Four startups pass first stage of Venture Kick journey
15.06.2018
Agritech, AI, biotech and electronics startups win the Venture Kick jury votes for their pitches and receive CHF10,000 each. It’s strong encouragement for their innovative ideas.
 CocoA Switzerland
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 Equsave
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 Neural Concept
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 Voliro
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CocoA Switzerland (ZHAW) – Agritech, food processing
CocoA aims at revolutionizing the cocoa processing industry. At present, the industry focuses mainly on cocoa beans, leaving most of the fruit as food waste. Capitalizing on the latest technologies, this startup brings its attention to the cocoa pulp. Using a solar-based system, CocoA extracts the pulp directly on site, among small-scale plantations in the Ghanaian rainforests. Working directly with plantation farmers allows the startup to generate up to 25% more income for them, while bringing a new exotic flavor to the world.
Equsave (UZH) – Biotech
Equsave produces novel solutions for livestock breeding management. Pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) is a hormone produced, as the name suggests, by pregnant mares. Isolated from their blood, the hormone is used in artificial insemination processes; but generating this hormone requires a dangerous amount of blood from the mares. To protect them and to overcome the current shortage of PMSG, this startup is developing a sustainable and animal-free equine gonadotropin (Segon) in vitro.
Neural Concept (EPFL) – AI, CAE
Neural Concept optimizes industrial engineering processes using deep learning algorithms. Its solution allows companies to focus on core strategic choices, accelerate R&D cycles, reduce computation costs and leave the repetitive work to AI-empowered machines.
Voliro (ETH Zurich) – Electronics/mechanics, aerospace
Voliro aims to develop omnidirectional aerial vehicles (drones) with applications in infrastructure inspection, precision spray painting of complex 3D structures and façade cleaning, among other things.
CocoA aims at revolutionizing the cocoa processing industry. At present, the industry focuses mainly on cocoa beans, leaving most of the fruit as food waste. Capitalizing on the latest technologies, this startup brings its attention to the cocoa pulp. Using a solar-based system, CocoA extracts the pulp directly on site, among small-scale plantations in the Ghanaian rainforests. Working directly with plantation farmers allows the startup to generate up to 25% more income for them, while bringing a new exotic flavor to the world.
Equsave (UZH) – Biotech
Equsave produces novel solutions for livestock breeding management. Pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) is a hormone produced, as the name suggests, by pregnant mares. Isolated from their blood, the hormone is used in artificial insemination processes; but generating this hormone requires a dangerous amount of blood from the mares. To protect them and to overcome the current shortage of PMSG, this startup is developing a sustainable and animal-free equine gonadotropin (Segon) in vitro.
Neural Concept (EPFL) – AI, CAE
Neural Concept optimizes industrial engineering processes using deep learning algorithms. Its solution allows companies to focus on core strategic choices, accelerate R&D cycles, reduce computation costs and leave the repetitive work to AI-empowered machines.
Voliro (ETH Zurich) – Electronics/mechanics, aerospace
Voliro aims to develop omnidirectional aerial vehicles (drones) with applications in infrastructure inspection, precision spray painting of complex 3D structures and façade cleaning, among other things.