Good times for pioneers

Dear reader

Zippsafe’s innovative wardrobe compartments can save 70% more space in locker rooms than lockers. Following a test run, Winterthur cantonal hospital has now ordered wardrobe lockers for 2,000 employees, thus securing the first major order for the start-up. In addition to saving space, the positive feedback from employees was crucial.

A new solar system from the Geneva company TVP supplies heat to a rubber production plant. Data from the first three months of operation shows that the factory saves almost 50% in operating costs through the use of solar thermal energy compared with diesel.

Taurus-Protect, a product from the young Taurus Group, is used to store digital assets safely. The solution is already in use by several major financial institutions, including Bank Vontobel.

Three news items from the Swiss start-up scene refute an old belief in the innovation scene, which runs: ‘Pioneering does not pay’. When pioneering services offer tangible benefits, as in these three examples, they can certainly attract long-established companies.

One of the pioneers is Peter Staub. In 1996, he founded pom+, one of the first ETH Zurich spin-offs. The consulting firm with today about 80 employees advises real estate companies on digitalisation strategy and technology deployment. Staub is not only CEO of pom+, he also supports the next generation of pioneers. He is one of the venture partners and investors of PropTech1 Ventures, a German proptech-focused fund that has now opened an office in Switzerland.

Pioneers who support pioneers: this also applies to the >>venture>> competition, which has been fundamentally rebuilt for the 2019 edition. It is now a leaner competition in which there is more to be won, as founder Thomas Knecht explains in our article.

In addition, we reported no fewer than six rounds of financing this week. The individual reports can be found under our ‘Investment’ tag.

Starting this week, applications are open for Venture Leaders Life Sciences and the seif Award ‘Tech for Impact’. The deadlines for the Climate-KIC Accelerator (27 January) and the Swiss Economic Award (31 January) are approaching.

Start-ups that want to present their product in the SBB Sandbox at Zurich railway station must register by the end of January. And those start-ups already in the Venture Kick process can apply for additional funding through the Innobooster programme until 1 February.

The START Summit will once again be held in St. Gallen in March – find out what the event has to offer in our article. Our startupticker brunches, where the Swiss Venture Capital Report will be presented, take place on 29 January in Zurich and 30 January in Lausanne. Some places are still available.

Have a sunny weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch