Growth without a following wind

Dear reader

During the pandemic people placed more emphasis on sustainable and healthy nutrition, thus boosting food start-ups such as New Roots, which makes vegan cheese. The company has more than doubled its sales over the past year and has now built a new factory that offers 10 times more space.

MapTiler’s growth has continued unabated over the past few months, with about 300 million people worldwide viewing its digital maps every month. The start-up is now generating multi-million dollar revenue.

Start-up ph. found life more difficult with its anti-hangover product KAEX, which suffered from a lack of demand due to a lack of parties. Now athletes have discovered its regenerative qualities and the first sponsorship deal was recently concluded with FC Bayer Leverkusen from the German Bundesliga. Now ph. has marketing funds of EUR 12 million, thanks to a financing round and two media-for-equity deals.

It is always fascinating to see how entrepreneurs manage to find growth and take advantage of positive framework conditions, or find a way out of negative trends. These people are not only found at start-ups – solar pioneer Bernard Piccard is setting up two investment funds that will invest a total of EUR 350 million in start-ups and growth companies in the cleantech sector. Major crypto sector investor CV VC also received new funds – the Zug-based company closed a financing round of CHF 13 million.

The Innosuisse Trade Fair programme supports start-ups that want to succeed abroad. In June, the trade fair business will slowly pick up speed again and Innosuisse is supporting 23 selected companies that will take part in VivaTech, Bio Digital and the Mobile World Congress. Startup Days will also take place in June and its programme for 23 June has now been published. Registration is open for the pitch battle until Monday.

Baloise, which has already participated in start-ups, is launching a new accelerator programme for young companies that offer services in the mobility sector. Applications are open until the end of June.

Member of universities of applied sciences have until Monday to apply for the First Ventures programme. Applications for Kickstart close on Tuesday and for Venture Leaders Biotech on 6 June. But applications to Venture Kick are open at any time and this week biotech company Abologix secured CHF 150,000 from the initiative.

Have a good weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch