Two Venture Kickers creamed off the Climate-KIC Award
21.08.2015
The ETH Zürich spin-off Adaptricity and the Zurich based startup Zum guten Heinrich are the Swiss winners of the Climate-KIC Venture Competition. The two Venture Kick alumni are awarded prizes of CHF 20’000 each, as well as a place in the European Climate-KIC Venture Competition finals in Birmingham (UK) in October. Zum guten Heinrich was also the clear audience favourite carrying off the Audience Choice Award 2015.
 Stephan Koch & Andreas Ulbig from Adaptricity and Lukas Bühler, Thomas Lehmann & Fabian Langensteiner from Zum guten Heinrich (photo: Samuel Schumacher)
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One of the goals of Switzerland`s Energy Strategy 2050 is the expansion of the renewable energy sector. But the energy transition towards renewable energy creates entirely new challenges for grid operators who are in charge of ensuring a stable system operation. Adaptricity helps operators through innovative simulation tools to prepare for these new challenges in network planning and network operation. The first product, the simulation software “DPG.sim”, provides a comprehensive simulation environment for active distribution grids. It allows distribution system operators to integrate SmartGrid features into their grid planning processes. This enables optimal decision-making in costly grid upgrade projects and the improved utilization of the existing grid infrastructure. "The power sector is changing rapidly due to the expansion of renewable energy, market liberalization and increasing fusion of energy and information technology. Thanks to Venture Kick we now have even more power to bring our software solutions to our customers to help them in the improvement and the expansion of their power grids," explained Stephan Koch, co-founder of Adaptricity after winning the Venture Kick final in February 2015.
Using a cargo bike that transforms into a food stand, Zum guten Heinrich makes tasty and cheap menus available in Zurich and Berne. The menus are made from food that would otherwise have been thrown away due to its wrong size, shape or logistical reasons. Zum guten Heinrich provides menus made from food surplus which are attractive to the target group: urban professionals looking to satisfy their hunger for a tasty and sustainable lunch. The approach is scalable. If successful, new bikes will be bought and the kitchen capacity expanded. Another expansion path is setting up the business in other cities.
The European Venture Competition will be held during the Climate-KIC Innovation Festival. Birmingham will host this year’s edition, from 28 to 30 October 2015. On Wednesday the 28th the semi-finals of the Venture Competition will take place with the big final on Thursday the 29th. All finalists benefit from the opportunity to pitch to a group of potential customers and investors on an EU stage. In addition, the Venture Competition winners will receive a cash award of €40,000, while there’s €20,000 for the runner-up and €5,000 for third place.
Using a cargo bike that transforms into a food stand, Zum guten Heinrich makes tasty and cheap menus available in Zurich and Berne. The menus are made from food that would otherwise have been thrown away due to its wrong size, shape or logistical reasons. Zum guten Heinrich provides menus made from food surplus which are attractive to the target group: urban professionals looking to satisfy their hunger for a tasty and sustainable lunch. The approach is scalable. If successful, new bikes will be bought and the kitchen capacity expanded. Another expansion path is setting up the business in other cities.
The European Venture Competition will be held during the Climate-KIC Innovation Festival. Birmingham will host this year’s edition, from 28 to 30 October 2015. On Wednesday the 28th the semi-finals of the Venture Competition will take place with the big final on Thursday the 29th. All finalists benefit from the opportunity to pitch to a group of potential customers and investors on an EU stage. In addition, the Venture Competition winners will receive a cash award of €40,000, while there’s €20,000 for the runner-up and €5,000 for third place.