CHF 40,000 for adaptable endoscopes, AI-driven protein optimization, and next-gen solar installations
16.10.2025
Dexterous Endoscopes, Latentfusion.ai, and LightSeeds were selected at Venture Kick's second stage of financial and entrepreneurial support. Their projects empower doctors to achieve optimal patient outcomes; optimize protein-based therapeutics to unlock innovative treatments; and reduce solar installation costs with lightweight, low-carbon technology.
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 Dexterous Endoscopes: CTO Yi Sun & CEO Yegor Piskarev
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 latentfusion.ai: CEO Elias Hagmann & CSO Dieter Schiegg
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 LightSeeds: Co-founders Pierrick Duvoisin & Laure-Emmanuelle Perret
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Dexterous Endoscopes: Empowering doctors to achieve optimal patient outcomes
Millions of endoscopic procedures are performed annually using rigid or flexible instruments to access internal sites. Rigid endoscopes cannot bend into confined spaces. Flexible ones reach further but lack the force and precision for effective tissue dissection. Surgeons are therefore forced to choose between reach, precision, and control.
Dexterous Endoscopes has developed a variable-stiffness scope engineered to overcome existing limitations. Its ability to switch between rigid and soft modes on command is key. In the soft state, the scope can safely navigate complex organ anatomy to the target zone. In the rigid state, it resists buckling. It provides additional stability, enabling concentrated force with instruments passed through the working channel for high-quality tissue dissection or delivering greater stability for laser surgeries.
The Venture Kick funding will support preclinical trials, demonstration of the technology, and advancement of business development activities.
latentfusion.ai: Optimizing protein-based therapeutics to unlock innovative treatments
97% of all protein-based therapeutics fail before approval, after millions of US dollars and a large effort have been invested into their development. Up to 50% of those failures could be avoided with optimized protein candidates.
latentfusion.ai provides AI-driven protein optimization, helping biotech partners fix critical issues in lead candidates. This accelerates research, boosts licensing potential, and avoids dead-end projects. Most importantly, it increases the chances of life-changing treatments reaching patients.
latentfusion.ai was founded by CEO Elias Hagmann, with a background in computer science from ETH Zürich, and CSO Dieter Schiegg, with a background in Biochemistry from the University of Zürich. Together, they bring over 25 years of experience in the biotech industry. The core market consists of 3,000+ therapeutic biotech companies that currently spend over USD12 billion on protein lead optimization.
The Venture Kick funds will be used to reach potential customers, establish strategic partnerships, and accelerate market entry.
LightSeeds: Reducing Solar Installation Costs with Lightweight, Low-Carbon Technology
LightSeeds addresses a major barrier to solar adoption: the high cost and complexity of installing traditional photovoltaic systems, especially on infrastructure like roads and railways. Their solution replaces heavy, fragile glass panels with lightweight, rigid, and recyclable modules that cut total installed costs by 20% and halve the carbon footprint.
Founded in 2024 by Laure-Emmanuelle Perret and Pierrick Duvoisin, LightSeeds brings together 30+ years of expertise in photovoltaics, industrial design, and public-private innovation. With patents pending and pilot installations realised, the startup targets a USD 46M market (SOM) in Europe and Switzerland until 2027 with a scalable licensing model.
The Venture Kick Stage I funds will support industrialization, strengthen the team, and accelerate market entry through new strategic partnerships and field deployments.
Millions of endoscopic procedures are performed annually using rigid or flexible instruments to access internal sites. Rigid endoscopes cannot bend into confined spaces. Flexible ones reach further but lack the force and precision for effective tissue dissection. Surgeons are therefore forced to choose between reach, precision, and control.
Dexterous Endoscopes has developed a variable-stiffness scope engineered to overcome existing limitations. Its ability to switch between rigid and soft modes on command is key. In the soft state, the scope can safely navigate complex organ anatomy to the target zone. In the rigid state, it resists buckling. It provides additional stability, enabling concentrated force with instruments passed through the working channel for high-quality tissue dissection or delivering greater stability for laser surgeries.
The Venture Kick funding will support preclinical trials, demonstration of the technology, and advancement of business development activities.
latentfusion.ai: Optimizing protein-based therapeutics to unlock innovative treatments
97% of all protein-based therapeutics fail before approval, after millions of US dollars and a large effort have been invested into their development. Up to 50% of those failures could be avoided with optimized protein candidates.
latentfusion.ai provides AI-driven protein optimization, helping biotech partners fix critical issues in lead candidates. This accelerates research, boosts licensing potential, and avoids dead-end projects. Most importantly, it increases the chances of life-changing treatments reaching patients.
latentfusion.ai was founded by CEO Elias Hagmann, with a background in computer science from ETH Zürich, and CSO Dieter Schiegg, with a background in Biochemistry from the University of Zürich. Together, they bring over 25 years of experience in the biotech industry. The core market consists of 3,000+ therapeutic biotech companies that currently spend over USD12 billion on protein lead optimization.
The Venture Kick funds will be used to reach potential customers, establish strategic partnerships, and accelerate market entry.
LightSeeds: Reducing Solar Installation Costs with Lightweight, Low-Carbon Technology
LightSeeds addresses a major barrier to solar adoption: the high cost and complexity of installing traditional photovoltaic systems, especially on infrastructure like roads and railways. Their solution replaces heavy, fragile glass panels with lightweight, rigid, and recyclable modules that cut total installed costs by 20% and halve the carbon footprint.
Founded in 2024 by Laure-Emmanuelle Perret and Pierrick Duvoisin, LightSeeds brings together 30+ years of expertise in photovoltaics, industrial design, and public-private innovation. With patents pending and pilot installations realised, the startup targets a USD 46M market (SOM) in Europe and Switzerland until 2027 with a scalable licensing model.
The Venture Kick Stage I funds will support industrialization, strengthen the team, and accelerate market entry through new strategic partnerships and field deployments.