Many start-ups but few investors focus on sustainability

Der reader

It was not the largest financing round this week, but the most spectacular and caused a sensation around the world. The young watch brand ID Genève generated CHF 2 million and won Leonardo DiCaprio as an investor.

ID Genève focuses on sustainability by using, for example, recycled steel for its watches. A number of other sustainability start-ups have also attracted investors and in the case of Methanology also a big name. However, the backer is not a Hollywood player, but the venture arm of Moller-Maersk, one of the largest shipping companies in the world. Moller-Maersk aims to transport a minimum of 25% of ocean cargo using green fuels by 2030, and Methanology has a promising technology to produce methanol in a particularly efficient way from raw materials such as CO₂ or biogas.

Fly-Box, which is working on developing a particularly efficient hydrofoil container ship, also secured additional funds, and Nanogence – which we mentioned last week because it is reducing CO₂ emissions in the construction of a major new Indian airport ­– has closed a financing round with investors in the sustainability area. Swiss-Swedish climate fintech start-up Cloover secured EUR 7 million and now wants to get started with its integrated financing solutions for providers of cleantech products such as solar panels and batteries.

Although numerous Swiss start-ups are developing sustainable services and products, the investor side does not look so good. Only very few Swiss investors are mentioned in information on financing rounds, despite the fact that start-ups are held in high esteem in this country, as is evident not least in award ceremonies. For example, Emissium won the Boost My Startup Challenge and Solarsplit secured CHF 150,000 at the Prix BCN Innovation.

How sustainable business ideas are received by investors can be seen one-to-one on the TV show Höhle der Löwen; the next season starts on 3+ on 31 October. Another investor from the health sector and an investor with a AI background have joined the lions.

Speaking of investors, SICTIC, together with Credit Suisse, has published an analysis of the challenges and strengths of the Swiss start-up scene based on the responses of 100 start-ups. Our article highlights some important findings.

I would also like to point out an event organised by Swissnex in Basel on the topic of Feeding the Future. US ambassador Scott C. Miller, Martina Hirayama, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, and entrepreneurs and representatives of large companies will be present. The MassChallenge award ceremony will also take place in Lausanne and you can meet my colleague Ritah Nyakato at the >> venture >> Kickoff event in Zurich.

Finally, don’t miss these important opportunities: the ESA-BIC deadline is imminent, as are those for Prix Strategis and Mirahi, an initiative for solutions to systemic health challenges in low and middle-income countries.

Have a good weekend
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch