Do the right thing

Dear reader

Regional start-up prizes were the object of derision for a long time. However, StartCup Ticino showed this week how high the level has become. Five high-profile finalists competed against each other, with business ideas based on impressive cutting-edge research. Young medtech company Dicronis finally reached the top, and CEO Patrizia Marschalkova had another reason to be happy this week. In addition to Lymphatica and GRZ Technologies, Dicronis is one of the youngest winners of Venture Kick. Each company receives CHF 130,000.

With such an accumulation of awards, the question inevitably arises as to whether the start of new initiatives makes any sense. And the answer, of course, is that it depends. After all, winning prizes or participating in accelerator programmes is not an end in itself, but should act as a trigger to get the start-up moving forward.

It makes sense for OneSky to win the first Prix RIE for start-ups. The company, which is developing a system for the safe integration of drones in the aviation industry, has an interesting market in energy companies that could use drones to monitor their infrastructure more efficiently. Prix RIE gives OneSky access to this market.

With the growing number of programmes, start-ups should be selective and the best way to do that is to look at the initiative’s track record. New providers seem to have understood that; for example, WAI Boost Switzerland, a new BNP Paribas initiative that aims to bring together start-ups and large corporations, can point to a successful pilot project right at the start.

The second edition of F10’s accelerator programme came to a successful conclusion this week. About 40 jobs were created by the participating start-ups during the programme. Applications are open for the next edition until 15 December.

Fusion’s accelerator programme is in full swing in Geneva. This week, the participating start-ups were introduced, of which 10 are from Switzerland.

Also until 15 December, applications are open for start-ups to participate in the Technology and Innovation Park at the Zurich trade fair Logistics & Distribution. The selection process offers ample opportunity to meet established players from the logistics industry.

So although one should take care to choose a support programme or award that can really help, one should never forget that increasingly the direct route to established players is open to start-ups. For example, Abionic has appointed the former CTO of Roche Diagnostics and one of the co-founders of Biocartis to its board of directors.

Have a comfortable weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief Startupticker.ch