Well-filled pipeline

Dear reader

This week alone, four start-ups secured CHF 600,000 of pre-seed capital from Venture Kick. They are all deep-tech start-ups operating in large markets: Polariton accelerates communications networks, FenX develops environmentally friendly and safe insulation for buildings, Auxivo’s light exoskeleton makes it easy for workers to lift loads, and microPOW’s aroma powders ensure that food flavourings retain their taste for longer.

Like the winners of Venture Kick, the start-ups that have been included in two international accelerator programmes are also very young. Four Swiss fintech start-ups are among the participants of F10’s recently launched Prototype to Product programme, and several Swiss biotech start-ups have made it into the first phase of the Baselaunch programme.

Very young deep-tech start-ups have also been successful abroad. The Basel-based but not yet officially founded personalised medicine start-up Helixstreet has been included in one of chip giant Nvidia’s support programmes. And ND Biosciences, which was entered in the commercial register only six months ago, has received a grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation. However, experienced teams are behind both companies, with ND Biosciences building on more than 20 years of research.

The Swiss start-up pipeline is obviously very well filled, and if the product permits companies can achieve market success very quickly. Working Bicycle, a start-up that allows its customers to use bicycles as an advertising medium, has run several dozen advertising campaigns in the first 18 months of its existence; among its customers are big names such as Valser and Amnesty International.

The way to the market naturally takes longer for medtech start-ups, and our article on Aspivix traces this path. The start-up has recently been awarded the Innosuisse certificate and plans to enter the market in 2020.

In addition to all these younger start-ups, an IT company showed this week that Swiss founders can also build global corporations. SoftwareOne announced its stock market flotation, with experts predicting that the company, with more than 5,000 employees worldwide, will achieve a mid single-digit billion-dollar valuation.

The registration phases of the IMD Startup Competition and the Swiss Fintech Awards started this week. You have until Sunday to sign up for digitalswitzerland’s two scale-up boot camps, where start-ups meet corporates.

The first call for Innosuisse’s new scale-up coaching programme runs until 25 October. And don’t forget, applications to Venture Kick can be made at any time.

Last but not least, a special opportunity: we have a free ticket for the Swiss Innovation Forum, which will take place on 21 November in Basel. We will draw lots for it among the first 10 interested parties. Just send an email to news@startupticker.ch.

Have a good weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, startupticker.ch