs. These can block and eliminate toxic oligomers and pores in the cell membranes. In this way, they protect cells from their lethal effects. More than 50 fatal degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, diabetes and Parkinson's, are associated with protein aggregation.

BTRY builds a new solid-state battery. It can be recharged within a minute, is non-flammable and works even at extreme temperatures. The Venture Kick funds are intended to support the transition from a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology to a company financed with venture capital.

Checktor Biosciences focuses on the fight against drug-resistant infections with on-site tests. According to the press release, the key to this is the development of rapid diagnostic technologies. Checktor is working with partners around the world and wants to enter the fast-growing market, which is worth over 7 billion dollars. ce/gba 

For its AirConsole, N-Dream is cooperating with Wakefield-based games developer and publisher Team17. This has now been announced by the Zurich-based company. Thanks to this partnership, Overcooked, a game for several people about cooking, can now also be played on AirConsole. The dynamic game about cooking has many enthusiastic fans, according to N-Dream. It has also won numerous prizes "for its unique mix of fast action and teamwork".

Overcooked was developed by Ghost Town and published by Team17 in 2016. Up to four players control chefs in different kitchens who have to prepare meals and process orders within a time limit. "The collaborative chaos of Overcooked fits perfectly with AirConsole's vision of inclusive and fun games for multiple people," content director Michael Fuller is quoted as saying.

AirConsole takes a new approach to multiplayer gaming: the screen is the console. Smartphones are connected to it as control elements and thus become so-called gamepads. All AirConsole games can be played on TV screens and in new BMW vehicles.

BMW announced in October 2022 that it had chosen AirConsole by N-Dream as a partner. This cooperation emerged from the BMW Startup Garage program, one of the BMW Group's formats in its start-up ecosystem. AirConsole has been installed in BMWs since 2023. ce/mm

A scientific study carried out by the Swiss Business School(SBS) together with the Zurich Airport Region(FRZ) business network and location developer is now set to clarify how companies can be prepared for the increasing demands in terms of sustainability. According to a press release, the FRZ can see how great the need for information is in its current member survey. Over 200 companies stated that sustainability was a relevant topic for them.

SBS is responding to the growing need for analysis and cooperation in this field by establishing a new Center for Strategic Business Forecasting and Sustainability in the near future. Its head, Dr. Michael Gerlich, who is leading this study, emphasizes that sustainability is no longer just an issue for the future: "All companies of all sizes are actively or passively confronted with the topic. With this study, we are taking stock of the situation in order to identify both successes and needs in Switzerland."

The FRZ is also developing guidance for its members, for example through its first concrete project on sustainable digitalization. Together with partners, it deals with the circular economy as part of the Sustainability Navigator.

Both are calling on companies to take part in the study. It is possible online. ce/mm

Coachbetter has been able to attract prominent supporters from the world of professional football: According to a media release, former German national football coach Hansi Flick, fellow coach Uli Forte (former Bundesliga coach and Swiss Cup winner) and Steven Nzonzi (2018 World Cup winner with France) are investing in the platform. The funds of CHF 4 million raised as part of a Seed Plus financing round will be used to expand digital coach training in professional and amateur football.

According to the press release, the participation of former German national coach Hansi Flick, who is joining Coachbetter with his wife Silke and their joint investment fund, is particularly noteworthy. "By bringing innovative solutions to the amateur game, we are not only strengthening the development of young players, but also football as a whole," he is quoted as saying.

"With their expertise, the investors will shape the content of the platform and the company's football know-how," the press release states. According to Patrick Patzig, co-founder and CEO of Coachbetter, quoted in the press release, "their knowledge and experience is invaluable and will benefit our users in the future". For Coachbetter, coaches are the key to success. "We want to use our tool to inspire trainers to coach and make it easier for them to access digital tools."

The Wallisellen-based digital football technology start-up operates an app for digitalization in professional and amateur football, which is available in six languages. Coachbetter intends to use the fresh capital to optimize the platform in the DACH countries of Switzerland, Germany and Austria and to expand the circle of users to the USA. ce/heg

Four days before the end of the campaign on the crowdfunding platform OOMNIUM, Reseda reached its goal of increasing its capital by 1 million Swiss francs. Founded 18 years ago in Winterthur, the company manufactures furniture entirely in Switzerland and exclusively from local wood. They are sold without intermediaries.

According to a press release, the company intends to use the capital increase to further improve its products in terms of quality and ecological footprint, in particular by investing in a timber warehouse, building long-term relationships with Swiss forest owners and various other projects, all of which will be made possible by the new solid wood panel production facility in Flurlingen.

As Reseda now glues the wood itself, the company can also take control of and monitor the purchase of the raw wood, according to the company presentation on OOMNIUM. "Our aim is to source the majority of our wood directly from Swiss forest owners in five years' time, without any intermediaries." The company wants to "continue to grow, but not primarily by expanding into new stores, but by offering an even better, more convincing product".

Four days before the end of the campaign, Reseda shares had already changed hands to 262 swarm investors. This prompted those responsible to decide to extend the campaign and utilize the full scope of the planned capital increase: a further 3,000 shares are available for CHF 1,000 each until 11 December. Reseda intends to use the additional capital to realize another project close to its heart: the establishment of a second-hand platform for the sale of certified used Reseda furniture. ce/mm

The winners of this year's Digital Economy Award were announced on November 16, swissICT, the organizer of the competition, announced in a press release. From a total of 32 individuals, organizations and companies in the final, the audience and jury selected the winners in a total of six categories. They were recognized for outstanding achievements in digitalization and digital transformation.

Tigen Pharma SA received the Digital Innovation of the Year award for its data supply chain for cancer therapies developed in collaboration with Elca Informatique SA. The spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, ANYbotics AG, was awarded the Next global Hot Thing prize for the scaling of its robot fleet.

Kantonsspital Baden and development partner Siemens Healthineers received the Digital Excellence Commercial award for "several years of stable and very impressive development towards digital excellence". IT Canton Aargau won the Digital Excellence Governance & NPO award for "clear transformation management, an entrepreneurial approach and stringent control mechanisms" in the digital transformation. Digio AG won the ICT Education Excellence prize with its training concept.

Claudio Hintermann, founder and CEO of Abacus from Wittenbach SG, was awarded The Pascal Prize "for his long-term and consistently innovative work on a national and international scale". The public voted Jessica Farda from the University of St.Gallen with her start-up Noriware in Lupfig AG and Lucas Renfer from the Bern University of Applied Sciences and the Biel-based start-up Auto-Mate Robotics as NextGen Heroes. ce/hs

The sciencepreneurs who take part in the Academia-Industry Training (AIT) India programme are developing the results of applied research into innovative products and solutions. They are interested in India as a potential market. The AIT 2023 participants come from the fields of cleantech, medtech, robotics, ICT and engineering. With their business ideas and start-ups, they prevailed in a competitive process in which they came up against other high-quality candidates.

During the camp week in India, the participants will learn about the opportunities presented by the promising yet challenging Indian market and will also have the chance to establish contacts with companies, potential investors and local entrepreneurs. What is more, they will get to validate their concepts with peers, experts and prospective clients. A second and final camp week is scheduled to take place in Switzerland at the end of February 2024.

Academia-Industry Training (AIT) India

The Academia-Industry Training (AIT) India programme is an innovation-based funding instrument of the Leading House South Asia and Iran. It is aimed at young researchers from Swiss universities, universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education as well as from research institutes and centres of technological excellence who are founding members of science-based Swiss startups. The programme is being implemented with the partners Swissnex in India and Venturelab and will be held for the tenth time in 2023.

Bucher Leichtbau AG is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. "As an outstanding example of Swiss pioneering work, the company has developed from a modest craft business to an international pioneer in the field of cabin and rescue equipment for aviation since it was founded by Heinrich Bucher," writes the company from the Zücher Oberland in a press release. Today, the group, which is structured into three companies, employs almost 170 people at its headquarters in Fällanden alone. Bucher Leichtbau specializes in components and constructions for aviation, cabin interiors, rail transport and rescue equipment in helicopters.

The company, currently managed by Beat Burlet in the third generation, goes back to Heinrich Bucher. The master plumber at Swissair specialized in the repair and maintenance of galleys in 1953. The founder's wife, Ida Bucher, was the first employee of the company, which operated from an old garage.

After the death of Heinrich Bucher in 1992, the company was handed over to the three descendants of the second generation and the AG was founded. At this point, Bucher Leichtbau had already acquired other airlines as customers in addition to Swissair, according to the press release. Scandinavia Airlines, Lufthansa, Australia Airlines as well as Everett and WA from the USA are mentioned by name.

In the anniversary year, however, the focus should not only be on the past, but also on the future, writes Bucher Leichtbau. The Group intends to develop "pioneering solutions" in this area in the coming years. ce/hs

(CONNECT) Wildbiene + Partner successfully completed its swarm financing on June 1 at 11 pm. Founded in 2013 as a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH), the company was able to attract 528 investors on the Zurich platform OOMNIUM. They provided a total of 775,000 francs. The funding target of CHF 450,000 was thus exceeded by 172 percent.

With so-called BeeHomes as well as education and data, Wildbiene + Partner aims to achieve a measurable impact and bring back lost nature, according to its campaign presentation. Specifically, a total of 60,000 “new humming oases” are to be created by 2029. According to the information provided, the company has already set up 130,000 scientifically developed, sustainable and locally produced wild bee houses, including mason bees, in gardens, on balconies and on the grounds of schools and companies with 170,000 wild bee friends in Switzerland and Germany since it was founded.

This is Wildbiene + Partner's response to the biodiversity crisis documented by the Krefeld study. It shows that the biomass of flying insects has declined by over 75 percent in parts of Europe in just three decades. “Their absence threatens ecosystems, harvests - and ultimately ourselves,” says the Zurich-based company.

Wildbiene + Partner's milestones include the Swiss Sustainability Award in 2014, the launch of the wild bee care program in 2015, the training of the first artificial intelligence programs for nest detection in 2017, the scale-up label from Innosuisse in 2018 and the launch of the beta version of the MyBeeHome app in 2025. ce/mm

(CONNECT) The Zurich-based start-up RIVR has entered into a strategic partnership with the American parcel service provider Veho from Austin in the US state of Texas. The wheeled robot from RIVR is intended to automate parcel delivery over the last hundred meters and make the work of delivery staff easier, according to a press release.

The wheeled robot, which is supported by artificial intelligence (General Physical AI), will be assigned this delivery task and the delivery person will be able to carry out other tasks. The robot from RIVR can autonomously navigate to its destination, climb stairs and carry loads of up to 60 kilograms. A pilot project is currently being carried out in Austin.

Veho is one of the fastest growing alternative parcel services, according to the press release. The company is already active in 50 metropolitan regions and relies primarily on a technology-supported network.

"In view of the exponential growth of e-commerce, optimizing logistics on the last mile is more important than ever," Marko Bjelonic, CEO of RIVR, is quoted as saying in the press release. “Our partnership with Veho is an important step towards using urban robotics where it is needed most.” Itamar Zur, co-founder and CEO of Veho, sees the partnership with RIVR as the next step in optimizing e-commerce and “turning shipping from a cost factor into a value driver”. ce/ww

GlycoEra AG, which is also represented in the USA, is working on drugs that are designed to specifically break down harmful proteins in the bodies of patients with autoimmune diseases. The current financing round, led by Novo Holdings and supported by other investors, will enable the company to bring its most promising drug, appropriately named GE8820 - a reference to the Wädenswil zip code - into the clinical trial phase.

Preliminary studies have shown that GE8820 can effectively reduce the disease-causing proteins. Dominique N. Sirena, co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of GlycoEra, is delighted with the support: “Thanks to our investors, we are able to bring our product candidate GE8820 into the clinical phase and clinically validate the promising preclinical data. The degradation of IgG4 with our protein degradation product enables new therapeutic approaches for patients with autoimmune diseases due to its specific, rapid and profound effect.”

(CONNECT) The Zurich-based start-up Loki Robotics, which specializes in cleaning robots for the sanitary area of commercial facilities such as kitchens and toilets, has raised 1.6 million dollars in a pre-seed financing round, according to a press release. Unruly Capital, Acequia Capital, Earthling VC, Boost VC, Founderful Campus and other investors also participated in the financing round led by Danish venture capitalist byFounders. The proceeds will be used to hire employees and to accelerate the company's next steps, the statement continues.

“At Loki Robotics, we are building a future in which private life takes the place of tasks such as scrubbing toilets,” says the company. “We build machines to take on such tasks.”

Loki was developed to master one of the most complex physical tasks in robotics: cleaning like a human, according to Loki Robotics. It is the first robot developed for environments with many contacts and high fluctuations, changes tools, applies resources with precision and interacts with furnishings and objects.

From overnight deep cleaning of toilets to continuous daytime porter routines, Loki adapts to the requirements of each facility, setting new standards for the management and operation of facilities. “Our commercial cleaning robot is the first step towards a future where intelligent machines perform the repetitive tasks that keep our facilities running,” the press release states. ce/gba

(CONNECT) Tech4Eva, the Lausanne-based start-up accelerator in the field of women's health, is entering its fifth round with a record number of applications. According to a press release, 195 start-ups from 42 countries wanted to take part in the program founded by Groupe Mutuel and the EPFL Innovation Park. Of the 16 companies selected, four are start-ups from Switzerland that will take part in this year's six-month program. These are Powerly from Zurich, Menoqueens from Bern, Molesense from Neuchâtel and Xemperia from Marly.

Powerly offers a science-based app that aims to support women's mental wellbeing at every stage of family planning. This is an academic project funded by the University of Zurich Foundation and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), among others.

The MenoQueens association focuses on healthy ageing and the menopause. The director, Petra Stute, is particularly keen to raise awareness and sensitize the general public to the topic of menopause.

Xemperia is a spin-off of the University of Freiburg. The team has developed a blood test for breast cancer prevention and early detection of recurrences.

Molesense is dedicated to the topic of monitoring high-risk pregnancies. It relied on the continuous monitoring of chemical biomarkers.

"We want to emphasize the importance of promoting the engagement of scientists in applied research in the femtech sector and thus closing the gap between scientific innovation and market introduction," Lan Zuo Gillet, Director of Tech4Eva at EPFL Innovation Park, is quoted as saying in the press release. The femtech sector is on course for growth: this year, sales are expected to reach 60 billion dollars. It is expected to double in the next eight years, the press release continues. ce/eb

(CONNECT) Life sciences company CUTISS AG has completed patient recruitment for a Phase 2 trial of its lead product denovoSkin, according to a statement. The study investigates how safe and effective skin tissue therapy is for children with severe burns.

Based on the results obtained with the paediatric patients, the use of the "personalized, biotechnologically produced skin graft" is to be expanded. denovoSkin has also been used to treat children for whom existing therapies were not successful. The study compared theovoSkin with the current standard of care - autologous skin grafting using an intra-patient control design.

According to the press release, the randomized, controlled study is one of three phase 2 studies in which test subjects from different patient groups and with different indications receive denovoSkin. The results are to be incorporated into the broader clinical development program of denovoSkin, which is currently in phase 3 for adolescents and adults.

CUTISS is located in the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich. ce/heg

(CONNECT) BLOFELD Commmunications AG from Zurich has launched the AI TALK podcast. It is intended to shed light on artificial intelligence (AI) "from a Swiss perspective", with a "practical, bilingual and prominent cast", BLOFELD explains in a press release. With the decision to offer the podcast in both German and English, the communications agency wants to contribute to the international visibility of Switzerland as a location for innovation.

AI TALK will be moderated by speaker and communications coach Stephan Lendi in collaboration with Dalith Steiger-Gablinger, entrepreneur and co-founder of the AI network SwissCognitive. "Our vision was to create a platform that inspires, informs and networks - and at the same time makes Switzerland's role in the AI context visible," Lendi is quoted as saying in the press release. According to Steiger-Gablinger, artificial intelligence "not only affects technology, but is also changing our society, the world of work and education - we want to reflect and help shape this change".

The first episode of AI TALK has been available in German on Apple Podcast, Spotify, aipodcast.ch and Suisse Podcast since May 8. For the first season, BLOFELD has been able to recruit a number of winners of the Digital Economy Awards (DEA) and, in Christian Hunziker, Managing Director of the ICT trade association swissICT, also the person responsible for the DEA jury. According to the press release, the format is supported by swissICT and the Office of Economic Affairs of the Canton of Zurich. ce/hs

(CONNECT) MetaLead can accelerate the development of a novel treatment for Wilson's disease: The spin-off of the University of Zurich (UZH), which was founded in Dübendorf ZH in 2023 and is now based in Basel, has received 1 million Swiss francs, according to a statement from the UZH Life Sciences Fund (LSF).

This fund provides early-stage financing to UZH spin-offs whose business ideas are based on intellectual property from UZH life sciences, biotech and medtech research. The LSF consists of two equal partners: the UZH Foundation and the Novartis Venture Fund.

Wilson's disease is a rare genetic disorder that leads to a toxic accumulation of copper in the body. This causes severe damage to the central nervous system and kidneys. Current treatment options are limited, so there is a considerable medical need. The proprietary peptide-based and metal-binding therapeutic platform of metaLead's almost exclusively female team aims to offer a more effective and better tolerated alternative to existing chelation therapies.

"We are very pleased to support metaLead," said Michio Painter, Investment Manager at LSF. "Michal Shoshan and her team have demonstrated a unique ability to discover and optimize peptides for the treatment of metal diseases."

Shoshan, the co-founder and CEO of metaLead, describes this investment as an important milestone. This "allows us to accelerate our preclinical development towards IND-enabling studies. We are determined to meet the urgent need for better therapies for Wilson's disease, especially for patients with neurological symptoms." ce/mm

(CONNECT) The jury of the Red Dot Design Award has once again honored the best products of the year. Zurich-based kitchen specialist Outdoorchef is one of the winners with its Heat outdoor kitchen: the model combines first-class design and maximum functionality, according to a press release.

The jury was won over by the modular system and the resulting freedom of expansion options. The individual components for the grill, sinks and refrigeration can be combined and expanded to suit the available space and requirements. The award also recognizes the "elegant, consistent design and high-quality workmanship".

The manufacturer of barbecue appliances, which has been active for more than 30 years, also provides an example of consistently high quality, functionality and suitability for everyday use with the Heat outdoor kitchen. The use of high-quality materials and well thought-out functionality make the HEAT outdoor kitchen "a reliable companion for everyday outdoor cooking". ce/heg

(CONNECT) ANYbotics is this year's winner of the Export Award from S-GE, the official Swiss foreign trade promoter. The prize was awarded on April 30 as part of the Foreign Trade Forum in Basel. With this award, S-GE recognises successful, internationally active companies that impress with their expansion strategy and innovative market development. ANYbotics came out on top against the cosmetics company Cellcosmet from Châtel-Saint-Denis FR and the telecommunications company GMS from Baar ZG.

In a presentation video by S-GE for ANYbotics, jury president Ralph Siegl explains the decision: "ANYbotics AG pursues a consistent growth strategy with clear decision-making criteria. It has the courage to say no when an opportunity does not fit. Its international expansion consistently follows its strengths. The jury was very impressed by this clarity and straightforwardness."

The developer and manufacturer of the four-legged inspection robot ANYmal for industrial applications has established itself as one of the world's leading suppliers within just a few years, according to a press release from S-GE. The spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), founded in 2016, focuses consistently on the energy, mining, chemicals and oil and gas industries. Accordingly, ANYbotics has focused on global markets from the outset. S-GE's global network served as "an ideal starting point for market development".

"When opening up new markets, we are guided by our four vertical target markets as well as the presence and needs of our multinational key customers," CCO Enzo Wälchli is quoted as saying. To this end, the company has built up a global partner network in just three years. It also opened a site in San Francisco in 2024 to gain access to the largest robot market in the world, the USA. ce/mm

The AI Future Council at the Future Symposium uses artificial intelligence for community-driven innovation

Zurich - The Future Symposium meets ETH meets AWS takes place with the AI Future Council members, partners and ETH students. Over two days, the participants had time to develop AI Innovation solutions for real use cases, bridging the gap between the Akademia Institute, universities, Swiss SMEs and the international economy. The two-day Future Symposium used community team spirit and artificial intelligence with methodology.

Day 1

On day 1, 400 business experts, CEOs and students listened to inspiring keynotes from the business world such as Mr. Bloch from Camille Bloch, Country Manager Pfizer Switzerland, Swisscom, Partner Baker Mckenzie Zurich, Top 15 ETH Startups as well as an interdisciplinary panel from pharma, law, food, academia and industry. The day was crowned by a singing finale full of inspiration, where human closeness and the spirit of the community were celebrated. After all, it has been scientifically proven that making music together connects people and triggers various positive processes in the body and brain, which inevitably have a positive effect on health and innovation.

Day 2

In the rotating innovation camp, interdisciplinary teams worked on identifying one of the key future issues ranging from technology, society, business models to AI ethics and responsibility and using innovative methods, team spirit and AI tools to develop challenges faced by SMEs and approaches to solutions as well as hypotheses in the community. Possible applications were derived from this. Questions and AI matching took place using an app newly developed for the Future Symposium thanks to Giovanni Crupi, President of Swiss Engineering with his members and AI Future Council member, where AI brought the participants together in groups based on user profiles, interests and backgrounds. The Swiss Future Institute cooperates with outstanding partners and combines the knowledge of four universities, institutes, associations and businesses to promote all levels of innovation. Not just the technological one.

"The Future Symposium inspires people across all disciplines and generations and shows us what is possible in a very short space of time," says Katrin J. Yuan, CEO of the Swiss Future Institute and AI university lecturer.

(CONNECT) The Zurich-based start-up UNOMR has received an investment of 150,000 Swiss francs from Venture Kick, according to a press release. The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) is developing a novel technology for single-molecule protein analysis. The aim is to make the high-resolution analysis of protein modifications widely accessible in medical diagnostics, pharmaceutical research and food science, according to the press release.

Despite the growing need for precision medicine and targeted therapies, current proteomics methods often reach their limits when it comes to reliably detecting and characterizing individual protein changes, according to the press release. This would delay progress in drug development, diagnostics and new therapies, especially for diseases where early intervention is crucial. UNOMR addresses this problem with a patented serial nanopore sensor that can detect protein modifications at the single-molecule level.

According to Venture Kick, the global market for protein characterization has a volume of 21 billion dollars and is growing by 16 percent annually. More than three quarters of the applications are in the fields of life sciences, research and development, clinical diagnostics and food and beverages. UNOMR is working with customers in all these areas and is aiming for a market share of up to 50 percent with its new technology.

The ETH spin-off intends to invest the money from the Venture Kick program primarily in expanding the team in order to accelerate business development and make the technology available for initial customer tests within the next two years. ce/gba

(CONNECT) A new e-learning course from the Zurich-based think tank FE+MALE helps investors to free themselves from unconscious bias when making decisions. According to a press release, it is now open to all interested parties at favorable starting conditions. The course was developed by FE+MALE and partners as part of the Beat Funding Bias Initiative (BFBI). The alliance behind it is committed to closing the funding gap for women-led businesses and aims to promote economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive way.

"With the BFBI online course, financial decision-makers can learn how to break down prejudices in order to boost business," FE+MALE main initiator Patricia M. Montesinos is quoted as saying. The monetary advantage has been proven by studies and case studies: In a gender comparison, women-led companies generated twice as much turnover per dollar on average. Nevertheless, they received far less funding. The course is therefore aimed at private clients and is aimed at investors, decision-makers in state institutions, foundations, family offices and the start-up ecosystem.

The content of the course was developed together with experts from various universities and is based on findings from behavioral research. Using practical examples and interactive games, course participants explore the psychology of their decision-making. According to the description, they understand the reasons for their own bias. Due to the effect of affinity bias, for example, people with similarities are often preferred. The course provides strategies for overcoming this practice, among other things. Participants receive a certificate at the end.

According to the press release, the first 20 people who register by e-mail by May 16 will receive an introductory discount of 80 percent. Details of the course will be discussed at a BFBI workshop on May 6. ce/yvh

(CONNECT) The Zurich-based start-up RIVR has entered into a strategic partnership with the British parcel service provider Evri. The wheeled robot from RIVR is intended to automate parcel delivery over the last hundred meters and make the work of delivery staff easier, according to a press release.

The aim is to deliver up to 800 million parcels a year. Previously, parcel carriers delivered the goods on foot and spent a large part of their working time doing so. The wheeled robot, which is supported by artificial intelligence, is intended to transfer this delivery and free up the deliverer to work on other tasks. The robot from RIVR can autonomously navigate to its destination, climb stairs and carry loads of up to 60 kilograms. A pilot project is being launched in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England.

"In view of the exponential growth of e-commerce, optimizing logistics on the last mile is more important than ever," Marko Bjelonic, CEO of RIVR, is quoted as saying in the press release. "Our partnership with Evri is an important step towards redesigning parcel delivery with the help of robots and enabling faster, more cost-effective and driver-friendly solutions." ce/ww

(CONNECT) The ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark has been recognizing deep tech projects that are about to enter the market for over 20 years. It is awarded by the Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) and the Technopark Zurich Foundation. It is endowed with around 100,000 Swiss francs for the winner and around 10,000 Swiss francs each for the runners-up. The award ceremony will take place on May 20, 2025 at Technopark Zurich. The three finalists have now been nominated.

Ex Nunc Intelligence is a LegalTech start-up from Lausanne. Founded in 2023 as a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), the company is developing artificial intelligence (AI)-based software that is set to grow into a transformative, network-based legal ecosystem. According to jury member Lothar Thiele, it "combines different classes of algorithms, methods for data curation and multilingual generative AI in an outstanding way". The start-up is thus setting "new standards in the provision of actionable legal knowledge for both lawyers and the general public".

Irmos Technologies translates vibrations recorded by sensors on bridges and other structures into damage indicators and axle loads. The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), which is based in Technopark Zurich, thus provides usable insights into the structural condition of infrastructures and the actual traffic load in real time. "I find their intelligent combination of cost-efficient sensors and powerful algorithms that enable precise and predictive maintenance particularly impressive," says jury member Michelle Tschumi.

Nanoflex Robotics from Opfikon ZH uses magnetic fields to guide the tips of endovascular instruments. Using a control console, medical professionals can change the shape of the device tip and move it in any direction. The ETH spin-off's technology also enables a secure remote connection for remote thrombectomies. This means that life-saving measures can be carried out more quickly, for example in smaller or rural hospitals. "I was immediately fascinated by the innovative potential of this project," jury member Emanuela Keller is quoted as saying. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Loft Dynamics has been commissioned by Alaska Airlines to develop a new simulator for training pilots on Boeing 737 aircraft. The airline, which is based in the Seattle metropolitan region, has announced that it will invest in Loft Dynamics via its venture capital arm Alaska Star Ventures. Alaska Airlines supports Loft with financial resources and the expertise of its training department. As soon as the VR (virtual reality) simulators have been developed, built and approved, Alaska Airlines and Loft plan to install them at individual airline bases for pilot training.

The hyper-realistic and fully mobile simulator will work with virtual and augmented reality (XR) technologies. "With flight safety a top priority and a global pilot shortage still looming, this partnership paves the way for airlines worldwide to train the next generation of outstanding pilots more efficiently and effectively than ever before," Fabian Riesen, founder and CEO of Loft Dynamic, is quoted as saying.

A big advantage of this new device from Loft is that it is "compact enough to fit in a standard office," explains Captain Jeff Severns, Alaska Airlines' Managing Director of Flight Operations Training. "This accessibility would allow pilots to train more frequently and hone their skills more efficiently." His company is looking forward to "becoming Loft's first customer for fixed-wing aircraft". Loft, which was called VRM Switzerland until December 2022, specializes in simulators for helicopter training.

Alaska Airlines' Head of Corporate Development, Pasha Saleh, emphasizes that "this technology will enable us to bring important training closer to the pilot base. This would reduce unnecessary travel and time." It represents a "paradigm shift and has the potential to drastically improve the quality of training for professional pilots". ce/mm

(CONNECT) Winterthur-based Designwerk Technologies AG and Finnish aerial work platform manufacturer Bronto Skylift have launched the first fully electric truck with a hydraulic work platform and a maximum working height of 56 meters. According to a press release, the new vehicle will be presented at the Bauma trade fair in Munich from April 7 to 13.

The MC 8x2R electric truck from Designwerk is fitted with the aerial work platform from Bronto Skylift's S-XR series. The vehicle with four axles - three of which are steered - is easy to maneuver. A 500-kilowatt-hour battery provides full power for the entire working day.

The working platform can be extended to a height of 56 meters and has a working range of 41 meters. The extendable workman basket can carry loads of up to 600 kilograms. It is equipped with electrical connections and a water connection. This equipment was developed in collaboration with the Aargau-based cleaning company Rohr AG, which will also be putting the first commercial vehicle in the series into operation. Rohr AG wants to use the all-electric solution for façade and glass cleaning in urban environments and reduce CO2 emissions in the process, according to the press release.

"We are delighted to be able to offer our customers an environmentally friendly alternative without compromising on performance," said Dominik Keller, Global Access Segment Director at Bronto Skylift, in the press release. "This is an important step towards a more sustainable future for the industry. Rohr AG's initiative was crucial to the development of this product and we thank Designwerk for the successful collaboration." Patrick Dörge, Chief Operating Officer of Rohr AG, is convinced that the new e-truck meets the customers' desire to reduce the use of fossil fuels. ce/ww

(CONNECT) The Riedmatt Center Rümlang welcomes two internationally active companies as new tenants. memox, a provider of meeting and event rooms active in Germany and Switzerland, is moving into the separate top floor high above the center, UCW AG, the operator of the Riedmatt Center Rümlang, announced in a press release. The Monkey Town chain, which is represented in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, is setting up an indoor playground in the center on over 1600 square meters.

"With memox and Monkey Town, we are gaining two more tenants that are among the leading providers in their segment," Dieter Bosshard, CEO of Riedmatt Center Rümlang, is quoted as saying in the press release. "We are thus expanding our offer for companies in the area of events and team building as well as for the little ones." According to the press release, the center has already successfully established itself in the region. The number of visitors during the last Christmas and sports vacations increased by 7 percent compared to the previous year.

For memox, the approximately 1000 square meter new location at Zurich Airport West is the company's largest location. With the Riedmatt Center Rümlang, Monkey Town has found "the ideal second location in Switzerland after Horgen", explains Eleni Gossen, Country Director Austria & Switzerland at Monkey Town, in the press release. "The center is already well-known and popular with families in the region." ce/hs

(CONNECT) The Zurich lowland location is presenting its Innovation Award for the fifth time. Companies with innovative products, services, processes, business models or organizational forms are being sought for the Innovation Award Zurich lowland 2025, the location promotion agency explains on its website. SMEs can apply until June 30. To take part in the competition, you must be based or have a branch in the Zurich lowland.

The Zurich lowland location provides interested companies with an online registration form. Information about the company and a description of the innovation are requested here. The assessment criteria are degree of innovation, impact on the regional economy, impact on social life, impact on the environment, image impact and appeal for the region as well as transferability to other SMEs.

The Business Council of the Zurich lowland location, which acts as a jury, will select three winning companies from the applications. The winning company will receive prize money of 5000 francs. There is prize money of 2500 Swiss francs for second and third place. The award ceremony will take place as part of the innovation event organized by the location promotion agency. It will take place on August 26 at the winner of the Innovation Award 2024, Localfish AG, in Rafz. ce/hs

(CONNECT) Manukai has raised 2.6 million Swiss francs in an oversubscribed pre-seed financing round. The round was led by the Technopark Zurich-based venture capital company QBIT Capital, according to a press release. Bloomhaus Ventures from Zug, Innosuisse and a group of angel investors have also invested.

According to an article in Tech Funding News, the spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, which was founded in 2023, intends to use the fresh capital to further develop its own software package and bring it closer to market maturity. It is based on machine learning and uses this artificial intelligence (AI) to automate and optimize high-precision, computer-controlled metalworking (CNC).

The patent-pending Manukai software can reportedly be seamlessly integrated into existing CNC programming tools. "What really sets us apart is our data-driven approach," CEO and co-founder Pascal Weber is quoted as saying. "Our algorithms use customer data within their secure environments, ensuring comprehensive IP protection and improving CNC programming at the same time."

According to Georges Khneysser, Founder and General Partner of lead investor QBIT Capital, Manukai demonstrates "how AI can unlock immense value from legacy data and revolutionize manufacturing efficiency worldwide. With Switzerland's unparalleled industrial heritage and Zurich's cutting-edge AI ecosystem, Manukai is ideally positioned to lead the global evolution of manufacturing." ce/mm

(CONNECT) In terms of location marketing, 2024 surpasses previous years in terms of quality, size and excellence. This is the GZA 's summary of its activities over the past year. As the location promoter explains in a press release, the GZA supported a total of 91 international companies in their expansion projects in this "year of top quality" together with the public location and economic development agencies of the joint economic area.

The GZA describes it as "particularly pleasing" that four out of five of these settlements come from the actively marketed key technologies of cleantech and artificial intelligence, the strategic focus for 2024. "In 2025, sustainability and innovation will become even more of a strategic focus for GZA," says Managing Director Lukas Huber. "Since the beginning of 2024, we have been evaluating projects not only in terms of economic aspects, but also from an environmental and social perspective."

According to GZA, the most important new additions include companies such as Revolut, Anthropic, OpenAI, the Robotics and AI Institute, BYD and Estun Automation. The strong international focus of these settlements confirms the attractiveness of the Zurich economic area for companies from the fintech, robotics, electromobility and artificial intelligence sectors.

The Starlab Space project also deserves special mention. The Greater Zurich Area is thus also positioning itself as a central innovation location in the future sector of the New Space Economy. "The location factors that make up the success of the Greater Zurich Area - from quality of life and security to tax attractiveness, entrepreneurial administrations, infrastructure and talent pool - must continue to be actively cultivated," summarizes GZA Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Balz Hösly. ce/mm

(CONNECT) The biotech start-up Remuun has secured funding of 150,000 Swiss francs for targeted antibody therapies in the treatment of cancer and related diseases, according to a statement from Venture Kick.

The start-up, which was spun off from the University of Zurich, has developed a patented platform that enables the rapid and precise production of customized monoclonal antibodies. "Based on its expertise in the interactions between the immune system and tumors, Remuun aims to deepen scientific understanding and develop more effective immunotherapies," the press release states.

Current procedures are often slow, cost-intensive and limited in their therapeutic scope. This makes it more difficult to develop new therapies, especially for cancer and diseases of the immune system. Remuun's approach aims to mimic the natural process of antibody diversification in the laboratory.

The funding will be used to build strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, drive forward the development of a new generation of antibody-based therapies and expand the intellectual property portfolio. "The funding, mentoring and access to a broad network of experts have not only accelerated our research, but also sharpened our business strategy," Richard Chahwan, founder and CEO of Remuun, is quoted as saying in the press release.

The start-up promoter Venture Kick supports young companies from the idea to the founding of the company. In addition to financing, it also offers mentoring and access to an international network of companies and investors. ce/heg

(CONNECT) RWAI has received 1.5 million Swiss francs from business angels. According to a statement from the Winterthur-based start-up, the growth capital is intended to fuel the growth of its TicketPilot platform and enable market expansion with an enlarged team.

Founded a year ago, the start-up is a spin-off from the Center for Artificial Intelligence at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). Its name RWAI stands for Real World Artificial Intelligence and is intended to signal that the young company offers solutions for the world of work "that offer measurable added value" with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

The flagship product TicketPilot, for example, is intended to "change the way software companies manage service, support and maintenance". Whenever software is used, the ZHAW explains in a brief portrait of the company, users have questions, consult documentation, suggest improvements, discover errors and need support. "These processes involve considerable effort for software companies. TicketPilot simplifies, accelerates and relieves these processes."

The platform's AI agents automatically classify tickets, find similar incidents, generate answers, solution suggestions, result predictions and sentiment analysis to measure customer satisfaction and anonymize data. "With TicketPilot, companies can benefit from the advantages of artificial intelligence and machine learning without having to build up in-depth expert knowledge themselves," says RWAI co-founder Simon Spalinger from the ZHAW. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Araris Biotech from Au is taken over in its entirety by Taiho Pharmaceutical. According to its announcement, Araris will receive 400 million dollars from the Tokyo-based company, which focuses on research and development with an emphasis on oncology, as a first step. The agreement also includes further payments amounting to 740 million dollars. This increases the total volume of the transaction to 1.14 million dollars. Araris and Taiho had already started working together in November 2023.

Araris was founded in 2019 by Dr. Philipp Spycher on the basis of research work at the Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen. As PSI explains in its own media release entitled "Milestone of superlatives", this company valuation of over 1 billion dollars makes Araris its first unicorn.

The company develops novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the targeted treatment of cancer. It produces these ADCs using its proprietary linker technology. In this novel therapeutic approach, cell- and cytotoxic active substances are coupled to antibodies via a compound, a linker, which transports the active substance directly to the tumor cell as a "Trojan horse" and kills it.

The method developed by Araris for binding between antibody and active substance is more efficient and better to produce than previously used constructs, according to the PSI. The company will therefore remain a subsidiary of Taiho and continue its activities in Switzerland.

Spycher, the former CEO and current scientific director of Araris, was reportedly accompanied by the PSI technology transfer team on his path from researcher to entrepreneur and ultimately in founding the company. "Thus," says PSI in the press release, "the acquisition is not only a huge success for Araris Biotech AG - but also for PSI." ce/mm

The renowned German company SCHNELL has stood for high-quality therapy and training equipment with biomechanical expertise for decades. This collaboration marks a significant step for the future of intelligent testing and training by combining state-of-the-art robotic trainer technology with in-depth experience in biomechanics, ergonomics, health and sports.

With over 60 years of innovative strength, SCHNELL enjoys the trust of professional athletes, rehabilitation specialists and fitness enthusiasts worldwide. The integration of ddrobotec®'s advanced AI-powered testing and training solutions into SCHNELL's science-based devices creates a whole new dimension of personalized, precise and efficient health and performance optimization.

"We are very much looking forward to working with ddrobotec® in the future. Their expertise in robotics and AI-assisted training and testing, combined with their gamified approach, will also shape our view of how training will be designed in the future. At the same time, we are contributing our expertise in biomechanics, design and manufacturing to this partnership with the aim of setting new standards in health, durability and performance," says Achim Schnell, CEO of SCHNELL Trainingsgeräte GmbH.

"This partnership combines the best of both worlds: the unmatched quality of SCHNELL training devices and our expertise in AI-powered bio-robotics and gamification," says Dr. Max Lungarella, CEO of ddrobotec®. "Together, we will redefine how people train, regenerate and optimize their performance - and help them stay healthy and vital for longer."

With a shared commitment to health and innovation, this collaboration will introduce intelligent and motivating training and testing solutions that adapt to individual needs in real time - for more effective, safer and customized training.

(CONNECT) The Basel-based company vector8 has acquired two Zurich-based companies: aighty-twenty and Morrow. As vector8 explains in a press release, the fast-growing and internationally active AI transformation company aims to become an end-to-end partner for AI transformations throughout Europe, "from strategic consulting to scaled AI deployment and organizational change management".

With aighty-twenty, vector8 is reportedly bringing "one of the most dynamic AI companies in Switzerland" on board. It has acquired 25 customers in a very short space of time, including Raiffeisen, Axpo and Helsana, and is able to seamlessly integrate AI into company processes.

Through Morrow, vector8 aims to expand its capabilities in terms of business model transformation, business building and strategic AI implementation. Morrow specializes in finance, insurance and healthcare. By joining forces, the three companies reportedly count the five largest Swiss banks and four of the five largest Swiss health insurers among their clients.

"AI is redefining industries, and companies need a partner who can deliver both strategic vision and implementation," aighty-twenty co-founder and CEO Niclas Delfs is quoted as saying. "With vector8, we are uniquely positioned to guide companies through the entire AI transformation process." Morrow co-founder Robert Iken is looking forward to combining his own consulting expertise with AI capabilities. And Marc Maret, co-founder and Group CEO of vector8, believes: "Together, we are setting a new standard for comprehensive AI transformation." ce/mm

(CONNECT) OxyPrem has officially closed its crowdfunding campaign on Capital Cell, according to a statement from the manufacturer of oxygen sensors for the brains of premature babies. According to the campaign page, 2,911,803 euros of the targeted 2.3 million were raised in the crowdfunding round, which runs until February 28. The valuation of OxyPrem is 17.1 million euros.

OxyPrem, based in Schlieren and Zurich, develops optical sensors that precisely monitor the oxygen content in the brain non-invasively and continuously. This helps medical teams to react in time and counteract insufficient oxygen levels to prevent irreversible brain damage and lifelong disabilities. According to OxyPrem, around 10 percent of all people are born prematurely. These infants are at high risk of lifelong brain damage caused by harmful oxygen levels in the brain.

Commenting on the investment in OxyPrem, Capital Cell says that the technology on which the sensors are based has shown that it can reduce false positives and negatives from one in six measurements to just one in 200. reduced. It is based on 13 clinical studies and 17 publications, among other things. The first product, launched as OxyPrem 1.4, has already been used for over 300 extremely premature babies in 38 neonatal intensive care units in Europe and India. ce/gba

(CONNECT) According to a press release, Dietikon-based DuraMon AG successfully completed a financing round of 1.6 million Swiss francs for the seed extension in February. The round was led by venture capital and private equity investor QBIT Capital in Zurich, which had already led DuraMon's seed financing round in June 2023. Sika in Baar, a key investor since June 2023, has extended its commitment by re-investing as a strategic partner alongside Helbling Equities and others, it added. The fresh capital creates the conditions for scaling and expansion beyond the DACH region.

DuraMon is a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) that specializes in a new type of sensor technology that ensures long-term stable corrosion monitoring of concrete infrastructures such as bridges, tunnels, multi-storey parking lots and parking garages. This enables the early detection and understanding of deterioration processes in concrete structures, according to the press release. This allows the right type of repair to be determined at the right time and in the right place in the structure, enabling building owners to optimize their maintenance strategies and reduce repair costs.

The newly secured funding will enable DuraMon to automate and optimize key internal processes, namely automated data analysis and sensor installation, according to the press release. There will also be a strong focus on customer development and expanding DuraMon's market reach beyond the DACH region into other European countries. ce/gba

(CONNECT) The start-up CellX Biosolutions in Zurich has raised a total of 1.7 million Swiss francs in its pre-seed round, according to an announcement on LinkedIn. "This capital will drive the development of the first commercial bacterial solution for the degradation of PFAS. We are now embarking on exciting collaborations with industry partners to develop customized products that address real-world challenges," says CEO and co-founder Estelle Clerc.

PFAS are perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds that are used in many products such as pans, textiles and packaging. CellX Biosolutions combats chemical pollution with powerful bacterial degradation products that enable CO2 emission-free degradation of industrial pollutants. A microfluidic tool - micro-scale liquid delivery - is used to identify unique bacteria with high degradation capacity that can break down harmful chemicals such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals.

Start-up sponsor Venture Kick in Schlieren ZH supported CellX Biosolutions with 150,000 Swiss francs as recently as November. Estelle Clerc describes the total proceeds of 1.7 million Swiss francs in the financing round as a "milestone" that "would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our investors, partners and advisors". She particularly emphasized the main investor Positron Ventures. The venture capital and private equity investor is based in Amsterdam.

CellX Biosolutions is equally grateful to Kickfund, Venture Kick and "our business angels, including our early supporters Marcello Campanelli and Ian Metcalfe", Clerc continues. She also thanked the City of Zurich for its support in furthering the mission of the young company through non-dilutive funding as part of the KlimUp program.

Non-dilutive funding is a form of financing in which a company does not finance itself by selling its own shares. ce/gba

(CONNECT) The Financial Times (FT) has presented the second edition of Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs. It includes 150 start-up promoters across Europe and was compiled together with Statista and Sifted, according to an article. Switzerland is represented in the list of the best with seven organizations. These are Venture Kick in Schlieren ZH, described by the FT as a technology promoter in 6th place, followed by Fongit in Geneva in 24th place, which is named as a medical promoter in the FT list.

The Runway Incubator in Winterthur is ranked 50th on the list. "We support business ideas from all sectors," it says on its website. The Female Founders Initiative in Zurich, which specializes in promoting female founders, achieved 65th place and the Inovation Office at the University of Basel 85th place. 100th place went to the Startup Campus Winterthur and 109th place to the innovation agency of the Canton of Ticino, the Fondazione Agire based in Manno.

The list for 2025 again includes 150 hubs, which were evaluated by alumni and external experts such as investors, entrepreneurs and scientists, according to the FT article. The German UnternehmerTUM in Munich leads the ranking for the second year in a row. The non-profit organization offers programs that support start-ups with the basics of building a company.

The country with the most hubs in the ranking is the United Kingdom with 29, most of which are based in London. There are 19 centers in Germany and 24 in Spain and Portugal combined, two of which are among the top 20 in the overall ranking.

The full special report Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs 2025 is due to be published in March. ce/gba

(CONNECT) Chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli and Belgian venture capital firm Sparkalis have invested in Food Brewer AG in a recently completed financing round. In a press release, the young company based at the Horgen Labs Innovation Campus welcomes both as strategic investors and new employees. It describes the involvement of both as "further confirmation of our business and the market need for what we are building".

Food Brewer was founded in 2021. The company produces cocoa and coffee powder from plant cell cultures and thus offers food companies an alternative supply of products made from these tropical plants. According to Food Brewer, "the traditional cultivation of these plants is becoming increasingly difficult, while global demand is growing at the same time".

Food Brewer extracts the cells from the plants that are responsible for the growth of the bean. The Zurich-based start-up has patented the particularly time-efficient method for this identification process. On average, it takes a few weeks to complete the cell line.

The selected cells then grow into a larger cell mass in a tank with a suitable nutrient solution, which is ready for harvesting after a few days. After removing some of the cells, they are subjected to a drying process. This ultimately results in cocoa or coffee in powder form. ce/mm

Zurich - Zurich-based fintech AMNIS Treasury Services AG (amnis) successfully closes Series B funding round, securing CHF 10 million. The funding round was led by Swisscom Ventures, with participation from existing investors such as Lansdowne Investment Company Ltd. The round also included a CHF 2 million non-dilutive debt agreement with Lendity to further drive its expansion and product development.

Amnis provides an international banking platform for SMEs, facilitating global payments, reducing transaction costs, and automating accounting processes. Over the past 12 months, its payment volume has more than doubled, driven by strong demand for its debit card and expense capturing features.

With the newly secured funds, amnis plans to expand into additional European markets and enhance its platform with deeper ERP and accounting integrations. Furthermore, new embedded card and e-commerce solutions will be introduced to enable seamless international transactions and automated financial processes for businesses.

Changes to the Board of Directors

Alongside the funding round, amnis announces strategic changes to its Board of Directors: Peter Gerlach will take over as the new President of the Board, while Semih Kaçan, Investment Director at Swisscom Ventures, joins the board. Co-founders Robert Bloch and Philippe Christen are stepping down from the board but will continue in their roles as COO and CFO, respectively.

(CONNECT) The biotech company LimmaTech Biologics has vaccinated the first participants in a controlled Phase 1 trial in the USA with its multivalent vaccine candidate LBT-SA7, according to a press release. The candidate is intended to prevent skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) caused by the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

S. aureus infections are a major health challenge worldwide and cause an estimated 1 million deaths per year. The vaccine candidate contains attenuated forms of the pathogen's toxins to prevent infection by neutralizing the toxins.

LimmaTech has started the Phase 1 clinical trial in the USA after the FDA approved fast-track status. It is a randomized, double-blind and controlled dose-escalation study involving 130 healthy adults aged 18 to 50 years. The first results are expected in the second half of 2025.

"We believe that LBT-SA7 has the potential to provide a much-needed solution for people suffering from S. aureus infections," LimmaTech COO Patricia Martin-Killias is quoted as saying.

The company also announces the receipt of 6.5 million dollars from the CARB-X funding initiative focused on the fight against antibiotic resistance. The support from CARB-X not only helps to accelerate the clinical development of LBT-SA7, but also underlines the importance of the task of developing efficient solutions for prevention, Franz-Werner Haas, CEO of LimmaTech, is quoted as saying.

LimmaTech Biologics is based in Schlieren and is a member of the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich. ce/gba

(CONNECT) LogicStar has received 2.9 million euros in seed capital from investors. The London-based venture capital firm Northzone led the pre-seed financing round for the company, which was founded in June 2024. Angel investors from DeepMind, Fleet, Sequoia Scouts, Snyk and Spotify have also participated.

LogicStar is a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The Dübendorf-based company has developed an AI agent for fully autonomous software maintenance. It provides self-healing software applications, independently reproduces application problems, tests solutions and suggests precise corrections without the need for human supervision.

According to a statement from Northzone, the platform is developing rapidly: support for Python is already available. Extensions for Typescript, Javascript and Java are to follow soon.

LogicStar was founded by Mark Müller, Boris Paskalev, Veselin Raychev and Martin Vechev. The latter three previously built DeepCode.ai and scaled it to an annual turnover of 100 million dollars. The company, also an ETH spin-off, has built the first AI platform for codes. It was acquired by Boston-based cybersecurity unicorn Snyk in 2020. Prof. Dr. Vechev also heads the ETH laboratory for safe, reliable and intelligent systems.

"The potential of this technology to optimize development processes, reduce costs and accelerate innovation is immense," Northzone partner Michiel Kotting is quoted as saying. "The team has tremendous technical expertise and a proven track record, enabling them to deliver real, impactful results. The future of software development is being reshaped and LogicStar will play a critical role in software maintenance." ce/mm

(CONNECT) Microsoft is creating another field for artificial intelligence research in Zurich: Microsoft's new AI lab will primarily work on the further development of Microsoft Copilot. Davide Bonapersona, Head of Product and Technology Development at Microsoft AI, Microsoft's new AI department founded in 2024 , provides more information. He adds: "Zurich is a magnet for top AI talent and we look forward to increasing our investment there and in Europe."

The CEO of Microsoft AI, Mustafa Suleyman, has poached three AI specialists from Google's AI subsidiary DeepMind as founding members of the Zurich AI lab, which is set to grow to several dozen specialists: Zalán Borsos, Marco Tagliasacchi and Matthias Minderer. Suleyman had co-founded DeepMind. The London-based company has been part of Google since 2014 and has developed the AI chat agent Gemini.

Zalán Borsos and Marco Tagliasacchi are audio specialists. "I am very pleased to announce that I have joined Microsoft AI as a founding member of the new Zurich office," Borsos said on LinkedIn. " I will focus on driving the audio capabilities forward together with an outstanding team." Tagliasacchi announces that the Zurich laboratory will be working with teams in London and the USA: "I am looking forward to the journey ahead of us." According to Minderer, he is working on the visual skills "and can hardly wait to get started. There's a lot to do!"

Microsoft has been operating the Mixed Reality & AI Zurich Lab in Zurich since 2019. It is headed by Professor Marc Pollefeys. The computer scientist from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich is also head of the Microsoft Spatial AI Lab Zurich, a research and development team for computer vision and machine learning. This has also set itself the task of equipping Microsoft Copilot with spatial perception and thinking skills. ce/mm

(CONNECT) ph. AG has opened a branch in Singapore and founded the subsidiary KA EX Asia Pacific (Kangji Energy Holdings). In a press release, the young company describes this as an important milestone "in our mission to make KA-EX a globally recognized name - a Swiss innovation that is conquering the world".

KA-EX was initially developed as an anti-hangover drink that optimizes a number of bioprocesses, in particular cortisol reduction, sleep and regeneration. It was later discovered by professional athletes as a dietary supplement for regeneration after competitive sport.

As startupticker.ch reports, the company closed a series A financing round with 1.5 million Swiss francs a week ago. This round was led by a private equity company from Singapore in order to secure the distribution rights for Asia. The new investor is assuming the costs for market entry and development in Singapore in full. It also has a stake in a retail chain in China. "Until KA-EX is approved in China, we want to launch in other markets," ph. co-founder and KA-EX inventor Pedro Schmidt is quoted as saying.

In addition, ph. has raised over 1 million francs with a crowdfunding campaign. According to another press release, this has already been oversubscribed and will probably be closed early.

In December 2024, ph. announced that sales had increased fivefold during the six-month test phase in the US and had exceeded the target figures right from the start. At that time, ph. had already announced that the now completed Series A investment and a third crowdfunding campaign would support further market expansion in the USA. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) and Technopark Zurich will be awarding the ZKB Pioneer Prize Technopark 2025 on May 20 at Technopark Zurich. The finalists are 13 DeepTech start-ups selected by a jury from a total of 54 applications, ZKB and Technopark Zurich announced in a press release. "The record number of applications and the diversity of the projects submitted show impressively how much innovative strength there is in the Swiss start-up landscape," Matthias Hölling, jury member and Head of Foundation Areas at Technopark Zurich, is quoted as saying.

The press release presents the finalists in alphabetical order with brief profiles. Annaida Technologies from Ecublens VD uses magnetic resonance technology to analyze pre-implanted embryos. Apheros from Zurich produces metal foams for cooling solutions. Borobotics from Technopark Winterthur has developed an earthworm-like drilling robot. Breezelabs from Zurich opens up new possibilities for monitoring chronic lung diseases. The battery from BTRY in Dübendorf ZH combines high energy density with fast charging and discharging rates.

Ex Nunc Intelligence from Lausanne simplifies access to legal knowledge. IMAI MedTech from Schlieren ZH improves cancer diagnosis. Irmos Technologies from Technopark Zurich specializes in sensors for infrastructure maintenance planning. K2 Photonics from Zurich aims to set new standards in precision and speed with single-cavity double-comb lasers. LatticeFlow AI from Zurich has artificial intelligence (AI) models checked for compatibility with regulations.

Nanoflex Robotics from Opfikon ZH uses magnetism to precisely bend endovascular instruments. Optiml from Zurich enables AI-supported analyses of insulation and heating systems in buildings. Yuon Control from Oberburg BE reduces emissions and energy consumption in district heating networks. ce/hs

(CONNECT) Total investment in Swiss start-ups fell by 8.5% to CHF 2.4 billion last year compared to 2023. The number of financing rounds fell from just under 400 to 357 in the same period. Very large investments in the three-digit million range were missing.

On the other hand, the proportion of financing rounds in which founders were able to raise more than CHF 3 million rose by 40.7 percent. This is shown in the 13th Swiss Venture Capital Report. It is compiled annually by the news portal startupticker.ch and the Swiss Private Equity & Corporate Finance Association (SECA) in collaboration with startup.ch.

According to the report, investments in ICT and fintech companies have once again fallen sharply compared to the record year of 2022. At CHF 739.2 million, the biotech sector attracted 50 percent more than in the previous year. The IT sector in the healthcare sector was also able to more than compensate for the previous year's decline and recorded strong growth. The micro and nanotech sector held its own.

The number of exits remained stable in 2024: around 30 start-ups were sold abroad, while eleven of them found domestic buyers. The acquisition of the Swiss-Greek company BETA CAE Systems International, based in Lucerne, which was completed in June 2024, was worth more than 1.2 billion dollars to the Californian software group Cadence.

Despite considerable losses, Zurich is at the top of the cantonal rankings, followed by Vaud, Geneva and Basel-Landschaft. The Canton of Bern had a record year with 24 financing rounds totaling CHF 117.85 million. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Maerki Baumann & Co. AG established a new business segment at the beginning of 2025. Entrepreneur Banking is aimed at entrepreneurs who want to structure their assets in the best possible way, explains the Zurich private bank in a press release. The advisory services include the reconciliation of company assets, pension assets and private assets, taking into account the relevant tax aspects.

The private bank has entrusted Sascha Näf with the management of the new business area. He most recently held various management positions at UBS in Zurich and has "many years of experience in wealth planning, retirement planning and financial planning", according to the press release. "In Sascha Näf, we have gained a committed personality and a proven expert who will manage the Entrepreneur Banking department in the interests of our clients," Stephan A. Zwahlen, CEO of Maerki Baumann & Co. AG, is quoted as saying.

Part of the Entrepreneur Banking offering is a 1e pension solution. Companies can thus enable their managers to manage their professional retirement capital in a self-determined manner, writes the private bank. Among the investment strategies available, two are based on crypto. Maerki Baumann & Co. AG sees itself as a pioneer in this field and has established its own brand for crypto services, ARCHIP. ce/hs

(CONNECT) The number of spin-offs from ETH in 2024 has only been exceeded one year previously: 43 in 2023 and 37 last year. Start-ups specializing in artificial intelligence remained in the lead with ten start-ups, followed by biotechnology and pharmaceuticals with eight start-ups. The number of start-up teams with women rose to 35 percent.

According to an ETH press release, the attractiveness of ETH spin-offs is also reflected in the rising level of investment. Accordingly, the amount invested has increased tenfold over the past ten years. In 2024, CHF 425 million was invested in ETH spin-offs in 42 published financing rounds. This corresponds to an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous year.

Neustark proved to be particularly successful. The Bern-based company uses its proprietary process to bind CO2 from the atmosphere in concrete. It was able to raise capital of 69 million dollars in 2024. Bright Peak Therapeutics from the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area in Allschwil BL even raised 90 million dollars for its immunotherapies.

The founders of the ETH spin-offs established between 2017 and 2024 come from 46 different countries: 45 percent come from Switzerland, 18 percent from Germany and 6 percent from Italy. Of the 530 ETH spin-offs still active since 1973, 519 are still active in Switzerland. According to the ETH, the survival rate of the spin-offs is also remarkable: 93 percent are still active five years after their foundation.

"These figures clearly show that it pays off for Switzerland when ETH Zurich attracts the brightest minds from all over the world to the country," says Vanessa Wood, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations. "They develop new products, found companies and thus create added value for Swiss society and the economy." ce/mm