Biosimo wins the >>Venture>> grand prize

The concluded edition of >>venture>>, Switzerland’s leading startup competition, received 336 applications, with 8 out of 18 finalists hailing from Western Switzerland, specifically cantons Vaud, Geneva, and Jura. After five years, this year’s award ceremony took place in the region to celebrate the grand prize winner, first ranking winners in each vertical and the inauguration of the social impact award for the Non-Profit Organization (NPO) track. There was also an Audience Award presented by RTS.

Biosimo emerged as the winner of the Grand Prize, solidifying its position as Switzerland’s most promising early-stage startup. Their achievements in advancing the transition to a fossil-free chemical industry through low-cost bio-based chemicals propelled them to win the main prize. As the Grand Prize winner, Biosimo was honoured with CHF 150,000 in non-dilutive funds and a McKinsey & Company business consulting package.

First-place winners for Business track
The award ceremony celebrated the top three winners from each industry vertical within the Business track, including Health & Nutrition, ICT, Industrial Engineering & Hardware, Retail & Customer Services, and Finance & Insurance. The respective winners were bestowed with non-dilutive cash prizes of CHF 50,000, CHF 20,000, and CHF 10,000 for achieving the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions, respectively. In addition to cash prizes, all first-place teams in their industry vertical were awarded a business consulting package from McKinsey & Company.

Finance & Insurance
Frigg (Zug, ZG) – builds software for small to mid-sized renewable energy developers to upgrade sustainable finance and streamline the financing workflow, reducing manual efforts and costs.

Health & Nutrition
Diatheris (Geneva, GE): Develops improved therapeutic solutions for type 1 diabetes management, offering an alternative to insulin therapy.

ICT
Bearmind (Lausanne, VD): designs and develops helmet-worn sensors and software for brain injury prevention and cognitive performance monitoring in sports.

Industrials & Engineering
Biosimo (Zurich, ZH): Introducing low-cost bio-based chemicals, reducing CO2 emissions, and advancing the transition to a fossil-free chemical industry.

Retail & Consumer Services
Viatu (Zug, ZG): Facilitating sustainable travel by providing a platform for booking connected trips and promoting sustainable tourism partners.

NPO track winner
The winner of the award’s inaugural NPO Track is Openversum, the born-global startup providing safe drinking water to underserved communities. Their dedication to training local entrepreneurs in Colombia and Ecuador to provide safe drinking water through the manufacturing and distributing household-level filters resonated with the jurors, earning them the coveted 1st place rank. In recognition of their outstanding work, Openversum received CHF 50,000 in non-dilutive funding to help jumpstart their non-profit journeys.

Ulrich Jakob Looser, Chairman of the >>venture>> foundation, said, “By providing a platform for profit-driven and social impact-driven ventures, we help create an environment conducive to driving economic growth and positive change.”

The audience Award went to Zizania
Additionally, the >>venture>> Audience Award presented by RTS, recognized the startups that impressed the audience. Among the five competing Business Track startups, Zizania won first place. The spinoff from Zollinger Bio upcycles plant materials to make natural and organic cosmetic products that are good for humans and the planet. Within the NPO Track, GirlsCodeToo was selected as the winner by the audience. Both startups showcased their strong appeal and alignment with the values of the community. They were rewarded with CHF 10,000 and CHF 2,000, respectively.

(Press release/RAN)
Photo: Sortiria Mostrou