Back to work

Dear reader

Our site visits and the number of enquiries from start-ups reveal a lot about the Swiss start-up scene’s working habits. Activity is light over the summer break and it is only in the last third of August that the scene returns to its usual pace. This week we reported on 10 financings of different types. Nomoq’s is particularly noteworthy for a number of reasons: the industrial start-up has not only secured an equity investment, but also debt capital. In total, it has received more than EUR 5 million. Nomoq was launched by an experienced team with serial entrepreneur Peter Stein as CEO; Stein is best known in Switzerland as co-founder of greenTEG and Ava.

PeakData secured the largest investment this week at CHF 12 million. The Zug company has developed an AI platform that identifies the most relevant and important healthcare professionals for pharmaceutical companies. Hair & Skin generated CHF 4.6 million and AC Biosciences CHF 2.5 million. In addition, Assetmax made an exit: the Swiss fintech is going to Oslo-based Infront, a European full service provider of financial market solutions.

There was also good news in terms of support. UBS will provide ETH Zurich with up to CHF 40 million in order to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. And Nestlé has launched the Nestlé Youth Entrepreneurship Platform, which brings together all Nestlé’s innovation initiatives and programmes under one roof. 

The trade fair and business trip season is also waking up: at the Medica trade fair in November, the Startup Park will be firmly in Swiss hands. And in October, 10 start-ups will present themselves as part of Venture Leaders Cleantech in Munich.

Looking ahead, in just under two weeks, on 7 September, the award ceremony of the Top 100 Swiss Startup Awards will take place. The event will be broadcast live and registration is open now.

Start-ups can apply now for the next edition of Innosuisse Scaleup Coaching. Interested parties have only until 1 September to apply for the First Ventures programme, and the deadline for the two Venturelab Bootcamps for digital health and life sciences start-ups is 4 September.

Have a good weekend
Stefan Kyora 

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch