Swiss start-ups cause a stir at international competitions

Swiss start-ups have to address international markets, partners and investors from the beginning. Competitions are a good way of getting some attention. More and more Swiss companies take part in international competitions and they are successful. Some recent examples:

ScanTrust - Protects brands from counterfeiting using a secure and unique identifier, which is tracked on a cloud-enabled platform. The spin-off from EPFL was selected for the EY Startup Challenge. an intensive eight-week accelerator programme, starting on 8 June 2015, offering mentoring from industry-leaders, training workshops and investor networking opportunities. This Challenge is focused on technologies developed to help businesses improve their interactions with their customers and to heighten visibility along their supply chain to avoid shocks and minimise risk. Ten start-ups from across Europe have been selected.

The Fotokite is a tethered flying camera for journalists to easily access aerial perspectives to tell their stories better, without the complications and disruption of traditional drones. Fotokite made it to the finals of the Startup for News competition. This is an  international  competition organized by the Global Editors Network that rewards the most innovative start-ups disrupting the media industry. With this programme, GEN is helping create interaction between start-up innovators and senior media executives, thus encouraging the implementation of innovative practices in the newsroom. For start-up innovators, this programme is THE platform to access senior executives who can take them to the next level. For media executives, it is a unique opportunity to discover the tools that will shape the future of journalism and to get a fresh perspective on media innovation from the most cutting-edge entrepreneurs.

Biowatch and Rovenso are member of the venture leaders team and will travel to Boston and New York along with the other members of the Swiss national startup team this week. According to tweets and LinkedIn post both were also selected for the semi-finals of the Hello Tomorrow Challenge. Biowatch provides a wearable biometric solution as an alternative to passwords, PIN codes, badges, cards, keys and signature. Rovenso’s goal is to design, manufacture and market agile Remote Operated Vehicles that preserve human life from hazardous operations in nuclear decommissioning and emergency response. The Hello Tomorrow Challenge is a global start-up competition covering all major field of technology. Winners get visibility, mentoring and cash prizes. This year 3600 companies applied.