Many routes to the market

Dear reader

Deep brain stimulation has a positive influence on electrical communication between neurons. A relatively new area of application for this is epilepsy, and a joint venture between start-up Aleva Neurotherapeutics and Swiss industrial group DIXI will develop innovative electrodes exactly for this. Aleva is responsible for development; DIXI for financing, manufacture and distribution.

Such novel partnerships explain why in Switzerland today not only good ideas are generated, but good business comes from these ideas. Swiss start-ups are finding various ways of bringing their innovations to the market and then growing them, and they are benefiting from the greater interest shown by industrial partners and investors.

Axa stepped in as a backer this week for two start-ups offering products for SMEs. And a few months ago, start-up Mitipi and direct insurer Smile launched a joint offer that this week won a global InsurTech Award.

HeiQ also won an award for its additive that makes the polyester dyeing process more environmentally friendly and efficient – the ETH Zurich spin-off was awarded the Umweltpreis der Wirtschaft. One of the decisive factors was that the product has already had some success in the market – HeiQ is working with major brands to make the product popular with their suppliers.

Peripal announced the completion of a financing round this week; it follows soon after market approval for the Peripal device, which facilitates home dialysis. In addition to existing lenders including ZKB and StartAngels, Peripal also has a new Swiss anchor investor in the FortyOne Group. Proptech start-up eMonitor secured more than CHF 1 million for further expansion in the DACH area. And Alpana has an investor on board that can support its move to the US.

In addition, more and more experienced founders have the necessary partner network. A good example is Agnès Petit of Mobbot, who was a winner this week in the final of Venture Kick. Learn more in our background article. And Araris Biotech, the second successful start-up at Venture Kick, has an experienced person on the team in the shape of Dragan Grabulovski, co-founder and former CSO of Covagen.

Next Monday, you can meet me at >>venture >> and two days later at the SECA Private Equity & Corporate Finance Conference in Zurich on Wednesday.

Have a relaxing weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch