Nobel Prize winners like Swiss start-ups

Dear reader

In gene therapies, the therapeutic genes are introduced into the cells of the diseased organ using viral vectors. NewBiologix wants to make manufacture of these viral vectors easier and thus significantly more affordable. The start-up announced the closure of its first funding round yesterday, generating USD 50 million. NewBiologix is backed by an experienced team that includes the co-founders of Geneva-based biotech company Selexis, which was sold in 2017. NewBiologix’s Advisory Board also includes a Nobel Prize winner, Gregory Winter, who took the opportunity to attend the start-up’s inauguration ceremony yesterday at the Biopôle in Lausanne.

Gnubiotics is also at home in the Biopôle. The biotech start-up focuses its products for humans and animals on the microbiome, the billions of microbes most of which are found in our intestines. The company has appointed two highly respected individuals as senior advisors to its management team with a view towards in-human clinical trials. One of the two, James Rothman, is another Nobel Prize winner.

A big name was also involved in the second major financing round this week. Agritech start-up Ecorobotix has secured USD 52 million to accelerate its expansion, with co-lead investor AQTON SE, a holding company wholly owned by German entrepreneur Stefan Quandt, the largest single shareholder of BMW.

And Zurich cleantech start-up dimpora has also had dealings with another well-known person. Dona Bertarelli of the family that formerly owned Serono presented co-founder Anna Beltzung with a cheque for CHF 10,000 at the Sports for Nature Challenge awards ceremony. Sails of Change, a foundation co-founded by Bertarelli, donated the prize money.

Some start-ups attracted prominent personalities while others relied on the crowd. We reported on seven successful crowd investing campaigns this week, from one on the new Oomnium platform to others on Conda. What is striking here is that three B2C companies – KA-EX, MyCamper and SoFlow – are looking for funds on Conda to finance their international expansion. Such ambitious B2C companies are still rare in Switzerland.

Expansion is also the order of the day for the 17 start-ups that received the Innosuisse Scale-up Award and which can now access the second phase of the Scale-up Coaching programme to further accelerate their growth, with the support of the Innosuisse coaches. In contrast, the three start-ups now being supported by Gebert Rüf Stiftung’s First Ventures programme are at the very beginning of their development.

Those who would like to vote for a start-up themselves can now do so. Public voting for the Top 100 Swiss Start-up Award is open, with winners chosen in 10 sectors. They will be celebrated onstage at the Top 100 Award night and will also be announced in the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Magazine 2023.

Next week you can meet me at the Switzerland Innovation Tech4Impact Demo Day in Zurich, and several of the team will be also present at Startup Days in Bern on 25 May.

Have a good weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch