Diagnostic and cleantech start-ups get the first CHF150,000 “Kicks” of 2020

For 2020, the philanthropic initiative is allocating CHF5 million to 80 new innovative startup projects. In a multi-stage process, spin-offs from universities can receive up to CHF 150,000. Venture Kick has now announced the first start-ups that have successfully completed the process in 2020.

Endotelix Diagnostics (Geneva): Point-of-care diagnostic for autoimmune disease

The Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), an autoimmune disorder, is the leading cause of stroke among young people and is considered to be responsible for over 100,000 miscarriages per year in Europe only and over 10,000 preventable strokes, generating over half a billion Swiss francs in health costs. Current diagnostics solutions do unfortunately not allow for early diagnostic of APS, being expensive, insensitive, laboratory and time-consuming. Endotelix aims to bring a reliable 20 minutes point-of-care test to an estimated 6 billion Swiss francs global market, offering millions of people the ability to be rapidly and easily diagnosed and have their illness managed earlier. Feasibility studies have already started and the company, a spin-off from the University of Geneva, is currently closing a funding round to bring its first diagnostic test to market.

Karim Brandt, co-founder, and CEO, shared his impressions about winning Stage 3: “Venture Kick gives you a good boost in the right direction. It's easy to do too much, and the feedback helped us to refocus on the things that matter. Also, Venture Kick helped us to get visibility with several investors who we are now talking to.”

Cowa Thermal Solutions (Luzern): Thermal energy storage with high energy density

Cowa Thermal Solutions, a University of Applied Sciences of Luzern spin-off, has developed a unique technology that offers an up to factor four higher energy density than conventional systems. Applied to thermal storage water tanks used in private houses, this new solution will allow consumers to boost the self-consumption of energy produced by solar systems from currently 30% to up to 70%. The company aims to bring its first product to market by 2021 allowing for a significant increase in the use of renewable energy. Their solution will apply to all domestic and industrial applications where the storage of cold and heat with high compactness is required.

Remo Waser, Cowa Thermal Solutions’ co-founder, also commented on Venture Kick: “Venture Kick helped us enormously in defining our business model. Initially, we had a different understanding of scalability and it would have been easy to make mistakes because of it. Instead, we are now focusing on one case, that has a value, which we can then sell on a scale.”

(Press release / SK)