Im Auftrag der Swiss Entrepreneurs & Startup Association SWESA hat die Universität St. Gallen die Rahmenbedingungen für Startups in der Schweiz aus juristischer und wirtschaftlicher Sicht umfassend untersucht. Basierend auf einer Umfrage unter Expertinnen und Experten und einer Untersuchung der geltenden Gesetzgebung wurden konkrete Verbesserungsmassnahmen erarbeitet. Sie sollen nun als Basis für politische Vorstösse dienen.

PeriVision makes functional eye testing accessible to everyone and everywhere using virtual reality and AI algorithms. Swistor is developing supercapacitors that will replace or complement conventional batteries in portable devices. Both start-ups received a Tech Seed loan of CHF 100,000 from the Foundation for Technological Innovation (FIT), which will allow PeriVision to further develop its eye testing platform and prepare market entry in the US and Switzerland and Swistor to finalize its product and market it.

The Ascento robot allows security providers to efficiently cover large outdoor areas requiring significant human resources to patrol. Securitas the largest Swiss security company is among the startup’s first customers. The startup is currently ramping up production to accelerate its official market launch.

EPFL spinoff SpotMe has closed a new financing round, with the Swiss Post as a majority stakeholder. The strategic partnership will provide SpotMe access to Swiss Post’s technology portfolio and network to enable further growth and expansion. The company will continue to operate globally and as a standalone company.

Based in Zug and the UK, Kashet aims to provide a membership-based financial solution app to customers and private banks. The company has onboarded more than 100 customers ahead of its public launch and secured its initial investment of CHF 6.2 million with Trifork Labs as a strategic investor. The funds will support its expansion and readiness for further growth.

Die Finalistinnen und Finalisten für den Swiss Economic Award 2023 stehen fest. Die neun erfolgsversprechenden Jungunternehmen werden am 8. und 9. Juni 2023 am Swiss Economic Forum (SEF) in Interlaken um den Gewinn der renommierten Auszeichnung wetteifern.

RIBE schliesst eine Seed-Finanzierungsrunde über 1,1 Millionen Franken ab. Nebst einem weiteren Investment von Roland Bracks VC-Unternehmen haben sich private Investoren an der Runde des Zürcher Startups beteiligt. Das frische Kapital fliesst in technische Weiterentwicklungen und in die Expansion in den DACH-Raum.

GeneralMedia SA acquiert EDSI-Tech et devient un acteur central du secteur du tourisme. Le Système d’information touristique MyCity, logiciel novateur développé par la start-up issue de l’EPFL, sert déjà d’épine dorsale à plusieurs régions de Suisse romande. Son intégration permettra à l’éditeur romand d’offrir un seul point de contact pour la diffusion, la gestion et la médiation des informations touristiques.

A successful fiscal year 2021/2022 (July 2021 to June 2022) is reported by beaconsmind AG: Sales revenue increased by 250%. Beaconsmind’s LBM solutions are now deployed in nearly 400 stores at more than 25 customers in over 40 countries. For 2023, the company expects further significant growth thanks to new customers and further acquisitions. 

PostFinance und Sygnum sind derzeit daran, ein Angebot aufzubauen, das Kauf, Verwahrung und Verkauf von Kryptowährungen wie Bitcoin und Ethereum ermöglicht. Die Basis bildet die B2B-Bankplattform von Sygnum.

Venture Kick’s expert jury awarded CHF 150,000 to ASTRA Therapeutics. The Villigen-based startup is developing therapies for parasitic diseases such as malaria. Based on their uniquely efficient lead discovery pipeline, they developed precision-engineered compounds that can effectively target a broad spectrum of parasites.

Sequal, la startup de cybersécutité suisse basée à Yverdon-les-Bains, rejoint Meanquest. Cette acquisition permet au prestataire vaudois de services IT de renforcer son expertise dans le domaine de la sécurité de l’information. Sequal est spécialisée dans la certification ISO 27001 et la mise en conformité avec la nouvelle loi sur la protection des données (nLPD).

Impossible Materials Ltd., a Swiss spin-out from the University of Cambridge and the University of Fribourg, has closed its seed round. The new funds will be used to construct a pilot facility in Marly, Switzerland, and expand the team, as they continue their mission to bring high-value, plant-based formulation ingredients to the markets.

Following the receipt of CHF 120 million from the Wyss Foundation to further to accelerate innovative therapies to the clinic to transform the lives of people with brain disorders, the Wyss Center has appointed a new CEO. Prof. Dr. med. Erwin Böttinger.

Das Cleantech-Startup dhp technology hat seit seinem Start 2018 total 16 faltbare Solardächer in der Schweiz realisiert. Jetzt folgt für die Bündner der Schritt ins Ausland: Beim Klärwerk in Neuwied (Bundesland Rheinland-Pfalz) entsteht die erste Anlage in Deutschland. Weitere deutsche Klärwerke haben ebenfalls Solarfaltdächer bestellt.

Swiss startup Astrocast and Yahsat’s mobility arm Thuraya have strengthened collaboration through a strategic investment in LEO IoT. Thuraya has agreed in heads of terms to invest through a convertible loan valued at $17.5 million and further extend its Technical Agreement for another four years.

Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable, and availability is highly dependent on weather conditions, thus making them difficult to handle. The artificial intelligence solution from Agtech startup Agrinorm helps fresh produce traders to manage these challenges and improve supply chains. The fresh seed funds will enable the startup to expand its solution to new markets.

Based in Basel with a subsidiary in Finland, Aurealis Therapeutics has raised over $10 million through a Series A financing round. The company’s lead clinical assets are the first-in-class four-in-one cell and gene therapies AUP-16 for chronic wounds and AUP-55 for cancers. The funds will accelerate Phase 2 clinical studies of AUP-16 and preclinical development of AUP-55. 

After presenting its Smart Ski Googles at CES Las Vegas, Ostloong Innovations continues its rise by unveiling LYRA, multifunctional smart AR glasses with augmented reality and artificial intelligence for office work, city life and for travelling. LYRA allows people to navigate the digital world without having to take their attention away from their physical surroundings. 

Since its foundation in 2017, Avoras, a Swiss firm specialising in SAP business transformation consultancy in the pharma and life sciences sector, has grown to 60 employees and serves customers worldwide. As of the second quarter of 2023, the company will join the PWC Switzerland family.

CUTISS AG has yielded positive results from the Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead product denovoSkin, in adult and adolescent burn patients and phase 1 in children. Safety and efficacy of denovoSkin have been confirmed. The medtech solution is a personalized, bio-engineered dermo-epidermal skin substitute for patients requiring a skin graft due to a major burn.

Das Startnetzwerk Thurgau kooperiert mit Startfeld, der Start-up-Förderung des Switzerland Innovation Park Ost. Thurgauer Startups profitieren von neuen Fördermöglichkeiten, einschliesslich Seed-Finanzierung. Ermöglicht wird dies durch das Engagement der Thurgauer Kantonalbank.

Per 31. März 2023 hat Rutishauser-DiVino die Wine & Gourmet Digital AG, zu der die Weinplattform weinclub.ch gehört, übernommen. Rutishauser-DiVino ist eines von zwei Weinunternehmen der fenaco Genossenschaft und unterhält bereits digitale Verkaufskanäle.

Insphero has raised an eight-figure amount in its latest funding round. InSphero will utilize the proceeds to commercialize its cryo-preservation technology to enable further growth and scalability. ZEISS Ventures is participating in the financing round along with internal and external investors.

Crypto investment platform, SwissBorg, has accumulated more than CHF 20 million from more than 16,000 investors in its Series A fundraise. SwissBorg is a major European player in crypto, having acquired over a million app users and over 150m in revenues since launching their crypto investment app in 2021.

Assaia has announced the first members of its Strategic Partner Community (SPC): the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), operator of Toronto Pearson, International Airlines Group (IAG), operator of British Airways, Iberia and others, and JetBlue Ventures are among the initial industry players to join. SPC members provide advice to the Swiss start-up and will also invest in the company.

SydLab One is the first all-in-one laboratory platform capable of performing end-to-end bioassays and high-content screening of drugs and chemicals on micro-organisms in a fully automated and standardized way. Engineered by EPFL spin-off Nagi Bioscience, the technology is now available in the market.

With a growth of +7.1% compared to the same period of the previous year, the first quarter of 2023 is at a record level with 13'599 new companies. These are results shown of the study “National Analysis of Swiss Company Incorporations 2023” by the IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen report. The Ticino region had strong growth, and the service sectors lead the ranks with the highest number of companies.

Swiss startup Vamoz has developed a SaaS platform to enable companies looking for an easy and compliant way to manage remote work abroad for their employees, streamlining the entire process through its web-based application. With several hundred remote work trips already assessed and completed, Vamoz I now looking to expand in the DACH region. The awarded CHF 150,000 by Venture Kick, will support these plans.

Four Swiss startups have found new partners abroad to help them spread their wings worldwide t grow their market share. Fairtiq has remained in Europe, while Swissto12, Kooky and RoompriceGenie have gone to the US, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. Astrocast’s solutions will be launched on Mouser Electronics, an industry giant’s platform accessed by customers in more than 220 countries.

Authorisation to further a program is vital in the clinical development of life sciences startups. Three biotechs look forward to accelerating their research. iOnctura has obtained the Innovation passport in the UK for its treatment against metastatic uveal melanoma, while Laevoroc and Ymmunebio received the FDA Orphan Drug Designation for their drug candidates for liver cancer and Leukemia.

Tenity (formerly F10), the accelerator and investor focussing on fintech and insurtech, announced the first closing of its Tenity Incubation Fund I, with investments from SIX Group, UBS’s strategic venture and innovation unit, UBS Next, Julius Baer, and Generali’s House of InsurTech Switzerland.

On February 23, 50 pre-selected startups pitched their solutions to the foundation board to secure a spot in the next round. The jury has now nominated the top 15 startups from various industries that will contest in the next stage. The competition offers a total prize of CHF 500’000 to up to five startups.

Das Luzerner Startup wearonize konnte den ersten Teil einer weiteren Finanzierungsrunde erfolgreich abschliessen. Für die Finanzierung setzte das Fintech auf eine Crowdinvesting-Plattform. Zudem investierte ein Family Office.

The recently held Game Developers Conference in San Francisco has recognised two swiss studios with the Best in Play Award – Turtles and the Wandering Village. On the other hand, three startups will further advance their solutions in accelerator programs and get access to industry experts.

Startups are catching up with the Chat GPT era. One of them is Unique AG, a Swiss-based AI-driven client intelligence platform, the first in Europe to rely on the new advanced technology. The startup has integrated Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and GPT-3 to improve productivity for financial services industry professionals. This announcement comes with the extension the seed round.

Die Entscheidung der Jury ist gefallen. Bei der Verleihung des mit 100 000 Franken dotierten ZKB Pionierpreis Technopark am 31. Mai 2023 werden die Teams dieser drei Start-ups im Rampenlicht stehen: AgroSustain aus Renens, MUVON Therapeutics aus Zürich und Synthara aus Zug.

The winner of the 2023 edition of the Spark Award is developing a recyclable anticorrosion coating for metals with self-healing properties. The solution will solve a major global problem that costs countries worldwide some 4,000 billion dollars.  

Casella Meyer, a high-end fashion brand known for its focus on fabrics and embellishment, has announced a partnership with Authena. The Glomo awarded Swiss technology startup specialized in authenticity and traceability is witnessing robust commercial momentum.

Le 10ème Prix à l’innovation 2023 de la Région de Nyon a été décerné ce mercredi à deux entreprises qui ont mis en place des services innovants destinés à faciliter l’activité économique. Respectivement sises à Nyon et à Gland, EEat et e-Durable se partagent à parts égales la récompense totale de CHF 50’000 issue du Fonds régional d’aide à l’innovation.

Das Innovation Office der Universität Basel verzeichnet 2022 einen neuen Rekord. Ganze 12 Startups mit eigenen Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern an Bord wurden gegründet. Zudem hat Basel Innovation gleich zweimal einen Förderpreis im vollen Umfang von 50'000 Franken gewährt.

Swiss startup Destinus, a developer of a hypersonic green hydrogen-fueled aircraft, has been chosen by the Spanish government to participate in a €12 million initiative to advance the use of hydrogen in aviation. Zesst is also relying on hydrogen for its 7-seater boat. The partnership with Carbagas will accelerate the development, leading to pilot tests on Lake Geneva.

ATANIS Biotech aims to simplify and improve the current standard of care for the diagnosis of allergies. With proceeds from the financing, ATANIS will accelerate its product development, scale its services for pharma/biotech customers, and implement its go-to-market strategy.

CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex Pharmaceuticals have signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement for the use of CRISPR  Therapeutics’ gene editing technology, known as CRISPR /Cas9. Under the terms of their agreement, the Zug based biotech will receive a $100M upfront payment plus milestone and royalty payments on potential future gene-edited hypoimmune T1D products.

Die Privera AG ist eine der schweizweit grössten Immobiliendienstleisterinnen. Seit kurzem zählt der Bereich Miteigentum zum Kundenstamm des Proptech Huperty.

Resistell, a leader in phenotypic nano-motion technology for measuring living cells, has entered a strategic partnership with the Innovative Medicines for Tuberculosis (iM4TB) foundation, a Swiss non-profit fighting tuberculosis (TB). The latter will deploy Resistell’s proprietary to further investigate its TB drug candidate, macozinone.

Advanced Sport Instruments (ASI) devient Insiders et poursuit son ascension en 2023. Lors du lancement de sa nouvelle identité au Musée Olympique, Julie Royer-Coutts, la nouvelle CEO, est revenue sur l’orientation sport individuel outdoor de l’entreprise et son nouveau client: la fameuse équipe cycliste INEOS-Grenadier. D’ici à 2027, Insiders ambitionne d'équiper 1200 courses et plus d'un million d'athlètes.

PharmaBiome and Roquette team up to design brand new nutrition and health ingredients targeting an optimal interaction with gut microbiota to contribute to a healthy diet. The two partners will use PharmaBiome’s proprietary technology, the NicheMap. This method allows the screening and the formulation of innovative prebiotic solutions using novel soluble fibers developed by Roquette.

The Neuroendocrine Tumors Research Foundation has awarded Nuclidium and its partner, the University Hospital Basel, the Investigator Award, a two-year program dedicated to accelerating neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). The grant will support the initiation and execution of Nuclidium’s Phase 1 clinical trial for TraceNETTM, a novel copper-based radiodiagnostic for detecting NET. The Phase 1 program is planned to commence in the first half of 2023.

Am 24. März 2023 wurde in Zürich der Wirtschaftspreis der Frauen, der SEF.WomenAward, für herausragende unternehmerische Leistungen verliehen. Zur besten Jungunternehmerin wurde die Mitgründerin von Dagsmejan Ventures erkoren.