July 11, 2014
Prizes and capital for western Swiss start-ups
We have not reported often on financing rounds in recent weeks, but this week two start-ups have managed to bring investors on board. 3BaysOver generated CHF 1.2 million in an over-subscribed financing round, and Sophia Genetics generated nearly $14 million.
3BaysOver operates an online business networking platform for the global tourism industry and Sophia Genetics is a leader in data-driven medicine. However, the two companies have one thing in common: they both come from western Switzerland.
The strength of the French-speaking region in terms of start-ups is nothing new. However, this week the volume of good news from this part of the country was striking. In the Swisscom Challenge Startup, seven of the 10 finalists are from western Switzerland, prompting the organisers to designate the Lausanne region as a start-up hotspot in their press release.
And western Swiss companies have been able to impress international juries too: Lausanne company Novertur was the first Swiss start-up to be selected for the Blackbox Connect immersion programme in Silicon Valley. It’s also worth mentioning that Sensimed has succeeded in recruiting a CEO with long international experience.
Support in the Lake Geneva area is also remarkable. We report on the activities of Vaud national councillor Fathi Derder, and in another article we highlight the Carrefour des Créateurs, an event for entrepreneurs at the new Swiss Tech Convention Center at EPFL, which will take place in September.
Despite the summer break, our calendar is still worth a look. Some events and training sessions are being held this month and you can sign up for those events taking place immediately after the summer, such as the annual CTI Medtech Event.
Have a relaxing weekend
Stefan Kyora
Managing Editor startupticker.ch