MassChallenge Switzerland 2020 Awardees revealed

The top 12 prize winning startups were selected following an online pitch, during which the startups demonstrated their growth and impact. The 2020 prize winners reflect MassChallenge Switzerland’s ongoing commitment to diversity: 50% of the top startups have at least one female founder.

2020 MassChallenge Switzerland Winners

CHF 150K Diamond Winner
SGMA (Sol-Gel Materials & Applications) (United Kingdom): SGMA barrier coating replaces plastic in potecting fibre & metal packaging. It is 100% plastic free, biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable.

CHF 65K Platinum Winners
DePoly (Switzerland): The start-up closes the loop of PET recycling, saving 2,000 gallons of gasoline/ton of plastic and reducing the energy to make new PET bottles by 66%.

Naturbeads (United Kingdom): Replaces fossil-fuel based polluting plastic microbeads with natural and biodegradable cellulose beads. 

CHF 20K Gold Winners
Limula (Switzerland): Its automated manufacturing platform enables the production of personalised cell therapy at scale, directly at the patient bedside.

Neustark (Switzerland): Enabling circular and carbon neutral production of concrete by turning CO2 into minerals.

Readily3D (Switzerland): Develops the fastest 3D bioprinters in the world.

CHF 10K Silver Winners
Urban Connect (Switzerland): The company delivers an ecosystem of shared low carbon vehicles to corporates that meets all their mobility needs.

AEROPOWDER (United Kingdom): Created pluumo, the world's first sustainable thermal packaging material made from surplus feathers, designed for food deliveries.

Exomys - Augmented Humanity GmbH (Austria): Develops passive exoskeletons for industrial application. Our goal is to rise productivity and prevent occupational diseases.

IBISA (Luxembourg): Enables the next generation of insurance for agriculture entrepreneurs, harnessing the use of satellite data and blockchain. 

Orange Fiber (Italy): The Italian company that patented and manufactures sustainable and innovative fabrics from citrus juice by-products.

TechnoCarbon (France): Disruptive technologies create a path forward towards sustainable architecture, industry and cities, protecting climate & life.

Best Corporate Innovation Team
Re2Be - Givaudan (Switzerland): Enables FMCG companies to exploit their waste streams and achieve sustainability goals by joint development at our innovation centre.

Addition in-kind prizes for startups
Held on October 29, 2020, the MassChallenge Switzerland Virtual Awards Ceremony brought together more than 400 viewers from all corners of the world for a hybrid in-person/digital live event. In addition to the CHF 400,000 provided by MassChallenge Switzerland, its partners also awarded in-kind prizes worth more than CHF 200,000 to startups in the 2020 cohort: Mazars will provide one year of accountancy worth CHF 10K to DePoly, Urban Connect and Limula; Reuteler & Cie will provide 12 hours of IP services to Naturbeads, Orange Fiber, Aeropowder, Technocarbon, Neustark and Readily3D; and Kellerhals Carrard will provide 12 hours of legal services to Redily3D, Neustark, DePoly, Urban Connect, Aeropowder, and Technocarbon.

“Wow! 2020’s cohort was fantastic, and it was great to see the getting the accolades and no-strings-attached cash prizes at the Awards. These entrepreneurs have bold game-changing ideas and I’m glad that the MassChallenge Switzerland Community has helped them accelerate innovation that will add value to our economy and improve society. These startups are role models to others - and it’s great to see that seven of our 12 winners had women pitching as co-founders, CEOs or Directors”- said Matt Lashmar, Managing Director of MassChallenge Switzerland.

In June, MassChallenge Switzerland welcomed 89 early-stage startups from 22 countries, spanning more than 4 continents, to its first-ever virtual accelerator. Over the course of the accelerator, the MassChallenge Switzerland team connected participating startups with the resources, partnerships, and networks that helped them grow. The startups participated in 1,081 one-to-one meetings during a Mentor Matching event; 192 meetings during Investors Day; 142 Demo Day and Partner Demo pitches, and 188 active corporate-startup exchanges.

(Press release / ES)

Picture: Samantha Anderson, CEO DePoly