Two EPFL spinoffs each receive CHF 100’000

Currently, Li-Ion batteries (rechargeable batteries) are used in a range of products from phones to electric cars. In 2020 alone, over one million tons of Li-Ion batteries were produced, and this market is anticipated to grow another eight-fold by 2027. While devices that use Li-ion batteries are generally emission-free, the creation of their energy source still greatly impacts the climate. The materials used for production, battery disposal, and the impact on soil have raised concerns and demand for sustainable solutions.

Addressing these issues, Swistor is developing sustainable batteries based on carbon-based supercapacitor technology to replace today’s lithium-based batteries. The supercapacitors can charge in two minutes and have a lifetime around 30x longer than existing technologies. Thanks to being made from abundantly available, cost-effective, and non-polluting materials, swistor’s battery manufacturing process contributes 10x fewer carbon emissions.

The team will use their Innogrant by the EPFL Startup Launchpad to create a prototype and prepare for industrialisation. They also hope to secure a pilot project with a mobile or chip industry leader.

Speeding up drug development
Drug development is a long and costly process with only one in twenty drug candidates succeeding in reaching the market. This low success rate is partly owed to insufficient drug characterisation in the early stages.

IsoSpec Analytics develops analytical tools to reduce failure rates for drugs in various fields including oncology and neurodegenerative diseases by providing key information during target validation and compound screening. Beyond pharmaceuticals, IsoSpec is developing its technology to become a tool of choice for early disease diagnostics by opening the door for discovering new biomarkers, attacking the disease at its root not at its symptoms. Their patented rapid separation and molecular infrared fingerprinting technology can eliminate bottlenecks in analytical workflows, providing key information for optimal decision-making while developing safer and cost-efficient products.

The team is already working with some of the world’s leading pharma and biotech companies. They will use their Innogrant to de-risk their product and validate their go-to-market strategy.

(Press release/RAN)