Swiss cleantechs pick up speed

Dear reader

On Tuesday, Climeworks caused a real sensation with its announcement that it had closed a financing round of CHF 600 million. Only fintech wefox has reached this magnitude so far. Climeworks also provided information about its investors for the first time: the financing is co-led by Partners Group (acting on behalf of its clients) and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, with existing anchor investor BigPoint Holding, controlled by Swiss entrepreneur and AMAG heir Martin Haefner.

On the same day, a financing round of CHF 32 million from Bcomp also caused a stir. Investors include BMW i Ventures, Volvo Cars Technology Fund, Porsche Ventures, Airbus Ventures and Generali. And kooky, a third start-up from the sustainability sector, secured an investment of a good CHF 6 million this week.

So far, Switzerland has not been known as the home of fast-growing cleantech start-ups, although the prerequisites are good with first-class engineering expertise, widespread transdisciplinary work and a population that is already digging deeper into its pockets for ecological solutions or making a direct contribution to the high recycling rate.

The fact that Swiss cleantech startups are only now attracting attention worldwide is probably due to the fact that their path is longer and more complicated than that of pure software start-ups. However, further major successes will not be long in coming, since enough promising start-ups have already reached important milestones. Battrion has found a German partner to bring its battery technology to market, and three companies from the sustainability sector – LEDCity, Solar Manager and Yamo ­– are among the finalists of the Swiss Economic Award. Five other Swiss companies made it on to the SET 100, a list that recognises the most promising global innovators in the energy transition.

There was also good news from sectors in which Switzerland has been strong for some time. Moonlake Therapeutics has made a successful start on the Nasdaq: the dermatology company chose to use a SPAC. Nanolive, which focuses on live-cell imaging and analysis, has been able to raise CHF 20 million.

In Fribourg, Saporo was chosen as winner of the third Tech4Trust programme. The award ceremony took place as part of Swiss Cyber Security Days, after a highly anticipated keynote by US National Cyber Director Chris Inglis.

Finally, I would like to point out the deadline for the Climate Launchpad competition: start-ups with green business ideas can apply until 13 April. First Ventures is supporting members of universities of applied sciences with implementation of an innovative business idea; applications are open until 1 May.

Have a good weekend
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch