CHF 40,000 for autonomous drones for extreme environments, next-gen DNA-encoded libraries, and a vaccine to reduce the antibiotic need.
15.05.2025
FireDrone, Pure-DEL, and Santella were selected at Venture Kick's second financial and entrepreneurial support stage. Their projects develop heat-resistant autonomous drones capable of operating in extreme environments; discover orally available macrocycles for challenging targets using a proprietary drug discovery platform, which for the first time allows the creation of vast libraries; and develop an innovative probiotic vaccine to combat APEC infections.
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 FireDrone: Co-founders Dr. Fabian Wiesemüller, David Häusermann, and Prof. Mirko Kovac
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 Pure-DEL: Michelle Keller, Andreas Gloger, Dimitar Petrov & Jörg Scheuermann
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 Santella: CSO Dr. Olivier Schären & CEO Sabrina Stöckli
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FireDrone: Autonomous drones for extreme environments
Firefighters and industrial safety teams struggle with monitoring and assessing high-temperature environments, such as burning buildings or industrial ovens, due to extreme heat, toxic smoke, and structural hazards. Current drone technology cannot withstand these conditions, leaving a critical gap in real-time situational awareness.
The FireDrone project is led by the future co-founders Dr. Fabian Wiesemüller, David Häusermann, and Prof. Mirko Kovac. The company develops heat-resistant autonomous drones capable of operating in extreme environments. Utilizing advanced thermal insulation and cooling technologies, the drones provide real-time data where traditional solutions fail. The industrial safety and firefighting drone market is projected to exceed USD 2 billion, presenting significant opportunities for FireDrone's innovative solution.
Venture Kick funds will primarily support proof-of-concept (PoC) tests with an industrial partner at their fabrication site, validating the drone’s performance in real-world high-temperature conditions. Additional funding will be allocated to refining the prototype and expanding early-stage partnerships.
Pure-DEL: Targeting the Undruggable by Next-Generation DNA-Encoded Libraries
Drugging many pharmaceutically relevant proteins remains a challenge, as traditional medicines such as biologics have difficulty entering cells, and small molecules do not exhibit sufficient binding ability to numerous protein surfaces.
Pure-DEL is a team of four scientists from ETH, including Dr. Dimitar Petrov and Dr. Michelle Keller (future Co-CEO/CSO), who co-developed Pure-DEL technology during their PhD projects, Dr. Andreas Gloger, an expert in encoded library screening and protein engineering, as well as Prof. Jörg Scheuermann, one of the pioneers of DEL technology and PI at ETH Zürich. Pure-DEL discovers orally available macrocycles for challenging targets using its proprietary drug discovery platform, which, for the first time, allows the creation of vast libraries (> 1 billion molecules) of chemically synthesized complex natural product-like macrocycles to yield orally bioavailable ligands, usable against difficult targets.
The Venture Kick funds will contribute to business development and advertising the technology to specialists in drug discovery at various events and conferences.
Santella: A poultry vaccine to reduce the antibiotic need
Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) causes severe infections in poultry, leading to high antibiotic use, economic losses, and animal welfare concerns. Existing solutions have limited efficacy, leaving producers with few reliable prevention options.
Santella, a biotech startup, develops an innovative probiotic vaccine to combat APEC infections. Guided by Sabrina Stöckli (CEO) and Dr. Olivier Schären (CSO) with expertise in microbiology & immunology, the team leverages its research to enhance poultry health. With over 80 billion chickens produced annually, the global poultry market presents a vast opportunity for sustainable solutions that reduce antibiotic reliance and improve productivity.
With the Venture Kick funds, they will conduct additional validation studies and refine regulatory strategies to advance product development.
Firefighters and industrial safety teams struggle with monitoring and assessing high-temperature environments, such as burning buildings or industrial ovens, due to extreme heat, toxic smoke, and structural hazards. Current drone technology cannot withstand these conditions, leaving a critical gap in real-time situational awareness.
The FireDrone project is led by the future co-founders Dr. Fabian Wiesemüller, David Häusermann, and Prof. Mirko Kovac. The company develops heat-resistant autonomous drones capable of operating in extreme environments. Utilizing advanced thermal insulation and cooling technologies, the drones provide real-time data where traditional solutions fail. The industrial safety and firefighting drone market is projected to exceed USD 2 billion, presenting significant opportunities for FireDrone's innovative solution.
Venture Kick funds will primarily support proof-of-concept (PoC) tests with an industrial partner at their fabrication site, validating the drone’s performance in real-world high-temperature conditions. Additional funding will be allocated to refining the prototype and expanding early-stage partnerships.
Pure-DEL: Targeting the Undruggable by Next-Generation DNA-Encoded Libraries
Drugging many pharmaceutically relevant proteins remains a challenge, as traditional medicines such as biologics have difficulty entering cells, and small molecules do not exhibit sufficient binding ability to numerous protein surfaces.
Pure-DEL is a team of four scientists from ETH, including Dr. Dimitar Petrov and Dr. Michelle Keller (future Co-CEO/CSO), who co-developed Pure-DEL technology during their PhD projects, Dr. Andreas Gloger, an expert in encoded library screening and protein engineering, as well as Prof. Jörg Scheuermann, one of the pioneers of DEL technology and PI at ETH Zürich. Pure-DEL discovers orally available macrocycles for challenging targets using its proprietary drug discovery platform, which, for the first time, allows the creation of vast libraries (> 1 billion molecules) of chemically synthesized complex natural product-like macrocycles to yield orally bioavailable ligands, usable against difficult targets.
The Venture Kick funds will contribute to business development and advertising the technology to specialists in drug discovery at various events and conferences.
Santella: A poultry vaccine to reduce the antibiotic need
Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) causes severe infections in poultry, leading to high antibiotic use, economic losses, and animal welfare concerns. Existing solutions have limited efficacy, leaving producers with few reliable prevention options.
Santella, a biotech startup, develops an innovative probiotic vaccine to combat APEC infections. Guided by Sabrina Stöckli (CEO) and Dr. Olivier Schären (CSO) with expertise in microbiology & immunology, the team leverages its research to enhance poultry health. With over 80 billion chickens produced annually, the global poultry market presents a vast opportunity for sustainable solutions that reduce antibiotic reliance and improve productivity.
With the Venture Kick funds, they will conduct additional validation studies and refine regulatory strategies to advance product development.