Fantasy meets technology

Dear reader

Switzerland’s first capsule hotel is making headlines these days. It opened in Lucerne and addresses digital nomads, who can now spend the night in affordable high-tech boxes in expensive Switzerland. The inventor of the new offer is one of the 15 finalists of the first Swiss Start-Up Innovation Camp entitled ‘Innovation in Tourism with Social Impact’. The submitted ideas range from a mobile steamer to the management of online reviews.

Another market that is fully captured by digitalisation is the financial industry. The jury of investor association SICTIC has selected the 12 start-ups that will present their ideas to investors on 14 November.

Emanuel Steiner was happy in the consulting business – until his annoyance with dull, uninspiring sandwiches and dreary canteen food gave him an idea. In 2014, he founded the start-up Felfel with his wife Daniela. The two operate and stock smart refrigerators in their customers’ canteens or offices, and have now been awarded EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Emerging Entrepreneur category.

And food keeps Nathalie Piller from Fribourg busy as well: she sells a digital discount book for more than 100 vegetarian and vegan offers throughout Switzerland. The Vegipass has been available online since yesterday.

The first co-working space just for women has been opened by Estefania Tapias and Laura Seifert. Our colleague Ritah Ayebare Nyakato met the two for an interview in the WeSpace offices on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse.

Looking ahead, the application deadline for the Swiss Prime Site Startup Acceleration Workshop expires on 11 November. And students at Swiss universities of applied sciences have until 15 November to register for the Gebert Rüf Foundation’s programme ‘First Ventures’, which provides support of up to CHF 150,000 and coaching for the establishment of a spin-off.

Finally, two tips for the week after next: The third IPO Day will take place on 13 November in Zurich and the Global Entrepreneurship Week will start on 12 November. our articles  in German and French provide an overview.

Have a relaxing weekend.

Jost Dubacher
Editor startupticker.ch