Medtech and Cleantech startups in the global spotlight

Onward Medical –Medical Device Engineering Breakthrough” Award
This year’s Medical Device Engineering Breakthrough” Award program attracted more than 3,850 nominations from over 17 different countries worldwide. MedTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global health and medical technology market selected 106 companies as winners. Switzerland’s ONWARD is among them. ONWARD’s researchers have discovered targeted spinal cord stimulation can help people with spinal cord injury walk and recover other functions. ONWARD’s ARC Therapy, which can be delivered by implantable (ARC-IM) or external (ARC-EX) systems, is designed to deliver targeted, programmed stimulation of the spinal cord to restore movement and other functions, ultimately improving quality of life. Both ONWARD’s technology platforms have been awarded Breakthrough Device Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Rheonics – FTA Technical Innovation Award 
Rheonics InkSight, a breakthrough multi-station ink viscosity control system to boost flexo print quality with automation and digitalization, has won the 2021 FTA Technical Innovation Award. RPS InkSight is a highly accurate Multi-station ink viscosity control system. It consists of three subsystems, a viscosity sensor, a predictive tracking controller, and a powerful, intuitive graphical interface. It delivers color excellence through tight viscosity control. Rheonics RPS InkSight Predictive Tracking Controller and SRV viscometers enable tight viscosity control throughout the print job, due to the system’s ability to autonomously maintain viscosity within extremely narrow limits. Printers can achieve unmatched color accuracy and quality with the RPS InkSight system and ColorLock software –which is designed in collaboration with printers, for printers. 

SmartHelio – SolarPower Europe
Selected by the jury and the audience, cleantech startup SmartHelio is the category winner of the fourth annual Solar Startup Award. The startup offers real-time and automated solutions to make solar plants greener and to increase performance. This is achieved by restoring the life of solar panels through its patent-pending hardware and deep diagnostic technology. As a winner, the startup took home a cash prize of €5000 and won a one-year membership at SolarPower Europe, and gained the change to demonstrate its innovation to a global audience.

Five Swiss startups - InvestHorizon
A team of more than 150 investors evaluated different solutions presented during the InvestHorizon pitching events. The final selection saw the nomination of 43 companies with six of them from Switzerland. These are 

Category: digital 
Securaxis – turns sound into actionable insights for monitoring and exploitation of urban sound to improve cities’ operations while saving money and to answer citizens’ worries about privacy and sustainability. 

Swissvault – provides organizations with technology, that combines hardware and software solutions, for economical, resilient and environmentally sustainable data management. Swiss Vault's modular "Green Technology" solution enables 100 year data storage while reducing costs.

Komp-act – produces highly efficient, lightweight and programmable electric motion technologies such as linear actuators, direct-drive grippers and electronics controllers.

Category: Health
Xsensio – develops the first “Lab-on-SkinTM” wearable sensing platform for next-generation wearable solutions: a modular sensing tool able to continuously detect biomarkers at the surface of the human skin to provide real-time continuous information. 

Category: Sustainability 
Bloom biorenewables – aims at making biomass a true alternative to petroleum. The novel technology enables integral valorization of plants by efficient separation & upgrading of abundant biomass components (cellulose, hemicellulose & lignin)

Zahphiro – helps electrical utilities to guarantee resilient electrical grids by mitigating the destabilizing effects of Distributed Energy Resources (e.g., renewables, electric vehicles, batteries, etc.) and by reducing the impact of blackouts on electricity consumers. 

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