StegaMatter receives CHF 40,000 from Venture Kick to convert technical validation into customer traction
04.06.2026
StegaMatter receives CHF 40,000 from Venture Kick to advance its technology for embedding verification information directly into physical products. By integrating authentication and traceability into the product’s visual structure, the startup helps brands and manufacturers protect authenticity, strengthen transparency, and create more trustworthy product experiences.
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What was the first real signal that your solution worked outside the lab or pitch deck, and what did that moment change for you?
The first real signal came when we produced a physical sample carrying built-in verification information and successfully read it back through our system. For the first time, the concept was something we could demonstrate rather than just describe.
Shortly after, we filed for patent protection with support from EPFL’s Technology Transfer Office. That was the moment the project shifted from research to the foundation of a company. We realized the real value wasn’t just the technique itself, but the systematic approach around it.
Can you briefly describe your project and where it stood when you entered Venture Kick?
When we entered Venture Kick, the technical foundations were already in place. We had secured BRIDGE funding and built working prototypes that demonstrated the core architecture.
What was still missing was the commercial side. We were defining our target markets, positioning, and business model. As a team with a design background, we approached the company itself as an iterative design process, refining both the problem and the solution as we learned from the market.
How has the direction of your product/service/product strategy changed since working with the Venture Kick Team?
Venture Kick pushed us to think and operate as a company rather than a research project. We became more rigorous about financials, unit economics, and defining a concrete go-to-market strategy.
The biggest shift was narrowing our focus. Instead of addressing the market broadly, we identified a specific generation of digital-first brands and manufacturers that see sustainability and design integrity as core to their identity. We are now building specifically for that customer segment.
How will the Stage 2 funding help you advance your project concretely?
Stage 2 is about turning technical validation into market validation. The technology works; now we need to prove how customers respond to it as a real offering.
The funding will support customer discovery, first paid pilots, and testing our pricing assumptions in the market. By the end of Stage 2, our goal is to have real customers, validated pricing, and financial figures based on actual market evidence rather than projections.
The first real signal came when we produced a physical sample carrying built-in verification information and successfully read it back through our system. For the first time, the concept was something we could demonstrate rather than just describe.
Shortly after, we filed for patent protection with support from EPFL’s Technology Transfer Office. That was the moment the project shifted from research to the foundation of a company. We realized the real value wasn’t just the technique itself, but the systematic approach around it.
Can you briefly describe your project and where it stood when you entered Venture Kick?
When we entered Venture Kick, the technical foundations were already in place. We had secured BRIDGE funding and built working prototypes that demonstrated the core architecture.
What was still missing was the commercial side. We were defining our target markets, positioning, and business model. As a team with a design background, we approached the company itself as an iterative design process, refining both the problem and the solution as we learned from the market.
How has the direction of your product/service/product strategy changed since working with the Venture Kick Team?
Venture Kick pushed us to think and operate as a company rather than a research project. We became more rigorous about financials, unit economics, and defining a concrete go-to-market strategy.
The biggest shift was narrowing our focus. Instead of addressing the market broadly, we identified a specific generation of digital-first brands and manufacturers that see sustainability and design integrity as core to their identity. We are now building specifically for that customer segment.
How will the Stage 2 funding help you advance your project concretely?
Stage 2 is about turning technical validation into market validation. The technology works; now we need to prove how customers respond to it as a real offering.
The funding will support customer discovery, first paid pilots, and testing our pricing assumptions in the market. By the end of Stage 2, our goal is to have real customers, validated pricing, and financial figures based on actual market evidence rather than projections.