The Top 10 finalists of the Swisscom Startup Challenge are…

This year Swisscom celebrates its sixth Swisscom StartUp Challenge, a competition organised in partnership with Venturelab that offers Swiss high-tech start-ups in the early and extension stage with international growth ambitions an opportunity to take part in a business acceleration programme in Silicon Valley.

Since its launch, the program organisers have processed 851 applications out of which only 50 have reached the finalist's stage. 26 startups are currently holding their titles as winners and have received CHF 73m from Swisscom Ventures and other investors. This year Swisscom continues to scout for the next cohort that will benefit from its program. Ten startups have made it to the finals.

These are:

AAAccell – is a spin-off company of the University of Zurich, with 13 employees. The startup develops high-tech software solutions for the finance industry in the field of asset- and risk management based on the newest breakthroughs in science.

v-Labs – is a software company that develops a specialized Augmented Reality (AR) application for excavation works. The solution allows excavator operators to increase the efficiency of their work and reduce damages done to underground infrastructures.

HumanAI – enables smartphone users to protect, control, and monetize their personal data for artificial intelligence by providing a privacy-preserving data exchange system. The system uses blockchain technology and edge computing to run AI models directly on the smartphones.

Aitonomi – Develops autopilot software system for self-driving robots to automate industrial, urban and rural logistics while minimizing the ecological footprint of transport by up to 90%.

Dotphoton – is a quantum-inspired raw image compression solution that makes raw images up to 10 times smaller with a strong guarantee that quality is preserved, saving a corresponding amount of time and money.

Exeon Analytics – the startup fights advanced cyberattacks using algorithms. The ExeonTrace security analytics and visualization software enables companies to understand their network traffic and detect hidden cyberattacks and data breaches faster.

Technis – commercializes smart flooring solutions for people flow management and monitoring in complex environments. By equipping sensitive areas, the company can to track people activity and deliver precise, real-time monitoring of people entering and leaving different areas for better resource optimization and security.

Sentifi – uses machine learning to rank and listening to over 14 million financial influencers and connect them to events that are affecting global assets. The insights provided enable companies to make better investment decisions. Over 50 of the world’s leading financial publications across nine countries use the solution to attract new customers, retain them and drive additional revenue.

ROVENSO – the EPFL startup is developing agile robots for sensing in challenging and harsh environments. The startup is running pilot projects with paying customers in China and Switzerland, respectively in the field of firefighting and security surveillance.

Futurae – offers a secure authentication portfolio. Sound-based, sensor-fusion and other technologies, combined through machine learning, are used for IOT, single device and continuous authentication, transaction signing, and easy device migration.

(RAN)