Startups developing the google maps of the cell, sustainable treatment of industrial chemical waste, efficient airflow for industries, reusable radiosondes, acoustic product from textile waste each receive CHF 10,000
23.02.2024
Apricot Therapeutics, CellX Biosolutions, Ionic Wind Technologies, R2HOME, and TexUp were selected at Venture Kick's first financial and entrepreneurial support stage. Their projects develop a 4i platform that scales up to 2’000 times faster than competing technologies; bridge the gap in biological solutions using highly-performant bacterial degraders for effective and CO2 emission-free degradation of target chemicals in industry, innovate energy-saving B2B hardware and software for multi-billion industries in food tech, MedTech, and ventilation tech; pioneer efficient airflow for cleaner and greener industrial production; make radiosondes reusable; and create value from textile waste to offer acoustic products.
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 Apricot Therapeutics, from left to right: CSO Dr. Lucas Pelkmans, Data Scientist Adrian Tschan, Administration Valentina Marcelli, Senior Scientist Arpan Rai, CEO Michael Zering
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 CellX Biosolutions: CEO Estelle Clerc and CTO Christian Engler
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 Ionic Wind Technologies: CTO Donato Rubinetti and CEO Fabian Freiermuth
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 R2HOME: Founder Yohan Hadji
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 TexUp: Co-founders Sylvain Baudin and Boris Héritier
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Apricot Therapeutics: the Google Maps of the Cell
AI may revolutionize drug discovery and healthcare, but the necessary data are still largely missing. Existing (-omics) data do not contain such information, and most technologies do not give a holistic picture of drug activities in a short turnaround time. Having such data can train AI algorithms to achieve unprecedented predictability.
Founded in September 2022 by Lucas Pelkmans and Michael Zering, their 4i platform is based on 17 years of pioneering world-leading research in image-based systems biology at the ETH and the University of Zurich. With exclusive rights on 2 patent families in single-cell biology, APx’s 4i platform scales up to 2’000 times faster than competing technologies impacting clinical decision-making accuracy while reducing pipeline costs for high-throughput drug screening.
The Venture Kick funds will be used towards oncology clinical trials now specific to ovarian, pancreatic, and brain tissue.
CellX Biosolutions: Creating innovative bacteria-based products for sustainable treatment of industrial chemical waste.
Pollution caused by industrial chemical by-products is a major global issue. Conventional disposal (i.e. incineration) is costly and emits large amounts of CO2, while current biological methods struggle at scale and efficiency.
CellX Biosolutions bridges the gap in biological solutions using highly-performant bacterial degraders for effective and CO2 emission-free degradation of target chemicals in industry. The startup was co-founded at ETH Zürich by CEO Dr. Estelle Clerc (Ph.D. microbiology) and CTO Christian Engler (MSc Mech. Eng.), and Board Members include Prof. Roman Stocker. CellX developed an innovative method using a deployable microfluidic-based tool to capture bacteria capable of pollutant degradation in remote environments. The chemical treatment sector, valued at 30 billion USD, is expected to grow by 82% by 2027.
This growth aligns with clear economic and societal motivations for advancing sustainable alternatives, positioning CellX as a key player in the drive toward a more environmentally responsible future.
Ionic Wind Technologies: Pioneering efficient airflow for cleaner and greener industrial production
Ionic Wind Technologies, an Empa spin-off, addresses the industry's challenge of excessive energy waste. Their patented technology enhances drying, cooling, and purification processes, ensuring operations become more sustainable through precise and powerful airflow.
At the pre-incorporation stage, the team is led by Dr. Donato Rubinetti, an engineer passionate about innovation for a sustainable future, and Fabian Freiermuth, a charismatic finance professional with extensive fundraising experience. The team is supported by an advisory board with two experts from industry and academia. Ionic wind technologies innovate energy-saving B2B hardware and software for multi-billion industries in food tech, MedTech, and ventilation tech.
The Venture Kick Stage 1 funds will be used for market research, refining the market entry strategy, and presenting the technology at industry expos, setting the groundwork for a strong market presence.
R2HOME: Making Radiosondes Reusable
Every year, 600'000 radiosondes are launched around the world under weather balloons to collect atmospheric data used to produce weather forecasts. During the ascent, the balloon drifts with the wind before bursting at a high altitude, and the precious sensor packages are lost in nature. This has a huge environmental and economic impact (USD 100M/year).
Instead of trying to make radiosondes cheaper, R2HOME proposes a radical solution to this problem with a gliding robot to guide the return of radiosondes on Earth to a precise landing point. The equipment is intact and can be reused, enabling the launch and return of a growing number of sondes. This additional data will be used to produce the best weather forecast in a world where weather becomes the most important thing in your life.
The Venture Kick funds will go toward prototype development as well as higher frequency flight testing in Switzerland.
TexUp: revaluing textile waste into acoustic products
Each year, 70,000 tons of clothes must be recycled in Switzerland, 92 million tons worldwide. At the moment, only 20% are reused or recycled. Meanwhile, the negative effects of noise in professional spaces are increasing with the popularity of open spaces.
As this wasted textile offers natural acoustic properties (thanks to the cotton), TexUp's two co-founders, Sylvain Baudin and Boris Héritier, solved these 2 issues by revaluing textile waste into durable and uniquely designed acoustic products. By 2031, the architectural acoustic panels market is expected to reach 13.8 billion worldwide and 72 million in Switzerland.
Venture Kick funds will contribute to the elaboration and the testing on the market of different prototypes that will help define the final version of our product.
AI may revolutionize drug discovery and healthcare, but the necessary data are still largely missing. Existing (-omics) data do not contain such information, and most technologies do not give a holistic picture of drug activities in a short turnaround time. Having such data can train AI algorithms to achieve unprecedented predictability.
Founded in September 2022 by Lucas Pelkmans and Michael Zering, their 4i platform is based on 17 years of pioneering world-leading research in image-based systems biology at the ETH and the University of Zurich. With exclusive rights on 2 patent families in single-cell biology, APx’s 4i platform scales up to 2’000 times faster than competing technologies impacting clinical decision-making accuracy while reducing pipeline costs for high-throughput drug screening.
The Venture Kick funds will be used towards oncology clinical trials now specific to ovarian, pancreatic, and brain tissue.
CellX Biosolutions: Creating innovative bacteria-based products for sustainable treatment of industrial chemical waste.
Pollution caused by industrial chemical by-products is a major global issue. Conventional disposal (i.e. incineration) is costly and emits large amounts of CO2, while current biological methods struggle at scale and efficiency.
CellX Biosolutions bridges the gap in biological solutions using highly-performant bacterial degraders for effective and CO2 emission-free degradation of target chemicals in industry. The startup was co-founded at ETH Zürich by CEO Dr. Estelle Clerc (Ph.D. microbiology) and CTO Christian Engler (MSc Mech. Eng.), and Board Members include Prof. Roman Stocker. CellX developed an innovative method using a deployable microfluidic-based tool to capture bacteria capable of pollutant degradation in remote environments. The chemical treatment sector, valued at 30 billion USD, is expected to grow by 82% by 2027.
This growth aligns with clear economic and societal motivations for advancing sustainable alternatives, positioning CellX as a key player in the drive toward a more environmentally responsible future.
Ionic Wind Technologies: Pioneering efficient airflow for cleaner and greener industrial production
Ionic Wind Technologies, an Empa spin-off, addresses the industry's challenge of excessive energy waste. Their patented technology enhances drying, cooling, and purification processes, ensuring operations become more sustainable through precise and powerful airflow.
At the pre-incorporation stage, the team is led by Dr. Donato Rubinetti, an engineer passionate about innovation for a sustainable future, and Fabian Freiermuth, a charismatic finance professional with extensive fundraising experience. The team is supported by an advisory board with two experts from industry and academia. Ionic wind technologies innovate energy-saving B2B hardware and software for multi-billion industries in food tech, MedTech, and ventilation tech.
The Venture Kick Stage 1 funds will be used for market research, refining the market entry strategy, and presenting the technology at industry expos, setting the groundwork for a strong market presence.
R2HOME: Making Radiosondes Reusable
Every year, 600'000 radiosondes are launched around the world under weather balloons to collect atmospheric data used to produce weather forecasts. During the ascent, the balloon drifts with the wind before bursting at a high altitude, and the precious sensor packages are lost in nature. This has a huge environmental and economic impact (USD 100M/year).
Instead of trying to make radiosondes cheaper, R2HOME proposes a radical solution to this problem with a gliding robot to guide the return of radiosondes on Earth to a precise landing point. The equipment is intact and can be reused, enabling the launch and return of a growing number of sondes. This additional data will be used to produce the best weather forecast in a world where weather becomes the most important thing in your life.
The Venture Kick funds will go toward prototype development as well as higher frequency flight testing in Switzerland.
TexUp: revaluing textile waste into acoustic products
Each year, 70,000 tons of clothes must be recycled in Switzerland, 92 million tons worldwide. At the moment, only 20% are reused or recycled. Meanwhile, the negative effects of noise in professional spaces are increasing with the popularity of open spaces.
As this wasted textile offers natural acoustic properties (thanks to the cotton), TexUp's two co-founders, Sylvain Baudin and Boris Héritier, solved these 2 issues by revaluing textile waste into durable and uniquely designed acoustic products. By 2031, the architectural acoustic panels market is expected to reach 13.8 billion worldwide and 72 million in Switzerland.
Venture Kick funds will contribute to the elaboration and the testing on the market of different prototypes that will help define the final version of our product.