Startups Developing AI-Powered Software for Perishable Fruits, Nanoscale X-Ray Optics, Reusable Coffee Cups, Soft Implantable Electrodes and a Self-Test for Sexually-Transmitted Infections Each win CHf 10'000
28.01.2020
AgriNorm, Fresnel, IRISgo, Neurosoft Bioelectronics and LifeDx Teams win Venture Kick’s financial and entrepreneurial support. Their projects help farmers to optimize the perishable fruits supply chain, researchers to get higher-resolution imagery on small samples, coffee drinker to experience optimal drinking, clinicians to better brain monitor epilepsy patients, and anyone to rapidly self-test sexually-transmitted infections.
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 AgriNorm, Daria Reisch and Sharon Wulff
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 FRESNEL, Florian Doering
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 IRISgo, Manuel Borer and Fabian Christmann
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 Neurosoft Bioelectronics, Nicolas Vachicoura
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 LifeDx, Siew-Veena Sahi
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AgriNorm: Machine learning solution for quality and
shelf-life predictions of perishable fruits
The quality of fresh agricultural produce is a crucial factor in
The quality of fresh agricultural produce is a crucial factor in
buyers' decisions. CEO of AgriNorm, Daria Reisch - from the Lucerne University - and her team developped a simple data driven solution for estimating quality along various KPIs and predicting its evolution. Their solution can be used by various players along the fresh supply chain to reduce quality risk and waste. It can also allow insurance & financial institutions to develop new products in this space. They are currently at the proof of concept stage and plan to win a design partner with to co-develop their first working prototype. They will use the Venture Kick funds for professional marketing materials, and to attend thematic events.
Fresnel: Nanoscale X-Ray Optics with Swiss precision
With Fresnel, Dr. Florian Döring - PostDoc at PSI - addresses the worldwide need for nanotech X-ray optics to focus high-energy beams onto smallest samples like cells, viruses or bacteria. In this niche, they provide unique optics-solutions for several hundred beamlines in more than 30 large-scale research facilities around the world. This project won the PSI Founder Fellowship, with an initial budget of 150k CHF over 18 months. Meanwhile, first customers were approached and first order requests were answered via PSI. FRESNEL was also awarded the title “Deep Tech Pioneer” by the Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge. Thus, it was recognized as one of the most promising projects in deep tech to date. They plan to use the Venture Kick funds to cover the design and printing costs of their marketing material.
IRISgo: Reusable Coffe Cup
IRISgo: Reusable Coffe Cup
All existing reusable coffee cups do not enable a high-quality
drinking experience and might burn your tongue due to small openings. With the reusable IRISgo cup, the technological solution of the closure system as a sealing system ensures the optimal drinking experience. A functional prototype has been developed, the next step is the industrialization of the product.
Already 100 cups are sold and going to be distributed next year. They plan to use Venture Kick's fund to start their crowfunding next March to raise enough money to developp their marketing wordlwide.
Neurosoft Bioelectronics: Soft Implantable Electrodes
Neurosoft Bioelectronics: Soft Implantable Electrodes
Current clinical devices are too stiff compared to the soft
and curved tissues of the body, thereby hindering their physiological dynamic motion. EPFL's Dr. Vachicouras (PhD) , Ludovic Serex (PhD) and Mr. Fallegger (MSc), founders of Neurosoft Bioelectronics, have adapted semi-conductor microfabrication processes to create implantable and personalized soft implants that seamlessly interface with tissues and provide better solutions to clinicians and patients. These implantable medical devices can be used for diagnosis and therapy of various diseases, by targeting the brain, the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, or other organs such as the heart or the gut. Their first product, a subdural electrode that can record and stimulate the brain, is used for the brain monitoring of epilepsy patients, and for intra-operative neuromonitoring during brain surgery. They are exploring other medical applications to leverage their technology. The Venture Kick funds funds will cover trips to KOLs and industrial partners, as well as consulting fees for regulatory strategy and market analysis.
LifeDx: Rapid Self-Test for Sexually-Transmitted Infections
LifeDx: Rapid Self-Test for Sexually-Transmitted Infections
The WHO estimates that nearly one million people become infected every day with any of four curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs): chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. Siew-Veena Sahi, from the University of Geneva, Dr. Gianpaolo Rando and Brij Sahi co-founded LifeDx to provides a rapid, self-administered test for sexually-transmitted infections. This replaces an existing, expensive DNA test that can only be performed by technicians in the laboratory, and takes up to 7 days to deliver results. From a user perspective, LifeDx's solution is equivalent to a pregnancy test - a reliable disposable self-test, providing a rapid result that can be easily interpreted by anyone, anytime. Their patented DNA isothermal technology is already used commercially in the food industry by SwissDeCode. Their digital, connected test captures the result, time & date stamp, geolocation data - and uploads this to a paired app for fast, actionable results by remote healthcare professionals. The Venture Kick funds will go towards completing their proof-of-concept & creating the minimum viable product.