qCella wins CHF 150,000 to (re)shape the heating of products ranging all the way from heated shoe insoles to heated airplane seats
18.09.2023
The ETH spin-off qCella has won the third stage of the Venture Kick program. The startup produces natural cellulose fibers that are filled with copper to create a unique hybrid material aimed at developing easily shape-customizable, paper-thin and fully homogeneous heating mats.
 qCella's team: Weyde Lin (COO), Murielle Schreck (CEO), and Fabian Schmid (CTO)
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qCella has developed a patent-pending copper cellulose hybrid material, from which they manufacture their revolutionary product heating solution – the qCella® heating mats. These mats outperform the conventional heating wire technology by presenting the proper electrical resistance across the entire structure so that the mats heat homogeneously when connected to a power source (e.g., a battery). The homogeneous heating allows for the mats to be cut into any shape and size. Paper-thin, light, and flexible, the heating mats can be integrated more easily and cost-effectively into the final heated products, such as seats, shoes or clothing. Most importantly, the product heating design including qCella’s heating mats eliminates the need for a thick, heat-losing upholstery layer, therefore, almost no heat is lost, and much more energy-efficient heating is achieved.
Today's estimated CHF 6.5 billion market for qCella’s innovative heating mats is boosted by a growing demand for energy-efficient product heating solutions. qCella’s vision is to make localized heating - instead of heating whole rooms or car interiors - so attractive that it becomes the norm, shaping a future where personal comfort and energy efficiency go hand in hand.
The startup will invest the CHF 150,000 awarded by Venture Kick in making its heating mats market-ready. To do so, they will expand their team and scale up their production and manufacturing processes.
qCella emerged from the doctoral thesis of Dr. Murielle Schreck at ETH Zürich. She invented the technology and is the co-owner of the patent application. Together with Fabian Schmid, they have further developed the technology toward market readiness. Both have a background in materials science. Dr. Weyde Lin adds further technology and business know-how with his doctorate in Electrical Engineering from ETH Zürich and his experience from bootstrapped startups and as a consultant.
Murielle Schreck said about Venture Kick: “It is crazy how much progress we made during the Venture Kick program, the money of course helped a lot, but mainly we benefitted from the amazing coaching during the Kickers’ Camps and the feedback after the pitches. We are extremely proud to be part of this top-notch Swiss high-tech startup cohort.”
Today's estimated CHF 6.5 billion market for qCella’s innovative heating mats is boosted by a growing demand for energy-efficient product heating solutions. qCella’s vision is to make localized heating - instead of heating whole rooms or car interiors - so attractive that it becomes the norm, shaping a future where personal comfort and energy efficiency go hand in hand.
The startup will invest the CHF 150,000 awarded by Venture Kick in making its heating mats market-ready. To do so, they will expand their team and scale up their production and manufacturing processes.
qCella emerged from the doctoral thesis of Dr. Murielle Schreck at ETH Zürich. She invented the technology and is the co-owner of the patent application. Together with Fabian Schmid, they have further developed the technology toward market readiness. Both have a background in materials science. Dr. Weyde Lin adds further technology and business know-how with his doctorate in Electrical Engineering from ETH Zürich and his experience from bootstrapped startups and as a consultant.
Murielle Schreck said about Venture Kick: “It is crazy how much progress we made during the Venture Kick program, the money of course helped a lot, but mainly we benefitted from the amazing coaching during the Kickers’ Camps and the feedback after the pitches. We are extremely proud to be part of this top-notch Swiss high-tech startup cohort.”