Sparks IPO Academy completes first edition with 13 companies

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02.06.2022

Last year SIX Swiss Exchange launched the Sparks IPO Academy to prepare and equip scale-ups and SMEs for a potential IPO on the Swiss stock exchange’s Sparks segment. The first cohort comprising 13 companies has graduated from the program.

The Sparks IPO Academy aims to introduce potential IPO candidates in Switzerland, both fast growing scale-ups and established SMEs, to the option of an IPO and increase their IPO readiness. Through modular and practice-oriented training courses offered by leading capital market specialists in Switzerland, participants familiarise themselves with public markets, benefits, opportunities, and requirements and eliminate certain (unjustified) prejudices against the public markets.

“The aim is to show SMEs that going public can be a decisive step for a company, even at an earlier stage, to accelerate growth for which access to growth capital is key,” says Fabian Gerber, Senior Relationship Manager at SIX Swiss Exchange. “We are satisfied with how the first edition of the Academy went and looking forward to the next one. We were particularly impressed by the high level of willingness of the partners to make an important contribution –this had a motivating effect on the participants’ interest, and the individual sessions mainly were very interactive and lively.”

For the first edition, the selection committee selected 13 startups based on the criteria: C-level interest and commitment, current IPO readiness, estimated valuation, the attractiveness of the business model/equity story and probability of an IPO on the SIX Swiss Exchange in the next 2-3 years. A certain degree of collateralisation was also included in the company assessment - for instance, track record, the number of FTEs or funding obtained.

Among the 13 participants, the following companies are known

MCI Group – is a global next-gen platform for marketing innovation and breakthrough communication in the digital age to transform brands and organisations. The company’s CEO and founder Sebastien Tondeur comments on the program: “I recommend the Sparks IPO Academy to any company that contemplates raising funds. I believe that as a leader & entrepreneur, I have the responsibility to explore all funding options – especially public markets, to maximise the strategic execution of our business plan. With the creation of our global group this year, we are at a pivotal point in our transformation - we will have some key funding choices that are very strategic to make to meet our market growth potential.”

TP24 (Tradeplus24) – offers structured lending solutions to SMEs & Mid Market companies that would typically not be able to access such products due to their low ticket size. Using a fully automated digital solution and portfolio lending structure, the company significantly reduces administration work for all parties involved. “While our current focus lies on raising a Series B funding round after summer, we will probably not need additional funding and seek a potential listing in the Sparks segment for at least another year. We valued the input provided on IPO readiness. The covered topics, which addressed our accounting standards, corporate governance and compensation plans, will not only make any potential IPO in the future much easier but will also increase our appeal to many investors before that” Matthias Kribbel, CCO, TP24.

Aleva Neurotherapeutics – the EPFL Spinoff develops implants for deep brain stimulation (DBS) based on MEMS technology. Its directSTIM system has received the CE-Mark certification and approval for an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study.

Bioversys – the biotech startup is focused on fighting Antimicrobial Resistance with its pipeline of drug candidates. The most advanced research and development program addressing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) concluded the first clinical trials.

Flyability – develops indoor drone solutions to inspect and explore confined spaces. In addition to Switzerland, the company has offices in the U.S., China, and since this year in Singapore.

Immozins – built a where property investors have three real estate investment models and follow every project step in real time. The company team also invests their money in each project, increasing transparency.

SecureCell – based on the teams’ 30+ years of experience, the startup automates and manages bioprocess workflows for biotech, biopharma and medtech companies. Its flagship product Lucullus® is the software that reinvents the concept of a digital lab, automating and digitalising the entire bioprocessing while the Numera® is a modular system that provides an integrated and customised process analytical technology (PAT) improvement. The latest addition to the product pipeline is Seraccess, innovative technology for the fully automated, high-frequency automatic online collection, processing, and analysis of minute quantities of blood to monitor and control critical blood parameters. The platform opens new opportunities for treating diabetes.

Registration for 2nd call open
The next Sparks IPO Academy will start in Fall 2022. Registration is open and the deadline for applications will expire at the end of September.

 

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