Busy times ahead for four startups

TheJourney program has selected Parquery among the companies participating in the open innovation program by Beta-i collaborative innovation. The program brings together startups with industry leaders to tackle critical airport challenges. The theme for this year is "Creating a more sustainable and efficient future for air travel". Using AI, Parquery’s solution analyses any image from any camera to detect objects and provide real-time results to customers in the smart city - smart mobility sectors. The smart parking solution provides real-time results on both parking occupancy and exact parking duration to customers. During the program, Parquery and its counterparts will work on their solutions with industry giants including Turismo de Portugal, ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal, SA, SIXT and Bolt. 

rrreefs winner Ocean Changemakers Challenge 2024
The Economist Impact’s World Ocean Initiative (WOI) Ocean Changemakers Challenge supports startups developing innovative solutions to promote the well-being of our oceans while fostering economic growth. Swiss startup rrreefs is one of such companies. It developed a modular coral reef restoration system that enables corals to settle and grow, creating resilient and self-sufficient marine ecosystems.  Their current prototype is a modular system of 3D-printed “rrreef” bricks made out of pure clay. Their pilot installation has already increased fish biodiversity and coral growth in San Andrés, Colombia. Winning the Ocean Changemakers Challenge allows them to collaborate with Ted Janulis, founder and principal at Investable Oceans, who will provide them with guidance and mentorship for the year.

ORamaVR joins Nvidia Inception
The prestigious NVIDIA Inception program has welcomed its new cohort, with ORamaVR among the selected startups that will join the program. The team will get access to valuable resources – including technical training, preferred pricing on NVIDIA hardware and software, free cloud credits, dedicated technological support, access to the latest NVIDIA GPU technology for optimal performance and a network to further revolutionize the field of medical training and simulation. ORamaVR is transforming the medical extended reality (XR) training sector with its IT software platform called MAGES™ SDK (Software Development Kit). This platform empowers institutions and developers to massively create high-fidelity medical XR simulations eight times faster and for one-eighth of the cost relative to current industry standards. These state-of-the-art simulations can thus quickly and more affordably be made available to hospitals, medical device companies, medical schools and medical training centers to train and assess their medical professionals.

SOORT selected for Circularity Hub Impact Program in Berlin
SOORT, the 2022-founded startup based in Winterthur, is using artificial intelligence to fight over-consumption. Through its AI shopping assistant, the company gives customers access to a range of sustainable products that align with their values, thereby helping them to shop more consciously. SOORT has been selected to participate in the Circularity Hub Impact Program, led by the visionary Richard Georg Engström from IBMS and organized by NEEW Ventures. The support obtained through this program will enable SOORT to refine its business model, enhance its impact, and collaborate with like-minded peers.

Two only Swiss startup in Forbes 30Under30 Europe
Scandens provides an all-in-one software solution for real estate consultants and managers to quantify and understand the energy performance and climate impact of buildings and create feasible, profitable and 1.5°C-compliant renovation plans. Alongside raising almost $2 million, the ETH spinoff has scrutinized 6,000 properties, optimizing over 700 structures for cost-effective and CO2-efficient refurbishment. This has resulted in projected savings of €100 million and a reduction of almost 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions over 25 years. Its co-founder, Kuba Szczesniak has been selected for the 2024 Forbes 30Under30 Europe compilation in the category of manufacturing and industry. 

Arshya Shahheydari, Co-founder of Bern-based company Togeco is also on the list under the category Social Impact. The startup sells reusable foil made of platinum silicone that can replace baking paper, cling film and aluminium foil. Withstanding temperatures from -40 to +240 °C, the foil has a shelf life of up to 2 years. Since its founding in 2022, Togeco claims its product has replaced over 10,000 kilometers of single-use foil. The bootstrapped startup is projecting nearly $2 million in revenue this year.

Winners at BOOM Summit
BOOM Summit, held on 10-12 April, gave 12 healthtech startups the chance to present their solutions to the audience and investors as part of the Innovation Showcase. The top three startups presented their final pitches, inviting attendees to vote for the most promising ventures. Swiss startup aiEndoscospic, which uses artificial intelligence and robotics to develop assistive and autonomous solutions, won the first-place prize of CHF 7000. Kapsly Ventures also held an award competition at the BOOM summit, recognizing MediRapp AG as the winner. The Zurich based startup is transforming the global ultrasound diagnostics market with AI/ML powered digital solutions that boost workflow efficiency and improve patient outcomes. As a price, the startup will receive services worth CHF 20'000 for free and potentially over CHF 30'000 for equity if strategic partnerships shall be forged.

(RAN)