SERI funds approved Swiss projects in the EIC Accelerator programme

In July 2021, the EU declared Switzerland a third country with regard to the Horizon Europe research programme. Swiss start-ups can nevertheless participate in various programmes. Details can be found on a special page of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). In addition, Innosuisse will launch an alternative for the EIC Accelerator program in April. Start-ups that have applied for the EIC Accelerator and had been approved at the beginning of 2021 are being financed by SERI. 24 Swiss projects had been approved. Several of them have already confirmed the grant.

The following startups have been awarded the EIC Accelerator grant:

Qnami’s grant will contribute to developing scanning nitrogen-vacancy (NV) technology for fundamental as well as industrial research. The startup developed the Qnami ProteusQ, a complete quantum microscope system and the first scanning NV microscope for the analysis of magnetic materials at the atomic scale.

Insolight will use the funds to support the production and commercial scale-up of its agrivoltaic solution. The startup’s insolagrin agrivoltaic system incorporates THEIA (Translucency & High Efficiency in Agrivoltaics) solar modules offering a revolutionary combination of translucency and high electrical efficiency. These modules focus light on high-efficiency solar cells by combining two usage modes based on Insolight’s optical micro-tracking technology. The company has ongoing pilot projects to demonstrate the efficacy of its solution.

Deasyl obtained a €2.5M grant to finalize its road to market. Deasyl, born in 2017 from the French company Easyl SA, is a technology supplier relying on process innovations opening up new horizons in mineral chemistry and organic chemistry while respecting the principles of green chemistry. The company identifies in-licenses and develops novel chemistry into scalable processes, which can be used by major fine chemical and petrochemical players.

Bloom Biorenewables secured €2.5M to accelerate the industrialisation and commercialisation of its circular solutions. The company is developing the world’s first technology to valorise all fractions of plants to produce sustainable and cost-competitive bio-based materials for the chemical industry. Its first products include marine biofuels, plastics and fragrances.

In conjunction with its recent financing round, Scrona revealed that the company obtained the EIC grant. The startup developed the industry’s first multi-nozzle electrostatic printhead for mass manufacturing to speed product invention in an economical and eco-friendly way, with unprecedented printing resolution in the sub-micrometer range.

(RAN/SK)