There has been a lot going on in terms of funding this week: four young entrepreneurs from various sectors were able to attract investors, and there were also two exits. Swiss Startup Day – the ideal event for start-ups and investors to socialise – takes place next week.
Dear reader
Is there a new tech bubble? Is fintech just hype? Can start-ups outside the life sciences and ICT sectors find investors? Sceptical questions such as these are fully justified. Successful entrepreneurs, however, do not worry too much about them: they just go their own way and find solutions to the challenges.
This week, for example, two companies that come neither from the life sciences nor ICT reported financing successes. UrbanFarmers secured full financing of €2.7 million to build Europe’s largest commercial rooftop farm in The Hague, Netherlands. And Concretum, a spin-off of ETH Zurich, which has made a name with its quick concrete technology, has acquired a strategic investor in the form of Zurich construction company Eberhard.
The Zug-based fintech start-up WB21 has found an investor, too: the Gastauer Family Office has invested €2 million. And video hosting specialist Morphean in Fribourg has received growth capital from AM-TEC.
In addition, this week two start-ups have found buyers: Ringier acquired a majority stake in the Geneva eCommerce platform MyStore, and in Ticino Paradox Engineering, which is active in the Internet of Things, has been taken over by Japanese company Minebea.
The fact that investors in Swiss start-ups can earn good money is demonstrated by Redalpine, which has exited its InSphero investment and secured a multiple of more than 10 times its investment.
Success stories will be lining up at Swiss Startup Day, which takes place next Wednesday: Almost 600 participants have already registered, including more than 100 investors. In addition, the Swiss supporter scene is very well represented with 20 stands. Alongside the proven one-to-one meetings, the event app will now support networking, thanks to a new feature from Uepaa! Registration is open until Sunday evening.
And you also have to Sunday to register for Lean Day, which takes place next Tuesday. The prominent businessman and author Ash Maurya is flying in from Texas and will be available all day.
Three other interesting opportunities for start-ups present themselves this week: a new incubator programme for medtech companies, the Angels for Ladies event series and the Swiss Pavilion at the Hanover Fair 2016. A Swiss Pavilion will also again be present at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Start-ups that want to be there should hurry with their application.
Have a relaxing weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Managing Editor, startupticker.ch
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