Full risk

Dear reader

Instead of x-rays, tumours can also be irradiated with protons. Since the proton beam can be focused more precisely, the therapy is considered to be particularly gentle. The founders of EBAMed now want to use a proton beam to combat cardiac arrhythmia, as the beam selectively destroys heart tissue. The advantage is that unlike a catheter introduced into the heart, the therapy is non-invasive. The challenge is that the beam must be used while the patient’s heart is beating. Investors believe in the project and have now provided EBAMed with CHF 1.2 million of seed capital.

It is one of the widely shared convictions on the Swiss start-up scene that Swiss founders are not willing to take risks. As a blanket judgement, however, this statement is wrong, as shown by projects in the life sciences: Araris, for example, has the ambitious goal of using its technology to simplify the development of a whole group of medicines. The founders are also showing an ambitious attitude in terms of the speed of the company’s development. Just six months after their entry in the commercial register, they have brought well-known VCs on board, which have put CHF 2.5 million into the company.

Numerous start-ups from the IT industry with ambitious and correspondingly risky plans competed against each other in the finals of the Swisscom Startup Challenge yesterday. The top five will now be able to develop their business in late October in a tailor-made programme in Silicon Valley. Several can build on what they have already achieved – 66% of Gmelius users come from the US.

Life sciences companies Versantis and Peripal are also well on the way. Versantis has reached the clinical phase and the start-up’s drug candidates can be tested on humans for the first time. The device from Peripal, which supports patients in home dialysis, is already on the market. Now, the first three health insurance companies are reimbursing the cost of the device.

And that a unicorn can originate from Switzerland is shown by another example this week. The start-up behind the banking application Numbers has reached a valuation of more than CHF 1 billion after several rounds of financing totalling CHF 200 million – in particular with private investors. Vertainly a good thing in the perception of Switzerland .

Speaking of perception, on 3 September, Digital Day will be held throughout Switzerland, while 15 start-ups will be pitching at Zurich main station. A day later, the ceremony for the Top 100 Swiss Startup Award takes place. Unfortunately, our tickets went in no time; however, we will be reporting live from the event.

Have a good weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch