CHF 40,000 for next-gen mobile security, sustainable seasonal energy storage, and AI-powered cognitive tests
27.03.2025
+Phone, Iron energy, and neurodAIgnostics were selected at Venture Kick's first financial and entrepreneurial support stage. Their projects introduce a novel software architecture on commercial smartphones; advance the development of a reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective solution for seasonal energy storage; and harness AI to improve the speed and quality of cognitive evaluations.
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 +Phone: Dr. Ivan Puddu (CEO), Dr. Moritz Schneider (CTO)
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 Iron Energy: CEO Samuel Heiniger, CFO Daniel Bloch, and advisors Prof. Dr. Wendelin Stark and Prof. Dr. Robert Grass
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 neurodAIgnostics: Co-founders Perrine Lhuillier and Prof. Dr. Nicolas Langer
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+Phone: Next-Gen Mobile Security That Puts You in Control
Organizations struggle to balance the trade-off between smartphone security and usability. Current solutions restrict apps, web access, and communication to minimize risks, often forcing employees to adopt workarounds like carrying a second phone, effectively bypassing security efforts.
+Phone introduces a novel software architecture on commercial smartphones that eliminates this trade-off. It delivers a significantly higher level of security than was possible, all without compromising phone functionality or user experience. Uniquely, +Phone puts the user in full control of their devices and ensures that privacy and security are maintained even if the operating system (Android, iOS) is compromised.
Founded by Dr. Ivan Puddu (CEO), Dr. Moritz Schneider (CTO), Prof. Dr. Shweta Shinde, and Prof. Dr. Srdjan Capkun, +Phone aims to reshape mobile security. Building on four years of R&D at ETH Zurich, it targets a beachhead market of 55 million devices.
The Venture Kick Stage 1 funds will accelerate business development, helping +Phone forge key partnerships and acquire clients.
Iron Energy: Sustainable Solutions for Seasonal Energy Storage
Renewable energy generation is dictated by meteorological conditions rather than energy demand. This intermittency requires energy storage solutions to address long-term seasonal imbalances, ensuring surplus summer production can meet unmet winter demand.
The founding team of Iron Energy includes CEO Samuel Heiniger, CFO Daniel Bloch, and advisors Prof. Dr. Wendelin Stark and Prof. Dr. Robert Grass. Together, they are advancing the development of a reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective solution for seasonal energy storage. Their innovative technology uses the reversible reaction between hydrogen and iron oxide, enabling safe and straightforward handling of hydrogen, a gas that is typically explosive and highly volatile. This affordable energy storage system is a critical component for ensuring power supply in energy markets featuring renewable power supply.
The Venture Kick funds will support the scaling and improvement of the current demonstrator, paving the way for delivering the storage solution to the first customers.
neurodAIgnostics: AI-Powered Scoring Solutions for Cognitive Tests
Neuropsychologists rely on standardized tests to evaluate cognitive functions. Test scores inform diagnosing and treating complex neurological and psychiatric conditions like dementia. Traditional pen-and-paper assessments are slow to score, prone to errors, and offer limited diagnostic insights.
neurodAIgnostics harnesses AI to improve the speed and quality of cognitive evaluations. Clinicians receive reliable scores in seconds, with minimal changes to existing workflows. Richer diagnostic insights are unlocked by incorporating markers that are not captured in manual assessments. Patients benefit from shorter waiting times and improved care.
Operating in a growing cognitive assessment market valued at USD 4.5bn, co-founders Prof. Dr. Nicolas Langer and Perrine Lhuillier drive neurodAIgnostics forward thanks to complementary expertise spanning neuroscience, AI, leadership, fundraising, and communications.
The Venture Kick funding will be pivotal in refining pricing strategies and building a robust financial model to ensure sustainable growth.
Organizations struggle to balance the trade-off between smartphone security and usability. Current solutions restrict apps, web access, and communication to minimize risks, often forcing employees to adopt workarounds like carrying a second phone, effectively bypassing security efforts.
+Phone introduces a novel software architecture on commercial smartphones that eliminates this trade-off. It delivers a significantly higher level of security than was possible, all without compromising phone functionality or user experience. Uniquely, +Phone puts the user in full control of their devices and ensures that privacy and security are maintained even if the operating system (Android, iOS) is compromised.
Founded by Dr. Ivan Puddu (CEO), Dr. Moritz Schneider (CTO), Prof. Dr. Shweta Shinde, and Prof. Dr. Srdjan Capkun, +Phone aims to reshape mobile security. Building on four years of R&D at ETH Zurich, it targets a beachhead market of 55 million devices.
The Venture Kick Stage 1 funds will accelerate business development, helping +Phone forge key partnerships and acquire clients.
Iron Energy: Sustainable Solutions for Seasonal Energy Storage
Renewable energy generation is dictated by meteorological conditions rather than energy demand. This intermittency requires energy storage solutions to address long-term seasonal imbalances, ensuring surplus summer production can meet unmet winter demand.
The founding team of Iron Energy includes CEO Samuel Heiniger, CFO Daniel Bloch, and advisors Prof. Dr. Wendelin Stark and Prof. Dr. Robert Grass. Together, they are advancing the development of a reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective solution for seasonal energy storage. Their innovative technology uses the reversible reaction between hydrogen and iron oxide, enabling safe and straightforward handling of hydrogen, a gas that is typically explosive and highly volatile. This affordable energy storage system is a critical component for ensuring power supply in energy markets featuring renewable power supply.
The Venture Kick funds will support the scaling and improvement of the current demonstrator, paving the way for delivering the storage solution to the first customers.
neurodAIgnostics: AI-Powered Scoring Solutions for Cognitive Tests
Neuropsychologists rely on standardized tests to evaluate cognitive functions. Test scores inform diagnosing and treating complex neurological and psychiatric conditions like dementia. Traditional pen-and-paper assessments are slow to score, prone to errors, and offer limited diagnostic insights.
neurodAIgnostics harnesses AI to improve the speed and quality of cognitive evaluations. Clinicians receive reliable scores in seconds, with minimal changes to existing workflows. Richer diagnostic insights are unlocked by incorporating markers that are not captured in manual assessments. Patients benefit from shorter waiting times and improved care.
Operating in a growing cognitive assessment market valued at USD 4.5bn, co-founders Prof. Dr. Nicolas Langer and Perrine Lhuillier drive neurodAIgnostics forward thanks to complementary expertise spanning neuroscience, AI, leadership, fundraising, and communications.
The Venture Kick funding will be pivotal in refining pricing strategies and building a robust financial model to ensure sustainable growth.