DePoly's Process to Recycle Unsorted, Dirty PET Plastics, and NEURALSIGHT's Smart Cameras for Industry Both Win CHF 40,000
22.11.2019
The startups being developed by graduates of the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne and ETH Zurich each win 40,000 francs and the next level of entrepreneurial training from Venture Kick.
 DePoly and NEURALSIGHT
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 DePoly co-founder Samantha Anderson
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 NEURALSIGHT's co-founders Timon Heinis and Filippo Fontana, with Jonas Conrad
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DePoly: closing the loop on PET recycling
Conventional PET plastic recycling systems suffer several challenges, as they require accepted PET plastic waste to be ideal -- uncontaminated by the presence of PVC (or other) plastics, food residue, or uncleaned containers. EPFL spin-off DePoly has developed a room-temperature process that depolymerizes PET and other ester-based plastics, without the need to sort or clean plastics first. This will make it easier to recycle more plastic, more efficiently while using less energy.
DePoly used Venture Kick's support to develop relations with chemical and food-packaging companies across Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Co-founders Samantha Anderson, Christopher Ireland and Bardiya Valizadeh will continue third-party testing prior to certification for food products, as they aim to incorporate by the first-quarter of 2020, then raise about CHF 5 million to build a larger recycling plant in Switzerland.
Conventional PET plastic recycling systems suffer several challenges, as they require accepted PET plastic waste to be ideal -- uncontaminated by the presence of PVC (or other) plastics, food residue, or uncleaned containers. EPFL spin-off DePoly has developed a room-temperature process that depolymerizes PET and other ester-based plastics, without the need to sort or clean plastics first. This will make it easier to recycle more plastic, more efficiently while using less energy.
DePoly used Venture Kick's support to develop relations with chemical and food-packaging companies across Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Co-founders Samantha Anderson, Christopher Ireland and Bardiya Valizadeh will continue third-party testing prior to certification for food products, as they aim to incorporate by the first-quarter of 2020, then raise about CHF 5 million to build a larger recycling plant in Switzerland.
Anderson praised the opportunities Venture Kick's jury sessions have provided "I've found it super-useful. It's amazing the things people see or say that you don't think of, and then the individual jurors offer fantastic connections to industry leaders!" The program's Kicker's Camps also left a positive impression: "I loved it, because there's a no-bullshit approach to fixing pitches or problems."
venturekick.ch/depoly
NEURALSIGHT: smart cameras to help humans in manufacturing
Human error causes 70 percent of quality problems in the manufacturing industry, so there's great potential for smart cameras using deep-learning technology to improve quality. Until now, the development of new applications was limited due to the high cost and missing expertise. NEURALSIGHT's co-founders Filippo Fontana and Timon Heinis, together with the support of ETH PhD student Jonas Conrad, want to help industrial companies apply deep-learning tech more easily.
Venture Kick's entrepreneurial training camps have sharpened the team's transition from ETH researchers prioritizing technical development, to entrepreneurs focused on value for clients. "It really was a 'Eureka!' moment, and very strong encouragment for us to get out into the field," said Fontana. NEURALSIGHT used Venture Kick's financial support to meet potential customers in Switzerland and at international automation fairs. "We invested Venture Kick's support into understanding the market and customers, rather than refining the product," added Timon.
The Kicker's Camp focus on a 'value-driven' mindset is now central to the team's business plan, as they aim to win pilot projects in product assembly, safety procedures, and human-machine interactions.
venturekick.ch/neuralsight
venturekick.ch/neuralsight