Here are the winners of venture kick stage two
19.02.2015
Two promising high-tech startups recently convinced the jury on the second stage of venture kick: ComfyLight and ZuriMED. Both are qualified for the big venture kick final (CHF 130’000 to kick your startup). Fingers crossed!
 Meet Stefanie and Marcus from ComfyLight
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 Xiang from ZuriMED (3rd from left) with his team members
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Although intrusion is increasing year over year and people feel unsecure, most homes are still unprotected today. The reason is that traditional security solutions are often complicated to install and expensive over time. The first winner, ComfyLight, brings to the market the first instant home security solution invisibly integrated in a smart light bulb. It is installed in no time and seamlessly integrates in people's homes. Compared to other traditional security systems, it not only detects intrusion but also proactively protects people's homes by perfect presence simulation based on valuable presence data.
The second winner, ZuriMED, commercializes a revolutionary device for surgical knee ligament reconstruction. The likelihood of severe post-operative pain that comes with the use of a high performance “bone-tendon-bone” (BTB) autograft (a patient’s own tissue) for knee ligament reconstruction leads many knee surgeons to elect for the less painful but lower performance “hamstring” tendon autograft. ZuriMED’s device effectively “converts” the less painful tendon autograft into a BTB-like graft (“functional gain, without the pain”).
We took the opportunity to ask a few questions to Stefanie Turber, co-founder of Comfy, and Xiang Li, co-founder of ZuriMED, about the good news:
How and why did you launch your startup, and at what stage is it today?
Stefanie: My co-founder Marcus Köhler and I are just prior to incorporating our company as a university spin-off. So far, we developed Comfy in the lab setting at University of St Gallen in the context of our doctoral studies. For Comfy, a feasibility study and demonstrators are available in addition to the business concept and a valuable partner network. We currently prepare our first comprehensive field test and first sales channels. Moreover, we hope to secure our first financing round within the next few weeks.
Xiang: Zurimed was born in the lab during my PhD thesis at ETH Zurich. I realized that my PhD project had a big business potential. Over the past several years, our team of 3 people worked hard in order to translate the medical device developed in our laboratory into a clinical application. At the moment, we are doing assessment to realize the production line for industrial mass production with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), with documented production process and quality control system.
How is your product positioned with regards to your competitors?
Stefanie: Compared to other available security systems, Comfy is an instant solution, which not only detects intruders, yet proactively protects people's home from them. It is realized by perfect presence simulation: The bulb learns the users' movement and behavior at home and is able to perfectly simulate it during an absence through light. The added value for the user is a higher level of security by just one device at a small fraction of the price of traditional systems.
Xiang: Our device seeks to displace use of the existing competitor - interference screws, with this well-established and highly competitive market representing a large opportunity to gain market share with “disruptive technology”.
Why did you apply for venture kick and how did you convince the jury on stage 2?
Stefanie: We applied because venture kick offers great coaching, in addition to the financial aspect. Even though the jury kicked us hard (laughs), I think that they appreciated the finesse of Comfy combined with its huge market potential. Moreover, we could in my opinion demonstrate significant progress since venture kick stage one. Not least, our team of two is highly complementary and covers a large part of the relevant skill set.
Xiang: venture kick is a great program to kick our business, not only for the funding but also for the kickers' camps coaching and offered networking. I think the most important point for us to convince the jury on stage two has been is the achievement and progress made over the past months.
What do you think is the impact of venture kick on the Swiss startup industry?
Stefanie: venture kick is a solid quality check for your business idea and the team behind, especially at a seed-financing stage. The program adds a lot of credibility to your startup.
Xiang: venture kick is definitely a great program supporting Swiss innovation. It is bridging funding and coaching, from the early ideas to building a startup. venture kick shall bring more brilliant ideas and early Swiss startups on the market.
The second winner, ZuriMED, commercializes a revolutionary device for surgical knee ligament reconstruction. The likelihood of severe post-operative pain that comes with the use of a high performance “bone-tendon-bone” (BTB) autograft (a patient’s own tissue) for knee ligament reconstruction leads many knee surgeons to elect for the less painful but lower performance “hamstring” tendon autograft. ZuriMED’s device effectively “converts” the less painful tendon autograft into a BTB-like graft (“functional gain, without the pain”).
We took the opportunity to ask a few questions to Stefanie Turber, co-founder of Comfy, and Xiang Li, co-founder of ZuriMED, about the good news:
How and why did you launch your startup, and at what stage is it today?
Stefanie: My co-founder Marcus Köhler and I are just prior to incorporating our company as a university spin-off. So far, we developed Comfy in the lab setting at University of St Gallen in the context of our doctoral studies. For Comfy, a feasibility study and demonstrators are available in addition to the business concept and a valuable partner network. We currently prepare our first comprehensive field test and first sales channels. Moreover, we hope to secure our first financing round within the next few weeks.
Xiang: Zurimed was born in the lab during my PhD thesis at ETH Zurich. I realized that my PhD project had a big business potential. Over the past several years, our team of 3 people worked hard in order to translate the medical device developed in our laboratory into a clinical application. At the moment, we are doing assessment to realize the production line for industrial mass production with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), with documented production process and quality control system.
How is your product positioned with regards to your competitors?
Stefanie: Compared to other available security systems, Comfy is an instant solution, which not only detects intruders, yet proactively protects people's home from them. It is realized by perfect presence simulation: The bulb learns the users' movement and behavior at home and is able to perfectly simulate it during an absence through light. The added value for the user is a higher level of security by just one device at a small fraction of the price of traditional systems.
Xiang: Our device seeks to displace use of the existing competitor - interference screws, with this well-established and highly competitive market representing a large opportunity to gain market share with “disruptive technology”.
Why did you apply for venture kick and how did you convince the jury on stage 2?
Stefanie: We applied because venture kick offers great coaching, in addition to the financial aspect. Even though the jury kicked us hard (laughs), I think that they appreciated the finesse of Comfy combined with its huge market potential. Moreover, we could in my opinion demonstrate significant progress since venture kick stage one. Not least, our team of two is highly complementary and covers a large part of the relevant skill set.
Xiang: venture kick is a great program to kick our business, not only for the funding but also for the kickers' camps coaching and offered networking. I think the most important point for us to convince the jury on stage two has been is the achievement and progress made over the past months.
What do you think is the impact of venture kick on the Swiss startup industry?
Stefanie: venture kick is a solid quality check for your business idea and the team behind, especially at a seed-financing stage. The program adds a lot of credibility to your startup.
Xiang: venture kick is definitely a great program supporting Swiss innovation. It is bridging funding and coaching, from the early ideas to building a startup. venture kick shall bring more brilliant ideas and early Swiss startups on the market.