News from the western front

Ready to go: the consortium behind Campus Biotech in Geneva, comprising Hansjörg Wyss, the Bertarelli family, the University of Geneva and EPFL, has bought the former site of Merck Serono and is now working to implement its ambitious goals. A globally visible beacon of light for the biotech industry is emerging, and one that should obtain its momentum at least in part from the location of start-ups.

This is certainly the message of the week, but there was other good news from western Switzerland. Freiburg solar cell manufacturer g2e has new investors, among them power company Groupe E. This increases the chances that EPFL professor Michael Grätzel’s revolutionary photocell technology can at last reach a new commercial level.

Also from the Lake Geneva region comes news of medtech start-up Nano Bridging Molecules SA, which has just been awarded the Technology Innovation Leadership Award by consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, and social media company Urturn, which has recently generated risk capital to the tune of USD 13.4 million.

The lead investor is Balderton Capital, one of the three leading venture capital investment firms in Europe. Switzerland is not new territory to the London firm, however, as it is already invested in HouseTrip.

Apropos HouseTrip, the business won the 2012 Top 100 Startup Award from the Institute for Young Entrepreneurs (St. Gallen) and trade newspaper Handelszeitung (Zurich). The competition is taking place again this year, and from now start-ups based in Switzerland have an opportunity to attract the jury's attention.

 Good luck and a super weekend.

Jost Dubacher

Managing Editor, startupticker.ch