Discussions on the current energy crisis, circularity and climate change have remained a priority for several large organisations and governments. They have designed programs to promote and recognise new solutions that tackle these challenges. Two startups whose technologies stand out have won prizes. Not far from the energy sector is semiconductor startup 4K Mems, which secured a place in the Silicon Catalyst program.

Since its launch as an independent company in 2019, ImmuniWeb has remained cashflow positive, thanks to the continued support of its customers. The bootstrapped company closed 2023 on a high note, recording a 30 percent year-on-year sales growth and more than 200 new customers in over 50 countries.

After successfully running more than 10 paid pilot projects in Switzerland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Israel and the US, Sparrow Analytics is in high demand. The Swiss startup which was able to secure CHF550k in a pre-seed round as well as grants and loans from the Canton de Vaud is poised to become a global platform for collecting, harvesting, and processing data for urban environments.

Helio makes cloud computing more affordable, faster and more sustainable at the same time. Wecheer helps consumer brands that depend on 3rd party distribution to manage customer loyalty. In the medical sector Qumea and Annaida offer solutions to detect and monitor falls and enhance invitro fertilization, respectively. The four solutions impressed the Innosuisse Innovation Council, who awarded them the Innosuisse Certificate.

21Shares, the issuer of the world’s largest suite of cryptocurrency-backed exchange-traded products (ETPs), and Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management LLC, the first retail fund manager to invest in bitcoin in 2015, have launched ARKB, the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF. This announcement comes shortly after the US Securities Exchange Commission approved the listing and trading of a number of spot bitcoin exchange-traded product (ETP) shares.

Valrhona, the chocolate maker committed to a fair and sustainable cocoa industry, and Geneva startup Fly-Box, which develops innovative and eco-responsible solutions for the transport of goods, are today joining forces to combine their logistical expertise to create a sustainable and high-performance end-to-end maritime service.

Das St. Galler Startup COHAGA hat zusätzlich zu seinem Adressdaten-Geschäft ein AI-basiertes Tool «AddressCare» lanciert, mit dem Unternehmen ihre Firmenadressdaten auf Fehler analysieren lassen können. Mittlerweile generiert das Jungunternehmen Umsätze im siebenstelligen Bereich und baut sein Sales-Team stark aus.

Enerdrape announces the successful conclusion of a CHF 1.3 million seed financing round, marking a significant milestone in the company's journey as pioneers in introducing the world's first prefabricated geothermal panel technology. Swiss investors, including Après-demain through the initiative GeneRActions Planet and Romande Energie played a pivotal role in this seed round, aligning themselves with enerdrape's vision for a sustainable future.

Rivero, a European Fintech specialising in digitalisation and automating payment processes, has raised $7 million (CHF 6.1) in a Series A round. The investment will help Rivero accelerate its growth across new markets and boost its product development and workforce.

ABB has acquired Swiss start-up Sevensense, a leading provider of AI-enabled 3D vision navigation technology for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Sevensense was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from Swiss technical University, ETH Zurich. The acquisition follows ABB’s minority investment in Sevensense after it joined the company’s innovation ecosystem in 2021.

Amidst their accelerated growth, three startups have made leadership changes to fast-track their journey. While Depoly and Board Owl appointed a new Chief financial officer and Chief Executive Officer, respectively, Hair & Skin created multiple new roles to fuel business development.

L'Oréal just signed an agreement to acquire the outstanding shares of Biel-based Gjosa, the Swiss startup pioneering water fractioning technology. L'Oréal has already started a partnership with Gjosa to launch the L'Oréal Professionnel Water Saver professional showerhead, named in TIME Magazine's "100 Best Inventions of the Year" in 2021. The plan is to continue the roll-out to over 200,000 salons worldwide in the coming years.

Das Luzerner Startup tilbago bietet Unternehmen aus verschiedenen Branchen mit seiner Software die Möglichkeit, Inkasso-Prozesse mit smarter Unterstützung selbstständig abzuwickeln. Mit Erfolg: «RoboInkasso» entwickelt sich immer mehr zum Branchenstandard. Mittlerweile nutzen schweizweit über 2000 Kunden wie Finanzdienstleister, öffentliche Verwaltungen oder Gesundheitsdienstleister die Lösung von tilbago.

Die Konzentration auf Wocheneinkäufe und die Sparmassnahmen zeigen Wirkung bei Farmy. Der Onlinesupermarkt verzeichnete 2023 zwar einen Umsatzrückgang von knapp einem Viertel – operativ konnten aber schwarze Zahlen geschrieben werden.

Access to capital is challenging, particularly for deeptech startups. The newly launched Kickfund Ventures Fund, with CHF 70 million Assets Under Management, aims to provide up to CHF 850,000 in funding to pre-seed and seed-stage deep tech startups that win the third stage of the Venture Kick program. We spoke to Wanja Humanes, CEO of Kickfund, to enlighten us on the Fund’s mission and its plans for this year.

Die Stadt Zürich setzt mit KlimUp ein neues Förderelement ein, um die Entwicklung und Umsetzung von innovativen Beiträgen zum städtischen Klimaziel («Netto-Null») oder zur intelligenten Ressourcennutzung zu unterstützen. Für Innovationen von Startups in Frühphase kann die Fachkommission Förderbeiträge zwischen 35'000 und 250'000 Franken sprechen. Insgesamt hat die Stadt für das Förderprogramm 14 Millionen Franken bereitgestellt.

Das 2015 gegründete Schweizer Start-up Koch & Gsell hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren vor allem als Produzentin reiner Schweizer Tabak- und Hanfzigaretten einen Namen gemacht. Nun ist die Firma insolvent. Gründe sind das Ende des Hanfhypes, die zurückhaltende Konsumentenstimmung und das raue Investitionsklima.

Das digital health center bülach (dhc), Tenity und die Zürcher Kantonalbank lancieren gemeinsam ein neues Inkubatorprogramm. Rund 30 Startups jährlich sollen auf dem Weg zur ersten Finanzierungsrunde unterstützt werden.

RealTyme and UniqFeed have established a presence in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates with partnerships to fuel their growth. Based in Geneva, Realtyme is committed to equipping organizations with the highest levels of secure communication while UniqFeed specialises in virtual advertising.

Launched in 2020, the Switzerland Innovation Tech4Impact Initiative, aimed to drive innovation at the intersection of science and sustainability. The initiative, led by the Switzerland Innovation Foundation in collaboration with the Enterprise for Society Center (E4S), successfully incubated 18 projects across three calls. An impact report sheds light on the outcome and how the projects have benefited from SI Tech4Impact.

Spiden, a pioneer in non-invasive biomarker monitoring has reported on several achievements including the receipt of an oversubscribed $15 million convertible note, positive scientific results and the appointment of three new executives. The funding and expertise will accelerate the now 6-year long phase of R&D and product launch.

Last year, a record number of 43 companies were established at the eth Zurich, almost doubling the number of companies founded in 2022. The majority of the companies in the fields of artificial intelligence and biotech. Remarkably, more women have founded businesses affiliated with the university.

Swiss-Dutch company Calypso Biotech leading the development of Interleukin15 (IL-15) targeted therapies, has entered an agreement to be acquired by pharma giant Novartis. Calypso’s shareholders will receive an upfront payment of $250 million upon closing and are eligible to receive development milestones of up to $175 million based on the achievement of certain predetermined milestones.

GlycoEra, the Swiss startup advancing a pipeline of extracellular protein degraders for the treatment of autoimmune disorders has secured fresh funding from Bristol Myers Squibb as part of its Series A extension. This announcement also comes with the appointment of industry veteran Greg Fralish as Chief Business Officer to expand and strengthen its leadership team.

Dedicated to developing a non-invasive Alzheimer’s Disease therapy, Bottneuro has kicked off its MINDSTIM clinical trial to evaluate the safety and comfort of its Miamind Neurostimulator. The study results are expected at the end of March.

Bernese startup LEM Surgical has closed an oversubscribed series B round, raising CHF 22 million from new Swiss and US investors. The funds will propel the development of its robotic spinal cord surgery system and preparation for FDA submission.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is just days away. Like every year, Swiss startups will line up their outstanding solutions for the global audience and get access to potential customers, partners and investors. With Innosuisse supporting 18 of the 30 attending startups, the delegation will be flagbearers of Switzerland’s innovation prowess.

Since it was founded in 2021, MycoSense Spotlight technology has made huge strides, now delivering products to customers around the world. Developing tools to improve yields in agriculture using artificial intelligence, the Swiss startup led by Stéphane Doutriaux is enjoying growing success with industrial mushroom growers.

Das HealthTech-Startup Ocumeda hat seine Augen-Check-up-Lösung mittlerweile in über 125 Optiker-Filialen in der Schweiz und Deutschland lanciert. Zum starken Wachstum trägt unter anderem die strategische Partnerschaft mit dem europäischen Marktführer Fielmann bei, welcher den Check-up nach und nach in weiteren seiner rund 650 Filialen anbieten will. Zudem laufen Gespräche mit weiteren Optikern aus dem In- und Ausland.

During the RADAR-AD consortium study, the Altoida AR app achieved a level of performance in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease that is currently unattainable with standard cognitive tests. The results, published in Nature Digital Medicine, unveiled the potential of machine learning and augmented reality-based digital biomarkers in Alzheimer’s detection.

The strategic collaboration between Visa Inc. and TECH5 focuses on developing and enhancing digital government ecosystems globally. For Sulzer and cleantech startup Crosstown H2R, the partnership will see the companies build advanced hydrogen combustion systems.

US-based Hera Biotech has reached an agreement to acquire the endometriosis diagnostic assets and associated IP of single-cell and AI-driven biomarker discovery company Scailyte, creating an important consolidation of the only two tissue-based diagnostic programs for endometriosis. Hera intends to launch a first product into the US fertility market in late 2024. 

Tokenized shares are offering a fresh approach to how startups and investors interact. Fintech startup Aktionariat has had its private shares tokenized by SIX Digital Exchange on its regulated blockchain-based Central Securities Depository, with Berner Kantonalbank serving as the issuer agent and custodian.

Founded by the ceramics pioneer Karl Ulrich Volz in 2013 and based in Kreuzlingen (TG), Swiss Dental Solutions has organically grown to become the innovative global market leader in ceramic dental implants. This new partnership is reinforcing the leadership position and growth prospects of SDS globally.

Following the closing of its first equity funding in Q4 2023, LimmaTech Biologics has acquired an exclusive clinical development license from AbVacc for LBT-SA7, a multivalent, toxoid vaccine candidate to prevent infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial pathogen, affecting approximately 30% of the human population. The company will initiate the Phase 1 clinical study in 2024 with an option to acquire full worldwide rights after the trial read-out.

Das St. Galler Startup matriq hat in einer weiteren Late Seed-Runde gut eine Million Franken an frischem Kapital eingesammelt. An der Runde beteiligt haben sich bestehende und drei neue Investoren.

A framework collaboration agreement has been signed between the USI Startup Centre and Camera di Commercio, dell’industria, dell’artigianato e dei servizi del Cantone Ticino. The goal is to increase the economic impact of start-ups and strengthen the network between young and established organisations.  

Ectica and Nordic Bioscience collaborate to provide an innovative tool for compound screening, which will accelerate and enhance the success of drug development. Ectica will license and provide Nordic Bioscience access to its proprietary cell culture platform for pre-clinical drug discovery services in fibrosis.

With its leasing software, LeaseTeq enriches the Swiss market with the first completely digital, bank-independent leasing offer. The Schwyz-based company raised CHF 8 million in a first closing of its Series A financing round.

Es wurden schweizweit noch nie so viele Firmen wie dieses Jahr gegründet. Dies zeigt eine Analyse des IFJ. Gesamthaft wurden 51'637 Unternehmen neu in das Handelsregister eingetragen – fast 150 pro Tag.

AC Immune, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering precision medicine for neurodegenerative diseases, closed an equity offering of 14.3 million of its common shares at a price of USD 3.50 per share successfully.

VIO Chemicals is specialized in the custom design and production of specialty chemicals, intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). KKR-backed Biosynth has acquired the company to offer complex chemistry solutions at greater scale.

An efficient heating system,  a bug bounty platform, a medtech device to treat strokes and a new therapy for lead-related diseases. These new solutions impressed juries in different award competitions, winning themselves cash and tickets to further programs to boost them. 

Distalmotion, the pioneer in surgical robots, has welcomed its new Chief Executive Officer, while Open Mineral appointed a Chief Financial Officer. Both executives are experienced industry leaders with several years of experience to support the companies in their next growth phase.

Based in Zurich, Procavea Biotech is developing a first-in-class protein-based delivery platform for RNA therapeutics. This approach promises higher stability, engineerability, and easier manufacturing. The CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick will allow the startup to validate the platform for siRNA applications.

The United States market provides immense opportunities for Swiss startups. Daphne technology, Neopredix and Flybotix are some of the most recent showcases, aiming to gain proximity to customers and expand their footprint in the continent.

Scewo AG, a pioneering Swiss technology company known for its stair-climbing electric wheelchair Scewo BRO, secured an investment led by Germany-based RSBG Ventures. The Series A extension funding will be strategically deployed to drive Scewo AG towards profitability and pave the way for the US entry.

Die Belohnungs-App für sportliche Betätigung von Muuvr ging im Oktober 2023 live. In einer überzeichneten Seed-Finanzierungsrunde hat das Zürcher Startup jetzt 3,6 Millionen Franken von Business Angels und von Family Offices eingesammelt. Das frische Kapital dient dazu, die Wachstumsstrategie weiter voranzutreiben.

High-performance skis, accurate health vitals from a finger and loyalty points: These are the solutions trending in the crowdfunding spaces. While two startups behind these innovations are close to completing their funding campaigns on Conda, the Indiegogo campaign to fund a smart ring has raised more than $1.7 million.

Addressing a longstanding issue in geospatial data accessibility, skEarth has devised an innovative solution to revolutionize how individuals and businesses tap into the wealth of information hidden within satellite imagery. The CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick will enable the startup build its geospatial data search engine.