Startups with Innovative Drone Logistics, Ultra Fast Diagnostic Tests and Thermal Energy Storage Technology Win CHF 40,000
30.07.2019
Venture Kick’s jury exceptionally selected three projects: delivery drone company Rigi Technologies connecting rural communities to the global market, a faster and more reliable autoimmune disorder diagnostics test Endotelix, and a thermal energy storage technology Cowa Thermal Solutions based on phase change materials enabling factor four higher density than conventional systems.
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 Rigi Technologies' CTO Oriol Lopez, CEO Adam Klaptocz and CBO David Rovira
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 Endotelix's CEO KarimBrandt and COO Marc Moghbel
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 Cowa Thermal Solutions' cofounders Jörg Worlitschek, RemoWaser and Simon Marranda
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Rigi Technologies: Express delivery of blood tests and diagnostics using inter-city delivery drones
A blood test is the basis of 80 percent of medical decisions, but getting a blood vial to the laboratory can represent up to 40 percent of the cost of a diagnosis. In-vitro diagnostics (IVD) companies employ fleets of private couriers to speed up this transfer time, and yet many patients still wait hours or even days to get their results and start treatment. On-demand, fully automated drone links between collection points and labs will remove the waiting time for diagnosis and treatment while reducing logistics costs for IVD companies.
The Lausanne-based startup's trio Adam Klaptocz (CEO), David Rovira (CBO) and Oriol Lopez (CTO) have developed a drone platform that can deliver 2-3kg packages up to 80km and integrate directly into existing supply chains. They create value for healthcare providers and IVD specialists by lowering costs of blood sample delivery while increasing speed and service area. Centrally-controlled drone software and satellite-based communications allow a single operator to coordinate multiple deliveries. They specialized in Healthcare after CEO Klaptocz realized the potential of drone logistics while running projects in rural Nepal, Peru, Dominican Republic and Senegal for the NGO WeRobotics he created. In the next year, the entrepreneurs plan to develop their software and hardware to move from concept to prototype and operational demonstrators. They aim at releasing the first beta-version of their software platform by Q2-2019 and run their first delivery route before the end of the year. The Venture Kick fund will help them move towards a cleaner product that’s ready to present to their first customers.
"The Venture Kick program has challenged our business plan and made it stronger." said CEO Klaptocz,
Endotelix: faster and more reliable diagnostics test for Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is one of the most important cause of thrombosis and foetal loss. It is also the leading cause of stroke among young people below the age of 40 and is responsible for a substantial percentage of patients who suffer heart attacks and deep vein blood clots. The currents diagnostic tools, known as ELISA tests, are expensive, low in sensitivity, laboratory based and time-consuming technologies for APS diagnosis.
University of Geneva graduated and CEO Karim Brandt and his co-founder Marc Moghbel COO’s startup, Endotelix, have developed a technology based on a modified peptide with an increased affinity for the pathogenic antibody responsible for the antiphospholipid syndrome. The intrinsic properties of amino acids, as well as the design of the peptide, has allows Endotelix to develop a new and unique optimised technology which will be used for multiple applications in APS management, ranging from diagnostics, to treatment and research. Their technology is under a patent for the initial discovery and, a second patent is in preparation for the third trimester of 2019. The Venture Kick funds will be used to finalize partnership with the company which will help them produce the prototype for validation. This partner is currently running their analysis of their peptide and diagnostic tool, before entering the prototype production.
"Venture Kick is a very dynamic platform which challenges your business idea and business model to create a successful company" said Brandt.
Endotelix's profile
Cowa Thermal Solutions: Developing new thermal energy storage technology with four times higher densitiy
Thermal energy storages are regarded as one of the key technology for increasing the efficiency of energy systems and for increasing the use of renewable energies in industrial and domestic processes. More than 50 percent of Swiss energy consumption is in the form of heat or cold, in the domestic sector, more than 60 percent of the overall energy consumption is consumed as thermal energy.
Hochschule Luzern’s trio of engineers Remo Waser, Simon Maranda and Dr. Jörg Worlitschek, Cowa Thermal Solutions startup’s technology will help to integrate storage in applications where space is limited and/or expensive. Using their systems, a reduction of investment costs due to space savings and operational costs due to energy savings and higher efficiencies are achieved. They develop a new thermal energy storage technology based on phase change materials, which offers an up to factor four higher energy density than conventional systems. The team targets residential applications where the storage of heat with high compactness is required.
“Venture Kick changed our way of thinking, challenged our case and helped us to become a successful company,” said Waser.
Cowa Thermal Solutions’ profile
A blood test is the basis of 80 percent of medical decisions, but getting a blood vial to the laboratory can represent up to 40 percent of the cost of a diagnosis. In-vitro diagnostics (IVD) companies employ fleets of private couriers to speed up this transfer time, and yet many patients still wait hours or even days to get their results and start treatment. On-demand, fully automated drone links between collection points and labs will remove the waiting time for diagnosis and treatment while reducing logistics costs for IVD companies.
The Lausanne-based startup's trio Adam Klaptocz (CEO), David Rovira (CBO) and Oriol Lopez (CTO) have developed a drone platform that can deliver 2-3kg packages up to 80km and integrate directly into existing supply chains. They create value for healthcare providers and IVD specialists by lowering costs of blood sample delivery while increasing speed and service area. Centrally-controlled drone software and satellite-based communications allow a single operator to coordinate multiple deliveries. They specialized in Healthcare after CEO Klaptocz realized the potential of drone logistics while running projects in rural Nepal, Peru, Dominican Republic and Senegal for the NGO WeRobotics he created. In the next year, the entrepreneurs plan to develop their software and hardware to move from concept to prototype and operational demonstrators. They aim at releasing the first beta-version of their software platform by Q2-2019 and run their first delivery route before the end of the year. The Venture Kick fund will help them move towards a cleaner product that’s ready to present to their first customers.
"The Venture Kick program has challenged our business plan and made it stronger." said CEO Klaptocz,
Endotelix: faster and more reliable diagnostics test for Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is one of the most important cause of thrombosis and foetal loss. It is also the leading cause of stroke among young people below the age of 40 and is responsible for a substantial percentage of patients who suffer heart attacks and deep vein blood clots. The currents diagnostic tools, known as ELISA tests, are expensive, low in sensitivity, laboratory based and time-consuming technologies for APS diagnosis.
University of Geneva graduated and CEO Karim Brandt and his co-founder Marc Moghbel COO’s startup, Endotelix, have developed a technology based on a modified peptide with an increased affinity for the pathogenic antibody responsible for the antiphospholipid syndrome. The intrinsic properties of amino acids, as well as the design of the peptide, has allows Endotelix to develop a new and unique optimised technology which will be used for multiple applications in APS management, ranging from diagnostics, to treatment and research. Their technology is under a patent for the initial discovery and, a second patent is in preparation for the third trimester of 2019. The Venture Kick funds will be used to finalize partnership with the company which will help them produce the prototype for validation. This partner is currently running their analysis of their peptide and diagnostic tool, before entering the prototype production.
"Venture Kick is a very dynamic platform which challenges your business idea and business model to create a successful company" said Brandt.
Endotelix's profile
Cowa Thermal Solutions: Developing new thermal energy storage technology with four times higher densitiy
Thermal energy storages are regarded as one of the key technology for increasing the efficiency of energy systems and for increasing the use of renewable energies in industrial and domestic processes. More than 50 percent of Swiss energy consumption is in the form of heat or cold, in the domestic sector, more than 60 percent of the overall energy consumption is consumed as thermal energy.
Hochschule Luzern’s trio of engineers Remo Waser, Simon Maranda and Dr. Jörg Worlitschek, Cowa Thermal Solutions startup’s technology will help to integrate storage in applications where space is limited and/or expensive. Using their systems, a reduction of investment costs due to space savings and operational costs due to energy savings and higher efficiencies are achieved. They develop a new thermal energy storage technology based on phase change materials, which offers an up to factor four higher energy density than conventional systems. The team targets residential applications where the storage of heat with high compactness is required.
“Venture Kick changed our way of thinking, challenged our case and helped us to become a successful company,” said Waser.
Cowa Thermal Solutions’ profile