Experienced partners for Swiss start-ups

Dear reader

The Mayo Clinic is one of the most renowned hospitals in the US. The clinic is now working with Xsensio and has acquired a stake in the Lausanne-based company. Together, they want to further develop Xsensio’s wearable device that tracks biochemical data on the skin – unlike today’s devices, which track physical data. The goal is to detect rapidly evolving acute events at an early stage.

Bern mental health start-up YLAH has established a partnership with Privatklinik Wyss AG (PKW), Switzerland’s oldest private clinic. PKW is collaborating with YLAH not only at a clinical and operational level, but also at a strategic level.

There are similar examples outside the healthcare sector. Delicatessen retailer Bianchi, founded in 1881, is one of Yoordi’s investors. The start-up has developed an ordering and payment app for the catering industry already in use in six countries. Yoordi has now secured millions in a seed financing.

It’s remarkable that such partnerships are increasing in such uncertain times. Apparently, companies and organisations with a long time horizon are not deterred by the current crises from pursuing ambitious projects with start-ups, since they react less to current events than to long-term trends.

The consistently high number of exits also shows that investment in Swiss start-ups can pay off. This week we reported on three acquisitions: TCS took over velocorner, Citeline, a leading global clinical intelligence company, bought Clinerion, and Thrive Themes went to US company Awesome Motive.

Numerous start-ups have secured financial support from initiatives and support organisations: Volumina Medical, Parithera and PeriVision are the latest recipients of the Biopôle Start-up Fund. Battery start-up eightinks secured CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick, and FIT is backing two EPFL spin-offs.

In addition, LeadiNNg to Scale Up, the joint initiative from Innovaud and IMD, has announced the selected companies for the second edition; this time, start-ups that do not come from canton Vaud are also able to take part.

Speaking of support, Maria Anselmi has been Head of Startups and the Next-Generation Innovators Division at Innosuisse since January. Read more about her and other people who have taken on new roles in our People News.

Incidentally, applications are open from the end of February for Innosuisse’s new funding instrument for start-up innovation projects – find out more in the webinar. In addition, the Business Concept courses for potential founders with innovative business ideas are now starting again. Our calendar provides an overview of these and other training courses.

I would also like to point out two events for which start-ups can currently register: the Startup Champions Seed Night and SICTIC Investor Day on foodtech. Food and agritech start-ups are also required for the next edition of the Swiss-Israeli Lean Launchpad.

Have a good weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch