W.A. de Vigier Prize 2019: Double the number of laureates for the 30th anniversary

When the W.A. de Vigier Prize was first awarded 30 years ago, many of this year's winners were just learning to walk. No one was talking about startup funding back then. Bill de Vigier knew from his own experience how important startup capital was and set himself the goal of paving the way for promising startups. He was one of the first ever to institutionally take care of startup promotion in Switzerland. For three decades, the W.A. de Vigier Foundation has been awarding Switzerland's most highly endowed sponsorship prize à-fonds-perdu and independently, i.e. without any conditions attached to profit.

This year, former award winners donated part of the prize money. They wanted to give something back to the startup ecosystem. This would certainly be in the spirit of the foundation's founder Bill de Vigier, who saw the future in young companies and therefore supported innovative Swiss startups with the necessary seed capital well after his death. "The fact that former winners contributed to this year's prize money makes me particularly happy. I hope that our alumni will increasingly form partnerships with each other in the future, which will help the already established companies to remain innovative and pave the way for the young startups to enter the market," says Regula Buob, Managing Director of the W.A. de Vigier Foundation.

Jury invited 60 startups to pitch for the first time

In the anniversary year 2019, there was another premiere: After a pre-selection, the Foundation Board got to know 60 young entrepreneurs in person for the first time instead of 16 startups. "At the 'Selection Day Top 60', we were able to get a very early impression of the ideas and, in particular, the people behind them. Our foundation places particular emphasis on the entrepreneurial personality because we need more pioneers in our country like Bill de Vigier was. We need real role models who shape our society with both their ideas and their spirit," emphasizes Beat Graf, Vice President of the Foundation. The "Selection Day Top 60" will take place again next year.

These are the ten winners of the W.A. de Vigier Prize 2019

PXL Vision AG from Zurich (ZH) - Innovative digital identity verification
Identity fraud and data protection are major challenges. PXL Vision develops state-of-the-art technologies for fully automated customer onboarding and identity verification with camera-based devices. PXL enables the creation of trusted digital identities that can be used across industries for the protected exchange of personal data and secure interaction in the digital space.

Scewo AG from Winterthur (ZH) - A wheelchair that climbs stairs
Scewo develops a wheelchair that allows the rider to climb stairs and move much more freely. To climb steps, two rubber tracks are extended under the wheelchair. The seat always remains horizontal, and transitions up and down steps are automated. The software developers are working on increasing the level of automation, recognizing critical situations and driving certain routes autonomously.

Swiss Motion Technologies AG from Renens (VD) - Customized insoles for better fitting prostheses
MotionTech produces affordable silicone prosthetic insoles using 3D printing. The insole serves as a soft cushioning layer between the leg and the prosthesis and must fit the leg absolutely perfectly. After a prosthetist 3D scans the leg, MotionTech produces the custom insole within 72 hours. The prosthetic area is just one of many future applications.

T3 Pharmaceuticals AG from Basel (BS) - Targeted cancer therapy with bacteria
Cancer treatments should target the cancer exclusively whenever possible. T3 Pharmaceuticals uses bacteria that can specifically target solid tumors and even grow inside them. In the tumor, the bacteria act as efficient production sites for therapeutically active proteins. T3 Pharma's bacteria are a powerful and versatile platform for targeted cancer therapy.

Vatorex AG from Winterthur (ZH) - Using heat to combat bee mortality
The varroa mite is a parasite that damages bee colonies in Europe and North America. Until now, beekeepers treated their bees chemically, which unfortunately also harms the bees. Vatorex takes advantage of the different heat tolerance of mites and bees. A heating wire embedded directly into the comb heats the bee brood, which kills the mite. This treatment results in 31 percent improved colony development.

Mirrakoi AG from Lausanne (VD) - Easy to use and accessible 3D CAD tool
High-quality 3D design for industrial and product modeling becomes accessible to the common man thanks to Mirrakoi. XirusCAD, Mirrakoi's brand new CAD technology, enables designers, engineers and architects to model complex products faster and more intuitively. The technology is based on a fundamentally new approach to the mathematical description of 3D objects.

Mobbot AG from Fribourg (FR) -3D concrete printing saves time and money
Construction companies can reduce their manufacturing and installation costs by 40 to 80 percent thanks to Mobbot's unique 3D concrete printing technology and a fully digitized process. The production of expensive casting molds is completely eliminated, and within a very short time the custom-made elements are in place. The startup is currently focusing on underground concrete elements for electrical applications.

PharmaBiome AG from Zurich (ZH) - New approaches in intestinal treatment
The microbiome is involved in most chronic metabolic and immune diseases. PharmaBiome developed a technology to isolate, cultivate and characterize gut microbes. Based on their functional interaction, the startup formulates pharmaceutical-grade mixed cultures to sustainably modulate the gut microbiome and treat associated diseases.

Piomic Medical AG from Zurich (ZH) - Portable wound healing device
Piomic is developing a novel medical device for the treatment of chronic wounds. By accelerating wound healing processes, pain and the risk of wound infection are reduced and patients' quality of life is improved. The technology developed for this purpose is portable, easy to use and fits seamlessly into the various workflows of everyday clinical practice.

Sleepiz AG from Zurich (ZH) - Medical sleep monitoring from home
Sleepiz's solution allows patients to be tested for sleep disorders from the comfort of their own home. The contactless device collects vital signs and parameters of the sleep environment in real time and with medical accuracy using an AI algorithm. The cloud-based solution saves time and money, allowing a higher number of patients to be screened for sleep disorders more efficiently.

"A bit like pearl diving..."

Commenting on the award, Foundation Board President Daniel Borer said: "I become particularly alert when the person and the idea are closely interwoven and the managing director seems grounded and visionary at the same time. We often have very young people in front of us who have to be confident that they can handle huge rounds of financing. We don't always agree on everything in the jury, there are tough negotiations and arguments based on the available expert reports, fact sheets, assessments, presentations and motivational videos. Serving as a juror is truly a privilege. The Board of Trustees is allowed to take risks and independently select groundbreaking ideas. It's a bit like pearl diving." 

More information: www.devigier.ch