qCella secures CHF 1.3M in Pre-Seed Round to scale energy-efficient product heating technology
21.01.2025
ETH Zurich spin-off qCella secures funding to expand its team, streamline production, and integrate its innovative heating mats for testing into products by late 2025.
 qCella's Co-Founders: Weyde Lin (COO), Murielle Schreck (CEO), and Fabian Schmid (CTO)
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qCella, a hardware spin-off from ETH Zurich founded in September 2023, has raised CHF 1.3 million in its Pre-Seed Financing Round. The funds will drive the expansion of its team, scale the production of its copper-cellulose hybrid fibers, and transition manufacturing processes to roll-to-roll paper making. The company also aims to integrate its flexible heating mats into a first customer's product for testing by late 2025.
The financing round included investments from Venture Kick, Kickfund, the ETH Foundation, the Swisspreneur Syndicate, and several business angels. qCella's innovative work has also been supported by the Bridge Proof of Concept grant (Innosuisse and SNSF), the ETH Pioneer Fellowship (ETH Foundation), and the InnoBooster program from Gebert Rüf Stiftung.
With its paper-thin, shape-customizable, and energy-efficient heating mats, qCella is transforming markets for heated products such as heated automotive interiors, clothing, and pain-relieving devices. CEO Murielle Schreck, who invented the patent-pending material of the qCella heating mat at ETH Zurich, leads the team alongside CTO Fabian Schmid and COO Weyde Lin.
"Winning the third stage of Venture Kick not only made us eligible for further funding from Kickfund, but the nine-month program also prepared us for the "real world," highlighted Murielle Schreck. "Each startup is unique—you don’t compete against each other; you compete against yourself. Every day, we challenge ourselves to grow and improve beyond yesterday."
Within a year since winning the final stage of Venture Kick, qCella has been recognized as one of the TOP 100 Startups, signed contracts for paid pilots, and secured a pipeline of companies for testing and product development in 2025. From heated insoles to panel heating for electric vehicles, qCella’s technology is on the brink of revolutionizing multiple industries.
qCella's Co-Founders: Weyde Lin (COO), Murielle Schreck (CEO), and Fabian Schmid (CTO)
The financing round included investments from Venture Kick, Kickfund, the ETH Foundation, the Swisspreneur Syndicate, and several business angels. qCella's innovative work has also been supported by the Bridge Proof of Concept grant (Innosuisse and SNSF), the ETH Pioneer Fellowship (ETH Foundation), and the InnoBooster program from Gebert Rüf Stiftung.
With its paper-thin, shape-customizable, and energy-efficient heating mats, qCella is transforming markets for heated products such as heated automotive interiors, clothing, and pain-relieving devices. CEO Murielle Schreck, who invented the patent-pending material of the qCella heating mat at ETH Zurich, leads the team alongside CTO Fabian Schmid and COO Weyde Lin.
"Winning the third stage of Venture Kick not only made us eligible for further funding from Kickfund, but the nine-month program also prepared us for the "real world," highlighted Murielle Schreck. "Each startup is unique—you don’t compete against each other; you compete against yourself. Every day, we challenge ourselves to grow and improve beyond yesterday."
Within a year since winning the final stage of Venture Kick, qCella has been recognized as one of the TOP 100 Startups, signed contracts for paid pilots, and secured a pipeline of companies for testing and product development in 2025. From heated insoles to panel heating for electric vehicles, qCella’s technology is on the brink of revolutionizing multiple industries.
qCella's Co-Founders: Weyde Lin (COO), Murielle Schreck (CEO), and Fabian Schmid (CTO)