Startups developing innovative biomolecular analysis, soft robot manipulators, topology optimization of patient-specific spinal fusion implants, luxury goods' digital passport, and therapeutic monoclonal antibody each get CHF 10,000
28.05.2024
CryoSpec Solutions, Helix Robotics, OptimalPSI, Quantum Brand Protection, and REMUUN were selected at Venture Kick's first financial and entrepreneurial support stage. Their projects develop an innovative analytical technique and instrumentation to enhance biomolecular analysis, allowing for the clear identification and accurate quantification of any isomer; build a robotic arm platform with cost-effective manufacturing methods and weight-to-payload ratio.; optimize patient-specific spinal fusion implants and in the end reduce healthcare costs; introduce the first invisible and non-invasive method that securely links luxury watches to their digital passports for a lifetime; replicate the body's natural antibody diversification ex vivo, allowing for unparalleled precision, flexibility, and speed in antibody development.
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 CryoSpec Solutions: CEO Andrei Zviagin, CTO Vladimir Kopysov, and CMO Oleg Boyarkine
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 Helix Robotics, from left to right: CEO Francesco Stella, CTO-Software Max Polzin, CTO-Hardware Kai Junge, and CSOs Prof. Josie Hughes and Prof. Cosimo Della Santina
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 OptimalPSI: CEO Thijs Smit and CTO Wolfgang Rubin
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 Quantum Brand Protection: Founding Team Nasser Hefiana, Sébastien Griesmar, and Benoît Ayer
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 REMUUN founder and chairman, Richard Chahwan
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CryoSpec Solutions: Orthogonal dimension for biomolecular analysis
Identification and quantification of molecules in sample mixtures are crucial in many industries, ranging from perfume to pharmaceuticals. Although there are several well-established analytical techniques, they have many limitations. Identification of isomers, which are molecules with identical mass but different structures, in particular, remains a challenging task.
CryoSpec Solutions has developed an innovative analytical technique and instrumentation that enhances biomolecular analysis and enables the unambiguous identification and accurate quantification of any type of isomer. The founding team is composed of CEO Andrei Zviagin, CTO Vladimir Kopysov, and CMO Oleg Boyarkine. They provide an add-on module that employs patented, high-resolution optical spectroscopy-based technology for commercial mass spectrometers, the market of which is valued at $5.4 billion in 2022.
The Venture Kick funds will help CryoSpec Solutions boost business development in the analytical service, and marketing directions.
Helix Robotics: building the first commercial soft robot manipulator
Traditional robotic arms offer precision but falter in safety, particularly for human interaction. Soft robots have long promised safety but have been lacking the precision and reliability necessary to match industrial standards. To bring this technology to the market, the soon-to-be-incorporated company will focus on developing the first commercial soft manipulator, targeting applications such as collaborative food handling and lab automation.
In comparison to the currently available technologies, on top of unmatched safety standards, Helix Robotics’s platform is already uniquely positioned for its cost-effective manufacturing methods and weight-to-payload ratio. The founders have extensive scientific expertise in robotic design and control algorithms- the core competence of Helix Robotics. Francesco Stella, Prof. Josie Hughes (EPFL) and Prof. Della Santina (TU Delft) are the inventors of Helix Robotcs proprietary technology - published in Nature npj Robotics and protected by a European patent. Kai Junge and Max Polzin have recently joined the team to bring experience in industrial-level manufacturing and scale-up.
The Helix Robotics team plans to use the Venture Kick financing to boost their business development and elevate the technology to TRL 5.
OptimalPSI: Topology optimization of patient-specific spinal fusion implants
Lower back pain is one of the most prevalent health problems in Switzerland. If conservative treatments of lower back pain fail, spinal fusion surgery using off-the-shelf implants is the state-of-the-art. In approximately 20% of spinal fusion surgeries, the surgical result is lost post-operatively requiring one or more revision surgeries to alleviate the associated pain. The three main reasons for finding innovative solutions to avoid such revision surgeries are first, an unpleasant burden for the patients, then intrinsically high risks for complications and further revision surgeries, and finally increased costs for the health-care system.
OptimalPSI took the following steps to solve the problem. At first, they developed a computational strategy, using topology optimization, to create patient-specific implants to prevent revision surgeries. In the next step, a comparative in-silico medical device testing study showed that the optimized 3D-printed, patient-specific spinal fusion implants significantly reduce the risk of revision surgery. This result opens the door to improve patient care significantly, to increase the predictability of the surgical outcome, and to diminish healthcare costs once the innovation is developed into a commercial product. A patent was filed in November 2023 to protect the innovative computational strategy. The founding team is composed of two PhDs from ETH Zurich, CEO Thijs Smit, and CTO Wolfgang Rubin. The potential revenue of their technology in the niche market in the US and Switzerland amounts to CHF 580 M annually. Expanding to other anatomical areas will expand the market size considerably.
Venture Kick funding will be used for further market research and discussions with industry experts and surgeons to ensure product-market fit.
Quantum Brand Protection: Breakthrough in digital passports revolutionizing luxury goods authentication
The luxury goods sector, particularly luxury watches, faces a significant challenge: establishing an unbreakable connection between physical products and their digital passports on the blockchain using non-invasive markers. Quantum Brand Protection has pioneered an innovative solution for this, introducing the first invisible and non-invasive method that securely links a luxury watch to its digital passport for a lifetime.
This groundbreaking solution features an encrypted Quantum-Tattoo, an invisible mark embedded within the sapphire glass of the watch, acting as the 'Key.' This key is connected to a 'Safe,' a digital passport that stores all the watch's records. The Quantum-Tattoo is the only means to access the watch’s digital passport, facilitated by a proprietary reading application compatible with smartphones, ensuring safe and easy authentication worldwide.
Quantum Brand Protection is driven by a multidisciplinary and experienced team in deep-tech science, entrepreneurship, FMCG and luxury goods, brand protection, and business development. While initially targeting the luxury watch market, this versatile solution can be adapted for other luxury items such as handbags, cosmetics, and wines, and extended to other industries including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and electric vehicle batteries.
Access to EPFL institutes and cutting-edge technical facilities will significantly support Quantum Brand Protection in achieving its roadmap and accelerating market readiness. Additionally, Venture Kick funding will aid in the design and development of digital passport test platforms and the prototype for a portable reader, marking a new era in luxury goods authentication and protection.
REMUUN: Rapid, Precise, and Cost-Effective Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody Development
The global monoclonal antibody market is projected to surpass USD 300 billion by 2025. However, current therapeutic antibody development processes are slow, expensive, and have limited therapeutic potential.
REMUUN, a spin-off from the University of Zurich, is composed of a talented team of scientists and advisors, including Prof Dr Richard Chahwan (Founder), Paulina Wyrzykowska, Melis Nefin Yaganoglu, and Romina Fetti.
Their therapeutic agents are custom-designed monoclonal antibodies, developed using their patented MEGA platform. This modular platform replicates the body's natural antibody diversification ex vivo, allowing for unparalleled precision, flexibility, and speed in antibody development.
The Venture Kick funds will help REMUUN consolidate its intellectual properties and contribute to selecting an immunotherapy target that can proceed to clinical trials.
Identification and quantification of molecules in sample mixtures are crucial in many industries, ranging from perfume to pharmaceuticals. Although there are several well-established analytical techniques, they have many limitations. Identification of isomers, which are molecules with identical mass but different structures, in particular, remains a challenging task.
CryoSpec Solutions has developed an innovative analytical technique and instrumentation that enhances biomolecular analysis and enables the unambiguous identification and accurate quantification of any type of isomer. The founding team is composed of CEO Andrei Zviagin, CTO Vladimir Kopysov, and CMO Oleg Boyarkine. They provide an add-on module that employs patented, high-resolution optical spectroscopy-based technology for commercial mass spectrometers, the market of which is valued at $5.4 billion in 2022.
The Venture Kick funds will help CryoSpec Solutions boost business development in the analytical service, and marketing directions.
Helix Robotics: building the first commercial soft robot manipulator
Traditional robotic arms offer precision but falter in safety, particularly for human interaction. Soft robots have long promised safety but have been lacking the precision and reliability necessary to match industrial standards. To bring this technology to the market, the soon-to-be-incorporated company will focus on developing the first commercial soft manipulator, targeting applications such as collaborative food handling and lab automation.
In comparison to the currently available technologies, on top of unmatched safety standards, Helix Robotics’s platform is already uniquely positioned for its cost-effective manufacturing methods and weight-to-payload ratio. The founders have extensive scientific expertise in robotic design and control algorithms- the core competence of Helix Robotics. Francesco Stella, Prof. Josie Hughes (EPFL) and Prof. Della Santina (TU Delft) are the inventors of Helix Robotcs proprietary technology - published in Nature npj Robotics and protected by a European patent. Kai Junge and Max Polzin have recently joined the team to bring experience in industrial-level manufacturing and scale-up.
The Helix Robotics team plans to use the Venture Kick financing to boost their business development and elevate the technology to TRL 5.
OptimalPSI: Topology optimization of patient-specific spinal fusion implants
Lower back pain is one of the most prevalent health problems in Switzerland. If conservative treatments of lower back pain fail, spinal fusion surgery using off-the-shelf implants is the state-of-the-art. In approximately 20% of spinal fusion surgeries, the surgical result is lost post-operatively requiring one or more revision surgeries to alleviate the associated pain. The three main reasons for finding innovative solutions to avoid such revision surgeries are first, an unpleasant burden for the patients, then intrinsically high risks for complications and further revision surgeries, and finally increased costs for the health-care system.
OptimalPSI took the following steps to solve the problem. At first, they developed a computational strategy, using topology optimization, to create patient-specific implants to prevent revision surgeries. In the next step, a comparative in-silico medical device testing study showed that the optimized 3D-printed, patient-specific spinal fusion implants significantly reduce the risk of revision surgery. This result opens the door to improve patient care significantly, to increase the predictability of the surgical outcome, and to diminish healthcare costs once the innovation is developed into a commercial product. A patent was filed in November 2023 to protect the innovative computational strategy. The founding team is composed of two PhDs from ETH Zurich, CEO Thijs Smit, and CTO Wolfgang Rubin. The potential revenue of their technology in the niche market in the US and Switzerland amounts to CHF 580 M annually. Expanding to other anatomical areas will expand the market size considerably.
Venture Kick funding will be used for further market research and discussions with industry experts and surgeons to ensure product-market fit.
Quantum Brand Protection: Breakthrough in digital passports revolutionizing luxury goods authentication
The luxury goods sector, particularly luxury watches, faces a significant challenge: establishing an unbreakable connection between physical products and their digital passports on the blockchain using non-invasive markers. Quantum Brand Protection has pioneered an innovative solution for this, introducing the first invisible and non-invasive method that securely links a luxury watch to its digital passport for a lifetime.
This groundbreaking solution features an encrypted Quantum-Tattoo, an invisible mark embedded within the sapphire glass of the watch, acting as the 'Key.' This key is connected to a 'Safe,' a digital passport that stores all the watch's records. The Quantum-Tattoo is the only means to access the watch’s digital passport, facilitated by a proprietary reading application compatible with smartphones, ensuring safe and easy authentication worldwide.
Quantum Brand Protection is driven by a multidisciplinary and experienced team in deep-tech science, entrepreneurship, FMCG and luxury goods, brand protection, and business development. While initially targeting the luxury watch market, this versatile solution can be adapted for other luxury items such as handbags, cosmetics, and wines, and extended to other industries including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and electric vehicle batteries.
Access to EPFL institutes and cutting-edge technical facilities will significantly support Quantum Brand Protection in achieving its roadmap and accelerating market readiness. Additionally, Venture Kick funding will aid in the design and development of digital passport test platforms and the prototype for a portable reader, marking a new era in luxury goods authentication and protection.
REMUUN: Rapid, Precise, and Cost-Effective Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody Development
The global monoclonal antibody market is projected to surpass USD 300 billion by 2025. However, current therapeutic antibody development processes are slow, expensive, and have limited therapeutic potential.
REMUUN, a spin-off from the University of Zurich, is composed of a talented team of scientists and advisors, including Prof Dr Richard Chahwan (Founder), Paulina Wyrzykowska, Melis Nefin Yaganoglu, and Romina Fetti.
Their therapeutic agents are custom-designed monoclonal antibodies, developed using their patented MEGA platform. This modular platform replicates the body's natural antibody diversification ex vivo, allowing for unparalleled precision, flexibility, and speed in antibody development.
The Venture Kick funds will help REMUUN consolidate its intellectual properties and contribute to selecting an immunotherapy target that can proceed to clinical trials.