Startup competition >>venture>> 2017: The winners
>>venture>>, the most important startup competition in Switzerland, awarded prizes to this year's winners on June 19 and celebrated its 20th anniversary. During the award ceremony, the guest of honor, Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann, gave a speech on the topic of entrepreneurship and innovation.
>>venture>> is organized by ETH Zurich, McKinsey & Company Switzerland, Knecht Holding, the Federal Commission for Technology and Innovation, and EPFL. In addition, 31 renowned Swiss companies, institutions and media partners support the startup competition. In this year's >>venture>> edition, 325 people in 203 teams participated: 95 submitted their business ideas and 108 their business plans. The top teams tackled topics from the fields of medical technology, biotechnology, pharmacology, aerospace, geology, and information technology.
The winners
The jury and advisory board selected Lumigbo as the best business plan and ReflectUS as the best business idea from the submitted business plans and business ideas. TWIICE has won the SRF/RTS Audience Award.
1st place - best business plan: Lumigbo (ETH Zurich/EPFL, Lausanne)
The problem with existing implant solutions is that the curing process of the filling material cannot be controlled. Lumigbo has developed a material that can be cured using light. By using the material, implants (e.g. in dental procedures) can be built up and hardened step by step directly in the body.
1st place- best business idea: ReflectUS (ETH Zurich)
Breast cancer diagnosis usually means considerable stress for patients: Mammography exposes them to X-ray radiation, and squeezing the breast during the examination is usually painful. ReflectUS is developing an examination device based on ultrasound technology. It allows radiation-free diagnosis and enables a more comfortable examination.
Audience Award: TWIICE (EPFL, Lausanne)
TWIICE is developing a modular exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to regain independence in their daily activities. Patients can stand, walk and climb stairs again with the exoskeleton. Unlike existing exoskeleton solutions, TWIICE's modular exoskeleton can be specifically adapted to patients' needs.
Not only prize money
The >>venture>> awards ceremony is about much more than the total prize money of CHF 170,000, the organizers say: "For 20 years, we have been improving the chances of success for budding entrepreneurs by imparting knowledge, coaching and expanding their network," explains Dr. Thomas Knecht, former director of McKinsey & Company Switzerland and founder of the competition. "On the day of the awards ceremony, all participants also get the opportunity to meet investors in 1:1 meetings, and the best teams present themselves to interested groups of investors," he adds. The quality of the projects submitted for the startup competition is very high, Dr. Thomas Knecht adds. Selecting the best teams from the many good projects was a great challenge for the judges, he says.
The other award winners
2nd-5th place business plan >>venture>> 2017
2nd place Haelixa (ETH Zurich): DNA-based markers for industry that are neither toxic nor radioactive.
3rd place Rainbow Biosystem (Eawag, Zurich): Fish cell-based biosensor system that can determine toxicity in water.
4th place Vibwife (Switzerland Innovation Park, Biel/Bienne): mobilization mattress that ensures a correct body position during birth.
5th place ASTROCAST (EPFL, Lausanne): Builds a network of nanosatellites with technical support from ESA (European Space Agency).
2nd to 5th place business idea >>venture>> 2017
2nd place Struckd (ZhdK, Zurich): Struckd closes the gap between the two trends gamification (e.g. for advertising content) and user-generated game content.
3rd place PeakProfiling (Zurich/Berlin, no university stated): Developed an algorithm that enables the diagnosis of depression based on voice patterns.
4th place TWIICE (EPFL, Lausanne): TWIICE is developing a modular exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to regain independence in their daily activities.
5th place Komp-Act (EPFL, Lausanne): Develops lightweight and innovative electric (instead of hydraulic) actuators for the aerospace market.
