Multiple startups on the winners' podium

SURI BioTech, a specialist in the development of science-backed bacterial strains and patented as supplements and food ingredients, is one of the startups selected to participate in the Madrid Food Innovation Hub Accelerator program, which is dedicated to accelerating food technologies by supporting startups tackling the multiple challenges facing the agri-food sector in the area of sustainability, business efficiency and food security. During the next 3 months, Suri Biotech and its 14 counterparts will get access to infrastructure, industry experts to guide it through the refinement of its business concept as it prepares for the market launch.

Jua selected for AI 100
Using tens of millions of data points to provide precise forecasts, Jua from Freienbach (Canton Schwyz) developed the first end-to-end deep learning model, a “Large Physics Model” for nature, that can predict the weather accurately, precisely, and more quickly than traditional solutions. Jua has been selected for the 8th annual AI 100 list of CB insights - a ranking of the 100 most promising private AI companies in the world.

KOA World Food Innovation Award
The World Food Innovation Awards 2024 has awarded Koa Switzerland the “Best CSR/Sustainability Initiative” at the FoodBev Awards ceremony. This recognition reinforces the startup’s mission to reduce food waste in the cocoa industry. In collaboration with local cocoa farmers in Ghana, the Koa upscales the previously discarded cocoa pulp, allowing farmers to secure additional revenue streams, create new jobs in rural areas and avoid food waste. The BCorp company commercializes the resulting products (juice, cocoa flakes or choco flakes) that can be used as sweeteners or flavours in the gastronomy and F&B industry.

European Entrepreneurship Award goes to Isochronic
The EU Robotics Entrepreneurship Award 2024 went to Isochronic AG in recognition of their paradigm-shifting innovation in pick&place robotics. The event ceremony was part the European Robotics Forum 2024, held in Rimini, Italy, in March. Isochronic pitched to a panel of technology investment experts. Isochronic is pioneering the concept of simultaneous industrial robotics, enabling more efficient pick & place operations by allowing robots to multi-task.  Its technology multiplies the throughput, increases flexibility, lowers factory floorspace and enables significant energy savings for global manufacturers.

Verbier Summit Startup Contest
Among the 100+ applications submitted for the Verbier Summit Startup Competition, Swiss startup Voltiris stood out with its specialised photovoltaic modules for greenhouses, winning the grand prize and category Energy transition. Based in Lausanne, Voltiris’s modules separate the light components, transmitting the required light for photosynthesis to the crops while converting the remaining light into renewable energy without affecting crop productivity. Four additional startups also won prizes in different categories; Pelt8, which makes efficient & simple sustainability reporting accessible for Swiss SMEs, won the category Green Fintech, while Urbio, the provider of geospatial energy solar machine learning solutions won the category Big Data for Climate and Sustainability. The Circular Economy award went to B'ZEOS, which develops sustainable packaging from seaweed, while the category prize in decarbonization went to EPFL spinoff Divea.

Qaptis joins remove Accelerator
The European CDR Startup Accelerator – remove – has selected 20 early-stage startups dedicated to carbon removal for the program. Among the participants is the Switzerland-based company Qaptis, which developed a new technology to capture up to 90% of the CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and ships. Unlike transitioning to electric or hydrogen vehicles, Qaptis's system can be easily installed on existing fleets without requiring major infrastructure changes. During 9 months, the program will provide the cohort with training, 1-on-1 coaching, access to experts, buyers, investors, other CDR ecosystem stakeholders, and non-dilutive funding to support their development.

PriceHubble among WealthTech100 companies
The latest edition of the WealthTech100 by FinTech Global, a specialist research firm, features 100 most innovative companies transforming the operations of investment firms, private banks and financial advisors. Following a rigorous evaluation of 1,200 companies, PriceHubble made it to the top 100, along with established Swiss companies such as SwissQuant, WealthArc and Tindeco. PiceHubble provides performance data solutions for finance and real estate to support smart decision-making. The B2B company, with over 200 employees and offices in seven countries, serves a broad customer base comprising banks, wealth management firms, mortgage lenders, risk and insurance companies, investors, developers, property managers and real estate agents with its digital solutions.

Composite Recycling wins prize in Monaco
Composite Recycling took home the top prize of the startup category in the Monaco Smart Yacht 2024 Startup Innovation Award competition, held on 21 and 22 March as part of the Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous. The event brought together innovators to demonstrate their products, connect with the industry and inspire positive change. The Ecublens (VD)-based startup showcased its technology that transforms composite waste Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GFRP) from boats and wind turbines into oil and high-quality glass fibres that can be reused to manufacture new composites and decarbonated plastics. It achieves this using a thermal process called pyrolysis to separate the fibres from the resin, such that the reclaimed outputs are reusable in new production.

(RAN)