Intensive exchange between ABB and ten selected start-ups

The ABB Start-up Day was co-organized by ABB Switzerland and CTI Start-up. The idea behind the event is that ABB as well as the start-ups will profit from an opportunity to connect in an efficient way. The day started with three short talks: At the beginning Remo Lütolf, country manager ABB Switzerland, presented the company, its mission and its divisions to the audience. Lutz Nolte, president of the Start-Up and Entrepreneurship funding area of CTI, talked about CTI and its corporate programme. Kurt Kaltenegger explained to the enterpreneurs in which companies ABB Technology Ventures typically invests and what the corporate VC has to offer for start-ups apart from the money.

The talks were followed by presentations of ten selected start-ups. In the afternoon speed meetings between the start-ups and interested ABB representatives were arranged.

The feedback of the start-ups was very good. René Jähne, Monolitix, said: “The day drastically reduced the time for identifying and contacting the right persons. Instead of several months we needed several hours. We had fruitful discussions with managers of the robotic division and with representatives of ABB’s corporate VC.”

Christoph Wartmann, CEO EmbeddedLab, commented: “It might be too early to speak about results but our numerous meetings gave us the opportunity to evangelise about the internet of things and to point out the potential of this trend for ABB. And we established contact with ABB Technology Ventures.”

The ten selected companies:
Netico leverages consumer technologies in industrial applications and is one of the first companies combining extensive experience in industrial automation with rapid growth of consumer information and communication technologies to create new products and services for professional use.

Adaptricity develops innovative software tools for the simulation, optimization, and control of electric power systems. The first product is called is called DPG.Sim. It allows state-of-the-art of smart grid simulation and analysis.

F&P Robotics envisioned developing and producing innovative lightweight robot arms that cooperate with humans in their professional environment. The robot arms are safe, context-aware and self-learning. In addition the start-up develops grippers.

The goal of kringlan is to spread the application of high-performance thermoplastic composites, and the prime example is a thermoplastic carbon wheel. The start-up addressed all the steps of the value chain from material development over preforming and press technologies to new joining methods.

BlueBotics’ core business is the navigation market, where the company proposes ANT, its innovative navigation solution for robots. ANT – autonomous navigation technology – is opening the door to new applications especially in the light load logistics and the service robotics market.

EmbeddedLab provides tailored solutions from algorithms, Big Data analysis and statistical evaluations, concept readiness, case studies and application prototypes through to the operative product and its roll-out. One focus of the company is Internet of Things.

Bogga Wind Power develops innovative megawatt range wind turbines with a vertical axis designed to control costs (turbine, logistics, installation, maintenance) on complex sites. The goal is to bring to wind farm developers a low-cost wind turbine solution to unlock profitability of sites with difficult access or turbulent wind resources.

Monolitix specialises in compliant mechanisms. These are frictionless and wear-free and are also lighter, more hygienic and cheaper than conventional joint mechanisms. They have an enormous range of potential applications in the most diverse fields. One product of Monolitix are robotic grippers.

OsmoBlue provides industries a sustainable and profitable solution to recycle their waste heat and generate electricity. OsmoBlue's patented technology has the advantage of converting low-temperature heat (as low as 30°C) into electricity.

Force Dimension has earned international recognition for designing and manufacturing high precision haptic interfaces operating industrial and medical robotic systems. The company licenses and develops customized robotic and VR solutions for a wide range of application areas which include the medical, pharmaceutical, aerospace and entertainment industries.