Textbook and reality

Dear reader 

Qnami uses quantum mechanics to perform nanometer scale surface analysis with its quantum microscope. The Basel start-up has completed a financing round of CHF 2.6 million with a French VC fund that specialises in deep-tech, as well as investiere, ZKB and the German High-Tech Gründerfonds.

Hydromea, a developer of underwater robots, also attracted investors, including Marco Boella, former CEO of start-up Lemoptix, which was acquired by Intel in 2015.

Both financing rounds are textbook examples of financing. Swiss start-ups are particularly strong in terms of deep-tech and can attract investors that have long been active in this field or which have entrepreneurial experience in it.

But several unusual investments this week showed that it can be worthwhile to think outside the box. Après-demain Holding – the holding company behind the Lausanne life sciences company Debiopharm – has participated in Little Green House. Thanks to the investment, the nursery school chain can continue its rapid growth. Migros Geneva Cooperative has invested in fintech company b-sharpe, which operates in online currency trading. Biotech company Vaximm has won IT group NEC as a partner and investor; together, they will develop personalised cancer vaccines using NEC’s expertise in AI.

Even in management of start-ups, theory and reality can be far apart, as Daniel Koss reports in his guest article. Based on his entrepreneurial experience, the founder and CEO of an influencer marketing agency is convinced that even in start-ups, decision makers are needed take responsibility: “The ‘our hierarchy is completely flat’ lie ignores the fact that subject matter expertise is extremely valuable and meaningful.”

Next week, Global Entrepreneurship Week will kick off. About 100 events will take place throughout Switzerland, either organised for this reason or as part of a partner event.

You can meet me on Tuesday in Muttenz at the kick-off for ‘startup baselland’, and on Thursday at the Swiss Innovation Forum. My colleague Ritah Nyakato will attend the Grand Opening Party of Impact Hub Basel on Friday. I would also like to draw your attention to the deadline of 22 November for Swiss Fintech Award.

Finally, a note about us. Together with Michael Rockinger from the University of Lausanne, we have just finished writing the second Swiss Startup Radar. We evaluated data on 5,000 Swiss and 250,000 foreign start-ups, and made an extensive examination of exits of Swiss start-ups along with an international comparison. In addition, we produce evidence on topics such as risk appetite, growth and start-up fields of activity. The magazine will appear in early December and is available to pre-order now.

Have a good weekend
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch