Venture Kick final: Comfortable Prosthetics and Fuel to Fertilizer projects win

Up to now Venture Kick supported over 530 startup projects have been supported with hands-on coaching and with CHF 21.66 million in pre-seed capital. In 2018, Venture Kick will pay out CHF 3.2 million to idea-stage startup projects. The two startups Swiss Motion Technologies and Daphne Technology won CHF 130,000 each at the Venture Kick final.

Swiss Motion Technologies
On average, 3 in every 10,000 people undergo a major limb amputation every year. The market for custom prosthetic liners is estimated to be at $500 million. What Swiss Motion Technologies is taking to market is a complete production solution that would enable prosthetists to measure and fit their clients with a custom-made liner to reduce friction between the stump and the prosthesis. By providing Orthopedic centers with a 3D scanner, the stump can be accurately measured, modified with the specific requirements and then fed into a 3D printer to produce a custom made silicone sleeve that will perfectly redistribute the pressure across the stump and reduce friction. 

Daphne Technology
Guidelines from the International Maritime Organization state that commercial ships must reduce their emissions of the greenhouse gases SOx by 85% and NOx by 80%, by 2020. Current methods for doing so involve installing an expensive catalytic converter and switching fuel, moves that would cost the commercial shipping industry an estimated $250 billion per year in fuel costs alone.

Daphne Technology wants to develop a catalyst-free dry scrubber. Their technology works by combining exhaust fumes with specific levels of water and ammonia. By performing this under exactly the right temperature and pressure conditions, a chemical reaction takes place that turns exhaust fumes into agricultural fertilizer. Through this Daphne Technology wants to increase efficiency and reduce costs for the new environmental regulations.