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ABAC R&D AG receives patent for revolutionary vegan food technology

Zurich, November 2024 - ABAC R&D AG is pleased to announce the granting of a patent for its innovative vegan food technology. This patent marks a significant milestone in the development of sustainable and nutrient-rich plant-based alternatives. The technology developed by Swiss scientists sets new standards in the production of vegan convenience products by optimizing nutritional value, preserving natural ingredients and enabling customizable solutions.

A technological breakthrough in vegan food production

The patented process is based on a unique methodology that breaks down the structure of vegan raw materials and transforms them into products that retain the full range of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Compared to conventional plant-based foods, this technology offers superior quality and enables the production of a wide variety of product shapes - from tofu-like blocks to burger patties - with minimal loss of raw materials.

With this technology, ABAC R&D AG is responding to the increasing demand for innovative, environmentally friendly and nutritionally balanced vegan foods.

WieTofu: A prime example of innovation

A flagship product of this technology is WieTofu, a tofu-like vegan product made from organic hemp seeds and water. Launched in 2022, WieTofu illustrates the advantages of the patented process. In contrast to conventional soy tofu, WieTofu is convincing:

• A mild, nutty aroma
• High levels of protein and essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6)
• Contains all secondary plant substances
• A clean list of ingredients without preservatives and artificial additives
• Minimal processing
• A sustainable, waste-free manufacturing process

The product is valued for its versatility in preparation and its appeal to health-conscious consumers looking for high-quality meat alternatives.

Sustainability meets innovation

ABAC R&D AG's patented process reflects the company's commitment to sustainability and health. The technology minimizes environmental impact by using natural raw materials such as seeds, nuts and grains in their entirety. This preserves nutrients and avoids waste.

"With this patent, we are expanding the possibilities of vegan food production by combining cutting-edge science with nature's best resources," says Othmar Käppeli, CEO of ABAC R&D AG. "Our goal is to deliver exceptional plant-based foods that benefit both human health and the environment."

About ABAC R&D AG

Founded in 1999, ABAC R&D AG specializes in the development of sustainable technologies and natural products for humans and animals. The company combines traditional knowledge with modern bioscience to create innovative solutions that respect the planet's resources.

Further information on ABAC R&D AG, the patented vegan food technology or the WieTofu product can be found at www.zellavie.ch.

The Schlieren-based medtech start-up Oncobit, which specializes in cancer precision medicine, has raised 1.47 million Swiss francs from existing and new investors in a pre-Series A financing round, according to a press release. The funds will be used to generate additional clinical data in melanoma, expand Oncobit's monitoring platform to colorectal cancer and enter additional partnerships and markets, including the US, according to the company's press release.

"This financing round will allow us to invest in key product developments, accelerate our growth plans and continue to deliver value to our customers," said Claudia Scheckel, CEO and co-founder of Oncobit. The investors' commitment shows "the confidence they have in our ability to drive innovation in the field of cancer monitoring and to realize our vision of enabling personalized cancer care," Scheckel continued.

Oncobit offers various test methods, such as Oncobit DxM for the examination of tissue samples and Oncobit LBM for the examination of blood samples from melanoma patients. Melanoma, also known as black skin cancer, is the most malignant form of all skin cancers, according to the University Hospital Zurich.

Oncobit has received a CE mark for its product Oncobit PM BRAFV600, which is used to monitor response to treatment of minimal residual disease and disease recurrence in melanoma.

Oncobit was founded by doctors and scientists from the University Hospital Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich(ETH) and is based in the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich. ce/gba

The canton of Zurich and SBB want to expand public transport services with self-driving vehicles. The vehicles, which could potentially be operated "cost-effectively and flexibly", could improve services in rural areas and conurbations in particular, the two partners explain in a joint press release. The first step will be taken next spring with a pilot project in the Furttal valley. It is intended to provide SBB and the Canton of Zurich with insights into possible business models, forms of service, costs and operation of automated public transport.

During the test phase from spring 2025, the vehicles will be manned by safety drivers while the control system is gradually automated. Once the test phase is complete, the now autonomous vehicles will be monitored by a control center and can request human assistance if necessary. Initially, several self-driving cars are to be made available in the Furttal valley, which can be ordered for a fee via the project app. There are later plans to expand the service to include automated minibuses, which will run both on scheduled services and on individual orders. ce/hs

SBB and the Canton of Zurich are convinced that automated services offer great opportunities, particularly in public transport. They can potentially be operated cost-effectively and flexibly. This will further improve services, especially in rural areas and conurbations. The project partners have joined forces to promote the potential of automated public transport services in Switzerland, as the technology has made significant progress in recent years.

The focus of the pilot project is on the further development of local public transport services through the use of automated vehicles as feeder vehicles to and from the station. The aim is to gain insights into the future framework conditions for automated services on the road (business models, forms of service, costs, operation). These findings should help to shape the public transport of the future.

The pilot project - step by step towards an offer for the population

Automated means that the vehicles take part in regular road traffic without a human being at the wheel. They are controlled by software that records the surroundings with the help of numerous sensors. At the same time, the vehicles are monitored by a central control center. Safety is a top priority for the project partners. The pilot project is therefore being closely monitored by the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). To ensure safety in all situations, the vehicles can request human assistance if necessary. The start of the test phase with the automated cars is scheduled for spring 2025.

Once the test phase has been successfully completed, the public will be able to use the service in the Furttal valley. Initially, several cars will be available, which can be ordered for a fee via the project app. The vehicle would pick up passengers at a defined stop nearby and take them to their desired destination. In a later stage, minibuses will also be used.

The services are intended to supplement existing public transport in the pilot region. In this way, practical insights can be gained for automated public transport services. At the same time, the region can benefit from an extended mobility offering in terms of time and location. Depending on the type of service and demand, the minibuses operate on a scheduled or on-demand basis.

The pilot region - supplementing public transport services in rural areas

The project partners have chosen the Furttal as the pilot region. It is ideally suited for the project due to its settlement structure, its size and its existing public transport network with a central S-Bahn line. For local residents, the project will provide improved access to the S-Bahn stops and a more varied public transport service in the region.

The municipalities of the Furttal are actively involved in the project, helping to shape it and driving it forward together with the project partners. The municipalities and project partners attach great importance to involving the local population in the process. The public will be invited to an initial information event in January.

Next steps - Preparation of the test operation

In the coming weeks and months, the necessary foundations for the test phase will be further prepared. Before the automated vehicles are used on the road, the technology for automated driving is calibrated in the future area of use so that the vehicles can adapt optimally to the behavior of other road users. To this end, the vehicles are initially accompanied by safety drivers in test operation before the control system is gradually automated.

The project partners - building on shared strengths

The project partners SBB and the Canton of Zurich have entrusted the Swiss Transit Lab (STL) with the practical implementation of the project. The Canton of Zurich is providing start-up funding of CHF 3.8 million, while SBB is financing the project with CHF 1 million per year over the maximum project duration of five years. Other partners such as Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal (VBG) and Eurobus are providing operational and strategic support for the project. Negotiations with the technology partners are in the final stages. The project partners are open to further partners and are already in talks with potential interested parties.

Hawa Sliding Solutions, based in Mettmenstetten, is the winner of the Prix SVC Wirtschaftsraum Zürich 2024 organized by the Swiss Venture Club(SVC) in Gümligen. According to a press release, an independent, regional jury of experts selected the global provider of sliding solutions from five finalists.

Second and third place went to Schneider Umweltservice from Meilen and RepRisk from Zurich. LUZI from Dietlikon (4th place) and Hauenstein AG from Rafz (5th place) also made it to the final.  

Jury president Christopher Blaufelder, Partner at McKinsey & Company Switzerland, praised the quality and innovative strength of Hawa Sliding Solutions. "It shows that sliding doors are far more than just practical building elements. They make entire room sections invisible, transform them into design elements and combine functionality with aesthetics at the highest level," he is quoted as saying in the press release.

According to the family-run company, 240 employees at two locations create sliding solutions for furniture, doors, partition walls and façades. "Our solutions inspire architects, designers and fabricators to come up with ideas that they can successfully implement together with us."

The Swiss Venture Club has awarded the regional SME prize for the ninth time. According to the independent association for the promotion and support of Swiss SMEs, the award is based on various criteria such as innovative products, services, corporate culture, quality of employees and management as well as a sustainable track record. ce/heg

The Geneva-based LIAN Group has fully acquired the assets of Hair & Skin Medical AG from Winterthur. According to a press release, LIAN intends to significantly expand its portfolio in the healthcare sector. The company has decided to continue the Hair & Skin brand and the branches in five cantons.

According to the press release, LIAN is working closely with the management of Hair & Skin to resume operations in the short term. The first two locations in Bern and Lausanne will open on November 18.

"We firmly believe in Hair & Skin's original vision of offering first-class hair and skin treatments in a medical retail model," said Julian Brosch, Managing Director at LIAN Group, in the press release. "Together with the new management, we have expressly decided to retain the Hair & Skin brand. In future, however, the focus will be on medical excellence and close, long-term support for patients."

The LIAN Group had already acquired the cosmeceutical company Scientis earlier in the year. ce/ww

The German design agency MILK has moved into its first office in Switzerland. It focuses on food packaging and branding and has its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main. It has branches in Hamburg and Munich.

With the opening of the Zurich office, "we are not only shortening the distances to our customers, but can also respond even more closely to their specific needs", Managing Director Andreas Milk is quoted as saying in a press release. According to the statement, MILK offers "the ideal mix of local understanding and international experience" thanks to the proximity of the Zurich office to Germany and the scalable resources of the team there.

With its presence in Zurich, MILK is sending out a clear signal of the importance of the Swiss market. This is characterized by high quality standards and strong business ethics. The agency not only wants to deepen existing partnerships, but also "win new clients who rely on forward-looking design and strategic brand management".

"We see ourselves as a partner of change," says Andreas Milk. "With our expertise and passion, we support brands in becoming future-proof and distinctive - always with a view to the special requirements of the Swiss market." ce/mm

A new era has dawned in space travel. The so-called New Space is no longer dominated exclusively by state actors, but increasingly also by private companies. After all, space offers huge economic potential: according to a McKinsey study, an estimated 1.8 trillion US dollars in turnover is possible by 2035.

"The Canton of Zurich is well prepared for this," said Markus Müller, Co-Head of Business and Economic Development Division for the Canton of Zurich, in his presentation on the New Space Economy. "Our location could become an innovation hub for those who think outside the box."

Production facilities in space

Oliver Ullrich, Director of the Space Hub at the University of Zurich, shares this opinion. "We are on the brink of a huge industrial revolution." Today, space is still mainly used for research, but in the future, companies will also produce there. This is because zero gravity is perfect for many industries: for the production of semiconductors, glass fibers and, above all, biomedical products such as medicines or even human organs. "Production in space makes sense and saves money," Ullrich is convinced.

Ullrich sees an opportunity for space as a production location at the end of the International Space Station (ISS), where many insights into weightlessness could be gained. The ISS will be decommissioned in 2030. "This will free up a lot of resources that were previously used for their operation. This will enable us to make a quantum leap."

The key factors for the success of production facilities in space are costs, reliability and the frequency of transportation between Earth and the space station. In addition, the cost-intensive training of astronauts needs to be reconsidered: "Professions in space will become much more diverse," says Ullrich.

Many start-ups in the innovation hub of Zurich

Numerous Swiss companies are already in space today - including many start-ups that are supported and financed by the ESA Business Incubation Center Switzerland. According to Nanja Strecker, Head of ESA BIC Switzerland, these are mainly young companies that develop technologies and materials for space travel, as well as companies that use data generated in space on Earth. "Every one of us uses data from space every day," said Strecker at the panel discussion. "For example, when we use navigation systems or weather apps."

Companies that produce goods for Earth in space and those that only operate in space are still in the minority. However, this could change if hurdles for start-ups are further reduced, says Strecker. Today, there is still a lack of funding and talent. "Competition in the industry is fierce. And the big US tech companies pay higher salaries than a Zurich start-up," says Strecker.

From old to new space

The pace of development is currently being set in the USA, said Holger Wentscher, Senior Vice President Programs Launchers at Beyond Gravity. Beyond Gravity (formerly Ruag Space) manufactures parts for the European Ariane rockets, among other things, and is one of the long-established companies in the industry. According to Wentscher, the successful transfer to the new era is key for the so-called "old space" companies. This succeeds if you find the right niche in the New Space with developments that have already been made.

One of the biggest challenges, however, was the successful market entry in the USA. Wentscher: "Swiss industry must stick together here. That is the basis that is needed."

LocalStack has secured 25 million dollars in Series A financing. The round was led by the Californian investment firm Notable Capital from Menlo Park. Existing investors CRV and Heavybit from San Francisco have also participated. "This milestone marks a pivotal moment for LocalStack," it said in a statement, "as we continue our mission to put developers in control of cloud development and help organizations develop faster, better and more efficiently."

Founded in 2021, the Zurich-based start-up has so far made it possible to run complete AWS environments on its platform on local computers, thereby increasing developers' speed and reducing cloud dependencies. According to the data, this platform is used for 8 million sessions per week, has 280 million Docker calls and over 900 paying customers, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, including SiriusXM and Chime.

According to the press release, this funding opens up "new opportunities to expand LocalStack's capabilities and go beyond AWS". For example, "current insights into Snowflake and our roadmap for an Azure emulator" would enable LocalStack to support multi-cloud strategies. "The expansion beyond AWS will strengthen LocalStack's role as the de facto platform for local cloud development and enable new use cases such as developing cross-cloud integrations or testing cloud migrations." ce/mm

Myant Corp, based in the Canadian province of Ontario, has acquired two companies from the Greater Zurich Area, Nanoleq from Rümlang and Osmotex from Thalwil. According to a press release, the Canadian company will also set up its headquarters for Europe and the Middle East in the canton of Zurich. Myant is a supplier of advanced materials for the healthcare sector. It uses artificial intelligence in textile interfaces that function like a networked second skin and are designed to enable seamless interaction with the digital world.

Myant CEO Tony Chahine welcomes Nanoleq to the Myant Group "with great enthusiasm". The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich develops elastic electrical cables, dry electrodes and biosensor technologies known as bodyGuards. These components for intelligent sportswear and workwear enable vital functions to be monitored in real time, for example by wearing a T-shirt while jogging, cycling or at the gym. "The combination of Nanoleq's know-how in the field of electrically conductive silicones for biosensor technology with Myant's medical expertise makes this acquisition a logical step," says Nanoleq CEO Vincent Martinez.

The DeepTech company Osmotex had already formed a joint venture with Myant in 2019. Its technologies, developed jointly with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, enable precise control of moisture and particles in membranes and textiles with their billions of channels or pores. According to Tony Chahine, Osmotex technology can be used in a variety of ways, "whether in intelligent wound dressings for rapid healing or in firefighter uniforms to prevent dangerous heat exposure". With Myant, Osmotex CEO Trond Heldal sees his company "now in a position to maximize the benefits of our technologies". ce/mm

Calvin Risk, a company specializing in AI risks, has secured funding of 4 million dollars. According to a press release, the Kloten-based start-up was financed in a seed round led by JoinCapital and seed + speed Ventures. This brings the total amount of financing provided since the company was founded in 2022 to over 5 million dollars.

Calvin Risk, a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH), intends to use the fresh capital to further improve its product development in the field of AI risk assessment for companies and expand its market position. The platform developed by Calvin Risk allows companies to test and monitor the AI solutions they introduce. This ensures that these implementations also comply with the EU AI Act and other legal regulations. The company's platform allows risks in the development and provision of programs created with artificial intelligence to be checked and documented in real time.

"As AI systems become increasingly important to operations, appropriate corporate governance must now include explicit AI risk management at board level," Julian Riebartsch, CEO and founder of Calvin Risk, is quoted as saying in the press release. "Through our governance and risk management platform, we offer companies deep insights into their AI portfolio and enable them to analyze technical, ethical and regulatory risks qualitatively and quantitatively." ce/ww