Focus on the customer

Dear reader

Bring! sales were 240% higher in the first quarter of 2021 than in the same quarter of the previous year. The start-up earns money with advertising campaigns in its shopping list app for well-known manufacturers, such as Nestlé, Dr. Oetker and Coca Cola, and for retail chains, including EDEKA, Lidl and Migros.

Nikin is also on the rise: four years after its launch, it has achieved sales of CHF 13 million with its fair and sustainable fashion made in Europe. It wants to grow further with expansion into Germany and an increased presence on TikTok.

In contrast to their technical brilliance, customer proximity is not a traditional strength of Swiss start-ups. But founders apparently know exactly where to get the money to ensure the long-term development of their company.

VRM Switzerland has received approval from the European supervisory authority EASA for its first VR simulator for helicopters. This means that for the first time helicopter pilots can count training hours in the simulator as part of their flight training. The reaction from customers has been very positive, with Norway’s largest inland domestic helicopter company already planning to set up a training centre.

Almer works in a related field: the start-up develops augmented reality glasses for remote industrial monitoring. It is already working with potential customers well before the market launch next year, and Huber + Suhner, a well-known Swiss industrial group, has signed up for a pilot project.

Geberit, another successful Swiss group, has invested in medtech start-up Spiden. The USD 18 million financing round was led by digital health company Ormera, with other investors including b-to-v Partners, Daniel Gutenberg and Young Sohn, former Chief Strategy Officer at Samsung. The start-up’s vision of a continuous real-time analysis of biomarkers and drugs in the blood is intended to improve health and prolong life. Spiden was founded and is led by serial entrepreneur Leo Grünstein.

Jens Kelm, who co-founded PreComb Therapeutics after his time at InSphero, has plenty of experience: this week the life sciences start-up closed a financing round of CHF 2.2 million. Two more deep-tech start-ups from the life sciences sector prevailed at Venture Kick: Alithea Genomics and LifeMatrix.

The Swiss Entrepreneurs Foundation’s UpScaler programme supports start-ups with international growth. At Startup Days on 23 June, the start-up team will offer a shortened 360° analysis. Successful start-ups will have access to the programme – applications are open until 10 May.

Venturelab organises a series of bootcamps for different verticals, where start-ups are able to meet corporates. Applications are open until this Sunday for the next two camps on the topics of sustainability, circular economy, cleantech and food tech and retail tech.

Have a cozy weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch