CHF 40,000 for automated microbial genomics analysis, digital innovation for the waste industry, and next-gen prosthetic heart valves
23.02.2024
Abrinca, UpCircle, and ValTech Lifesciences get Venture Kick's second financial and entrepreneurial support stage. Their projects automate analyses of microbial genomics with a user-friendly interface and simplify data management; make recycling more ecological and economical; and bring together state-of-the-art fluid mechanical and cardiovascular engineering research to develop a next-generation valve design to resolve the unmet clinical need.
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 Abrinca: CSO Rémy Bruggmann, COO Linda Studer, and CEO Thomas Roder
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 UpCircle: from left to right, CEO Hendrik Kolvenbach, CTO Fidel Esquivel, and COO Adrian Ensmenger
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 ValTech Lifesciences: Co-founders Dr. Shaokai Zheng and Prof. Dr. Dominik Obrist
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Abrinca: Unlocking the secrets of microbial genomics
A major bottleneck in microbial genomics is data analysis, which requires systematic data management and programming skills.
Abrinca is a spin-off from the University of Bern to commercialize the software OpenGenomeBrowser. By automating analyses with a user-friendly interface and simplifying data management, OpenGenomeBrowser enhances researcher productivity, speeding up discoveries and reducing product development time. The founding team consists of Thomas Roder, who created OpenGenomeBrowser during his PhD, Rémy Bruggman, his PhD supervisor, and Linda Studer, PhD candidate in Computer Science. Abrinca is a B2B software company with the potential to cater to 800+ corporations and institutions specializing in microbial genomics.
The Venture Kick funds will enable us to invest in sales and marketing and enable OpenGenomeBrowser to transition from an academic open-source software to a professional-grade solution, by implementing a software licensing system and an improved user permission system. abrinca.com
UpCircle – Digital Innovation for the Waste Industry
UpCircle, a cleantech startup from ETH Zürich, is at the forefront of transforming the analog recycling industry through the integration of AI and Digital Innovation. The startup aims to eliminate inefficiencies in waste processing deriving from subjective human assessments of material quality.
By implementing a consistent and automated approach to material quality estimation, UpCircle acquires actionable data insights concerning plant feedstock, mitigating human errors and establishing a more ecological and economical processing system. Initial installations within plastics and cardboard recycling companies have shown the need for innovative solutions in this industry.
The co-founding team consists of CEO Dr. Hendrik Kolvenbach, CTO Fidel Esquivel, COO Adrian Ensmenger, and other collaborators with backgrounds in robotics, machine learning, and materials science. This diverse skill set of the team allows UpCircle to address the complexities of waste management and leverage technological advancements for the benefit of the industry.
With the Venture Kick Stage 2 funds, UpCircle intends to accelerate both the business and technological aspects of its enterprise. These funds will be used for further business and solution development, solidifying their position in the USD 1.3 trillion waste management market.
ValTech Lifesciences: bringing next-generation prosthetic heart valves to patients
The unmet clinical need is a non-thrombogenic, durable heart valve prosthesis. A large number of patients suffer either from limited valve durability and the limitations of anticoagulation therapy (e.g. risk of hemorrhage), or from the risk of thromboembolic stroke (e.g. patients in regions with limited access to anti-coagulation drugs). The global market for heart valve prostheses was valued at USD 11 billion in 2021 and was estimated to reach USD 25 billion by 2030.
The team of ValTech Lifesciences is bringing together state-of-the-art fluid mechanical and cardiovascular engineering research to develop a next-generation valve design to resolve the unmet clinical need. The co-founders are Dr. Shaokai Zheng and Prof. Dr. Dominik Obrist from the University of Bern.
The Venture Kick Stage 2 funds will contribute to accelerating the prototyping of their product.
A major bottleneck in microbial genomics is data analysis, which requires systematic data management and programming skills.
Abrinca is a spin-off from the University of Bern to commercialize the software OpenGenomeBrowser. By automating analyses with a user-friendly interface and simplifying data management, OpenGenomeBrowser enhances researcher productivity, speeding up discoveries and reducing product development time. The founding team consists of Thomas Roder, who created OpenGenomeBrowser during his PhD, Rémy Bruggman, his PhD supervisor, and Linda Studer, PhD candidate in Computer Science. Abrinca is a B2B software company with the potential to cater to 800+ corporations and institutions specializing in microbial genomics.
The Venture Kick funds will enable us to invest in sales and marketing and enable OpenGenomeBrowser to transition from an academic open-source software to a professional-grade solution, by implementing a software licensing system and an improved user permission system. abrinca.com
UpCircle – Digital Innovation for the Waste Industry
UpCircle, a cleantech startup from ETH Zürich, is at the forefront of transforming the analog recycling industry through the integration of AI and Digital Innovation. The startup aims to eliminate inefficiencies in waste processing deriving from subjective human assessments of material quality.
By implementing a consistent and automated approach to material quality estimation, UpCircle acquires actionable data insights concerning plant feedstock, mitigating human errors and establishing a more ecological and economical processing system. Initial installations within plastics and cardboard recycling companies have shown the need for innovative solutions in this industry.
The co-founding team consists of CEO Dr. Hendrik Kolvenbach, CTO Fidel Esquivel, COO Adrian Ensmenger, and other collaborators with backgrounds in robotics, machine learning, and materials science. This diverse skill set of the team allows UpCircle to address the complexities of waste management and leverage technological advancements for the benefit of the industry.
With the Venture Kick Stage 2 funds, UpCircle intends to accelerate both the business and technological aspects of its enterprise. These funds will be used for further business and solution development, solidifying their position in the USD 1.3 trillion waste management market.
ValTech Lifesciences: bringing next-generation prosthetic heart valves to patients
The unmet clinical need is a non-thrombogenic, durable heart valve prosthesis. A large number of patients suffer either from limited valve durability and the limitations of anticoagulation therapy (e.g. risk of hemorrhage), or from the risk of thromboembolic stroke (e.g. patients in regions with limited access to anti-coagulation drugs). The global market for heart valve prostheses was valued at USD 11 billion in 2021 and was estimated to reach USD 25 billion by 2030.
The team of ValTech Lifesciences is bringing together state-of-the-art fluid mechanical and cardiovascular engineering research to develop a next-generation valve design to resolve the unmet clinical need. The co-founders are Dr. Shaokai Zheng and Prof. Dr. Dominik Obrist from the University of Bern.
The Venture Kick Stage 2 funds will contribute to accelerating the prototyping of their product.