CHF 40,000 for metal foams for cooling and filtration applications, mechanical watches made of tomorrow, and an autonomous vineyard vehicle

Apheros: metal foams for cooling and filtration applications

Cooling has a huge environmental impact. By 2030, an estimated 10% of global energy will be used to cool electronics. The market for cooling solutions is correspondingly large: for heat sinks alone, the market size is about USD 6.5 billion with a CAGR of 7.4%.

Apheros provides metal foams for cooling and filtration applications. It has a patent-pending, easily scalable manufacturing route for steel, copper, and nickel foams. The foams have a unique microstructure that sets the startup apart from all currently available metal foams and makes them ideal for applications in cooling and filtration.

Dr. Julia Carpenter from the Complex Materials Group at ETH Zurich is the main driver behind the company. She is the co-inventor of the manufacturing method and understands the technology well. Apheros' first product is a stainless steel heat sink which is optimal for passive cooling applications where it significantly outperforms current solutions both in terms of cooling performance as well as ecological impact due to their low-waste production method.

The Venture Kick funds will be used to acquire the equipment for scale-up, for the salaries of interns, and to set up proof-of-concept studies with first customers.

Meteore Watches: explore a new world of watchmaking

For 500 years, mechanical watches and their complications - i.e. functions beyond telling time - have been made with cogs, wheels, and pinions. Meteore crafts their complications with flexure blades instead. Their patented mechanisms are unique in the watchmaking landscape and come with significant advantages compared to traditional mechanisms. Easy to assemble, they reduce operating expenses by an order of magnitude. Robust and reliable, they cut servicing and maintenance costs in half. As thin as paper, they can finally be integrated into very slim watches.

Meteore's the team is composed of Frédéric Loizeau and Francis Cardot. Francis is the inventor of the technology at the core of the company. He holds 18 patents and has been active in key fields of watch technologies for the past 35 years. Frédéric has 8 years of experience in business activities with close relations in the watch industry. He is a jury member of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) 2022.

The Swiss luxury watch retail market was estimated at CHF 51.9 billion in 2018, where 80% of the market is dominated by 20 brands. That still leaves CHF 10.4 billion to share between indie brands loved by watch collectors.

Meteore will use the Venture Kick funds to mature its prototypes, kickstart its marketing efforts, and close the first preorders. www.meteorewatches.com

STEVmotion, project VineaTrac: Smart agriculture on track

Driving tractors in steep vineyards, especially in certain weather conditions, is a source of risk and concern for winemakers; deadly accidents occur every year. There are various issues affecting labor in the winemaking business, including the overall cost and health issues caused by employees' proximity to pesticides. While a transition to organic production standards is desired and will probably become mandatory by law in the coming years, this will mean an increase in labor costs, as organic products used to protect crops can be removed by rain.

VineaTrac is an autonomous vineyard vehicle that allows winemakers to automate the performance of repetitive tasks. The vehicle will substitute the trio (driver, tractor, working machine) with a duo (autonomous vehicle, working machine). This automated combo will be able to perform already mechanized vineyard tasks without human labor. There are 14,000 hectares of vineyards in Switzerland; half of these vineyards are difficult to work on. This introduces a total need for 2,000 machines and a total market value of CHF 120 million.

The future company STEVmotion, funded by Marc Stevanin, an employee as R&D project manager for "Institut d'Automatisation Industriel" of the HEIG-VD, will develop the software with advanced algorithms using machine learning and AI as well as vehicle construction and product distribution. Valérie Marendaz, a winemaker, provides agricultural expertise for the project.

The Venture kick funds will help them with the production of five VineaTrac units, boost customer relationships in order to gain more Beta testers, and develop a better user interface and improved user experience. stev-motion.com