W.A. de Vigier Award : Numerous Cleantech Startups in the Top 16

The Top 16 startups were selected from 60 young companies who presented their ideas to the foundation board, investors and invited guests on Selection Day in mid-February. A total of 192 registrations were received this year. 

"Everyone at our foundation is very happy that we do not only see the startups on paper, but that we get a live and personal impression of the applicants during their 3-minute pitches," says Regula Buob, Managing Director of the W.A. de Vigier Foundation. "We are very pleased with the Top 16. This year, there was a particularly large number of Cleantech startups among the applicants, which is also reflected in the Top 16," continues Buob. 

These are the Top 16 (in alphabetical order) 

Annaida Technologies AG from Lausanne (VD), Medtech
Non-invasive embryo screening for better In-Vitro-Fertilisation (IVF) outcomes 

Bloom Biorenewables AG from Renens (VD), Cleantech
Sustainable alternatives to fossil-based molecules plastics, packaging, food additives or cosmetics.  

BLP Digital AG from Zurich (ZH), ICT
Faster and more reliable info extraction from documents 

CompPair Technologies AG from Lausanne (VD), Cleantech
Healable and sustainable material solutions for the composites industry 

DePoly AG from Sion (VS), Cleantech
Profitable PET recycling with eco-friendly chemicals 

DOKOKI AG from Hindelbank (BE), Medtech
Device for health monitoring of babies at night 

EH Group Engineering AG from Prangins (VD), Cleantech
Innovative fuel cell technology for significantly more compact, lightweight and cheaper energy generators 

FenX AG from Zurich (ZH), Cleantech
Sustainable high-performance insulation for the building industry 

Juvabis AG from Zurich (ZH), Biotech
Next-Generation therapeutics against bacterial infections 

LiVET AG from Berne (BE), Medtech
Rapid and reliable on-site testing for infectious diseases in animals 

Logic Flow AG from Zurich (ZH), ICT
AI bot for automated code migration 

MEMBRASENZ GmbH from Lausanne (VD), Cleantech
Membranes for more efficient hydrogen production 

Microcaps AG from Zurich (ZH), Nano / Micro
Precise microencapsulation on an industrial scale for drugs, aromas or fragrances

Oxara AG from Zurich (ZH), Cleantech
Transforming excavation materials into sustainable building products 

REA from Lausanne (VD), Medtech
A smart pad for at-home preterm birth diagnostics 

Sevensense Robotics AG from Zurich (ZH), ICT
Turning manual ground machines into mobile robots 

Now the Top 16 will go through a leadership assessment and have an in-depth interview with the Foundation Board. The following aspects are relevant for the evaluation of the projects: The entrepreneurial personality, the degree of innovation, the value for society as a whole, the technical and financial viability, market prospects and the potential for job creation. Aspects such as leadership, team leadership and entrepreneurship will also be evaluated as selection criteria. In addition, expert reports will be prepared. The ten best are then selected during two presentation days. On May 19th, the ten finalists will be chosen and will present their highly innovative products to an invited audience at the Award Ceremony on June 3, 2020.