immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Jungunternehmen

  • The Ark and CleantechAlps are looking for start-ups for smart energy utilisation

    The Ark and CleantechAlps are looking for start-ups for smart energy utilisation

    CleantechAlps, the cluster of cleantech companies in Western Switzerland, and The Ark, a foundation for innovation in Valais, are organising the second pitch contest for smart energy start-ups. The competition will take place on 30 August as part of the Smart Energy Events on the Energypolis Campus in Sion, the organisers announced in a press release. Interested start-ups have until 7 June to apply online to take part.

    We are looking for start-ups that were founded after 2014 and are active in the energy sector. A jury is responsible for pre-selecting the young companies that will ultimately take part in the competition. At the pitch contest itself, the start-ups compete for the best idea, the best short presentation and the audience award. All three awards come with prize money of CHF 5,000 each. In addition, the competition offers participants “a unique opportunity to present their company in the best possible light and meet important players in the industry”, write the organisers.

  • Hoyou wins at the Start-up Weekend Uri 2023

    Hoyou wins at the Start-up Weekend Uri 2023

    The Canton of Uri held the second edition of its Start-up Weekend Uri from 1 to 4 September. The canton “once again presented itself as an attractive location for start-ups”, writes the cantonal Department of Economic Affairs in a statement. Four young companies were given the opportunity to further develop their business idea “in an inspiring environment between co-working space, canoe tours and culinary delights together with expert coaches”, it continues.

    “We have only known the canton of Uri in passing,” Miro Mandelz and Philip Zollinger of appreci8 are quoted as saying. Their start-up from Zollikon ZH uses artificial intelligence to mediate between job seekers and employers. “During the three days, we were able to get to know the versatile business and living location of Uri better and further develop our business idea.”

    At the final presentation on 4 September, Christine Hegglin was able to convince the jury of experts from companies and the cantonal administration with her platform for real estate exchange. She received the *zünder wildcard for this and is allowed to participate in the *zünder accelerator funding programme with her start-up Hoyou without going through the selection process.

  • Start-up Beyoul sells holiday homes to several owners

    Start-up Beyoul sells holiday homes to several owners

    The Zurich-based proptech start-up Beyoul makes holiday homes and flats available to several parties via a platform. In this way, two to eight owners can buy a property together, according to a media release.

    This so-called co-ownership model reduces the costs for the purchase as well as for the maintenance. In addition, the maintenance costs and expenses associated with a second home are included in the price at Beyoul. Another advantage is that the properties are less likely to be vacant. This benefits the local economy.

    According to the press release, every tenth household in this country owns at least one holiday home. However, it is only used for an average of ten weeks a year. With the co-ownership approach, Beyoul wants to “adapt the ownership relationship to its own use”.

    A property at Beyoul is acquired by “two to eight parties with as complementary a use as possible”. The owners can dispose of the property according to their share. They reserve stays via an app. According to Beyoul, a fair distribution is ensured by a credit system in connection with a smart algorithm.

    Like an administration, Beyoul also takes care of the cleaning after each stay, the maintenance as well as the upkeep of the furnishings and the house.

    Beyoul is a concept of the Zurich-based Aquilas Company Builder AG. The consultancy company launches and scales innovative concepts in the field of global urban trends.

  • Venture Kick supports irmos technologies with 150,000 Swiss francs

    Venture Kick supports irmos technologies with 150,000 Swiss francs

    Irmos technologies receives financial support of 150,000 Swiss francs from Venture Kick. The start-up, which emerged from research centres at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, has developed a platform that uses sensors and intelligent algorithms to convert vibrations from traffic, wind, construction work and seismic events, for example, into structural condition data. In this way, the structural integrity of buildings is to be monitored in real time.

    According to a Venture Kick media release, greater monitoring of buildings and bridges is needed because 50 per cent of Switzerland’s 1.1 million buildings have exceeded their planned lifespan. Irmos technologies has reportedly already used the platform in several pilot projects, such as the Swiss Confederation’s official guest house, the Bellevue Palace in Bern, and the Glarus Cantonal Hospital. A long-term monitoring project has been agreed with the Federal Roads Office.

    The young company plans to invest the Venture Kick funds in expanding its market presence in Switzerland and developing the business plan for its international growth in 2024. In view of the severe damage caused by the earthquake in Turkey in February, with over 30,000 human victims and 10,000 buildings destroyed, irmos says an early warning system is urgently needed in Switzerland. The market volume for its use here is estimated at 100 million Swiss francs annually.

    “If our start-up is a sailboat, Venture Kick was literally the wind and the compass for our entrepreneurial journey,” Panagiotis Martakis, managing director of irmos technologies, is quoted as saying in the statement. “In addition to the massive financial support, the coaching kicks and the network of investors and industry experts turned our research idea into a valuable commercial proposition.”

  • Basel Area location promotion posts record number of company start-ups

    Basel Area location promotion posts record number of company start-ups

    Basel Area Business & Innovation supported a total of 96 start-ups in 2022. This represents a new record, the location promotion agency of the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Jura informs in a statement. Compared to the previous year, 20 more start-ups were supported by Basel Area Business & Innovation.

    The number of companies newly established in the Basel Area cantons in 2022 remained stable at 35 compared to 2021. “The Basel Area economic region has had another highly satisfactory year,” Christof Klöpper, CEO of Basel Area Business & Innovation, is quoted as saying in the statement. “Both in terms of newly established companies and company start-ups, we achieved excellent figures in 2022.”

    Of the total of 96 newly founded companies, 21 are active in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. This is followed by services with 18, construction with eleven and ICT with ten start-ups. Many of the start-ups were able to benefit from the location promotion’s venture monitoring programme. In the press release, Basel Area Business & Innovation singles out the cleantech company Kuori. Since its founding in spring 2022, it has already raised around 2.3 million euros in investor funding.

    Of the total of 35 settlements, 24 were in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. In terms of regions of origin, Europe leads the way with 14 companies. This is followed by Asia with seven and the USA with six newly established companies in Switzerland. A total of eight companies from other cantons moved to the Basel Area last year.

  • Luucy introduces new version of its 3D programme for planners

    Luucy introduces new version of its 3D programme for planners

    Luucy AG, with locations in Lucerne and Schlieren, has launched a new generation of its platform of the same name. Luucy 2.6 is now also available in French, the young company informs in a corresponding press release. In addition, the new version features expanded keyboard navigation and simpler control. In addition, relevant data sets for spatial and real estate development are made available. Luucy kicks off with relevant data sets from the Canton of Lucerne.

    With the Luucy platform, real estate developments can be modelled, analysed, visualised and communicated by means of a digital twin. In version 2.6, the roof pitch can now be freely set. A new function also makes navigation possible in the underground levels of buildings.

    The 3D models created with the help of Luucy are used to make development plans clear for experts and the interested public. They go into such detail that the shadows cast by the buildings can be depicted. Location promoter Limmatstadt AG has also already presented such a digital 3D model of the Limmat Valley. This makes it possible to experience the region and its urban development projects virtually.

  • Viboo wins Empa Innovation Award

    Viboo wins Empa Innovation Award

    Every two years since 2006, Empa has honored in-house innovations or successful technology transfers from science to industry with the Empa Innovation Award. This year, the CHF 5,000 prize went to the Empa spin-off viboo , the research institute said in a statement . The young company based in Dübendorf has developed a self-learning algorithm that uses weather and building data to calculate the optimum energy use of a building several hours in advance.

    The algorithm developed by Felix Bünning and Benjamin Huber together with Empa Senior Researcher Matthias Sulzer in Empa's Urban Energy System Lab has already been tested in pilot tests in the NEST innovation building and in an Empa administration building. It has been shown that the approach can save around a quarter of the heating energy, according to the statement.

    For the application, only the analogue thermostats have to be replaced by intelligent thermostats. Here, viboo is already working with Danfoss and wants to get other manufacturers of such thermostats, such as ABB and Schneider Electric , on board for further pilot projects. Huber wants to reciprocate the award with a contribution that “empa will get through the coming heating period well”, the viboo co-founder is quoted as saying in the press release.

  • Holcim is looking for ideas for sustainable construction

    Holcim is looking for ideas for sustainable construction

    On February 1, Holcim started the application period for the third edition of its Startup Accelerator Program . Start-ups from all over the world are invited to apply and accelerate sustainable construction with their innovative solutions. The six-month program runs from May to November 2022.

    "The Holcim Accelerator Program enables us to connect with the brightest minds in the world to drive disruptive breakthroughs," Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch said in a press release . "I invite this year's startups to think outside the box in all dimensions of construction, from circular construction to intelligent building design."

    As in previous years, the specialty chemicals company Sika is a partner in the acceleration program. New partners for this year's edition include French company Bouygues Construction and British engineering consultants Mott MacDonald .

    Swiss explorer and environmentalist Bertrand Piccard, founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation , contributes a call to action: “The construction industry has a key role to play in accelerating our world's transition to net zero. Holcim's Accelerator is a unique incubator for start-ups around the world to innovate for our planet.”

  • Five start-ups move into Büro Züri Innovationspark

    Five start-ups move into Büro Züri Innovationspark

    The Züri Innovationspark office has officially opened, according to a press release . Five start-ups have moved into a total of 170 square meters in the converted fire station of the former Dübendorf Airport. They were selected by public vote from among ten candidates last summer.

    The modern building offers 16 flexible workplaces, meeting rooms, a kitchen and a generous infrastructure. With their move into the Dübendorf office in Züri, the teams will also become part of the ecosystem in the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich, according to the Zürcher Kantonalbank . The Zürcher Kantonalbank, co-founder of the Zurich Innovation Park, makes this space available free of charge for an innovative and collaborative working group. In a statement , the bank describes the Züri office, of which there is another edition in Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse, as its "gift" to the population.

    The five start-ups from Büro Züri Innovationspark include Medtech aiEndoscopic and the data processing platform for artificial intelligence, Lightly . Soma Rem is also on site, which helps people with body image disorders with virtual and augmented reality. TerraRad Tech brings remote space sensing technology to agriculture. And Tethys Robotics develops underwater robots.

  • CLEMAP successfully collects capital

    CLEMAP successfully collects capital

    CLEMAP has successfully completed a seed round, the young company from Zurich informs in a message . No information is given there about the amount of capital collected under the leadership of Malco Parola, investor in the Swiss ICT Investor Club ( SICTIC ). CLEMAP intends to use the funds for the further development of its B2B energy platform and further market entries. Founded in 2017, the company has specialized in products for intelligent networks, factories and buildings since 2020.

    In the financing round that has now been concluded, the investors were convinced “by the new national and international cooperation”, writes CLEMAP. CLEMAP's charging management for electric vehicles and energy monitoring solutions for intelligent factories are named as further capital magnets in the communication. The young company is already active on the Italian market with the latter. The load breakdown product CLEMAP One is already being used in intelligent buildings.

    In connection with the seed round, the start-up is also changing its board of directors. SICTIC investor Parola takes a seat as a new member. Pascal Kienast will hand over the presidency to the ex-CEO of Repower, Kurt Bobst. With Gino Agbomemewa as CEO and Pascal Kienast as COO, however, the management of CLEMAP will remain unchanged.

  • NaturLoop wins CHF 150,000 for composites made from coconut

    NaturLoop wins CHF 150,000 for composites made from coconut

    The start-up company NaturLoop from Biel BE won 150,000 francs from Venture Kick for its project to manufacture sustainable biocomposites, or composite materials, from coconut shells. According to a press release, NaturLoop wants to use the money to strengthen its marketing activities and to set up a new pilot project in the Philippines by the end of 2022. A factory for the production of cocoboard is to be built there. The natural fiber board is made from coconut shells. By using coconut shells instead of wood, the Biel-based start-up aims to limit deforestation, increase the local availability of furniture and building materials, improve farmers' livelihoods and promote a circular economy.

    NaturLoop wants to replace wood-based composite materials with Cocoboard. According to the communication, these release formaldehyde and other harmful gases, which leads to indoor air pollution. In addition, their production leads to excessive waste generation and energy consumption. The start-up now wants to use part of the around 21 million tons of coconut shells that are produced around the world every year and are either burned or thrown in the trash. NaturLoops Cocoboard is a natural fiber board made from coconut shells and pressed into boards with natural tannin glue. It can be used to make furniture, cupboards, floors or ceiling tiles.

    "What distinguishes Venture Kick from other startup programs are the people behind it: The feedback I got during the Kickers Camp was honest and unbiased," Daniel Dinizo, co-founder and CEO of NaturLoop, is quoted as saying.

    NaturLoop is a spin-off from the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and was co-founded by Daniel Dinizo (CEO) and Michail Kyriazopoulos (CTO). The team is currently working on exclusive supply contracts, pre-sales orders, the completion of the production concept and the opening of the seed financing round. According to the announcement, NaturLoop estimates the market for imported wood-based materials at $ 1 billion.

  • IT companies in St.Gallen join forces

    IT companies in St.Gallen join forces

    The young company emonitor , which is active in the field of real estate technology, has brought its melon rental software into a collaboration with Abacus , as stated in a message from emonitor. On behalf of the City of St.Gallen Pension Fund , melon has been connected to the AbaImmo property management software from Abacus. This now creates software for reporting in the area of apartment rentals.

    On the one hand, software is available for a continuous letting process, from the first contact with a prospective tenant through to ancillary costs settlement. And on the other hand, thanks to the collaboration between emonitor from St.Gallen and Abacus Research from Wittenbach, reports can be created that provide real-time information on vacancies, for example.

    The City of St.Gallen Pension Fund is currently in a digitization process and would like to be a pioneer in turning interested parties into tenants even more easily, as the message says. "We are pleased that together with emonitor and Abacus we can implement our ideas of future-oriented leasing and management," Gerardo Longo from the Pension Fund Stadt St.Gallen is quoted in the announcement. "In addition to creating an overall process, we also benefit from the simple acquisition of demand and analysis data, with the help of which we will, for example, be able to better plan our projects and avoid vacancies."

  • Berner Kantonalbank joins Swiss Immo Lab

    Berner Kantonalbank joins Swiss Immo Lab

    The Zurich-based investment company Swiss Immo Lab AG is to invest in proptech or fintech start-ups that contribute to the digitization of the construction and real estate industry. The investment company was founded at the end of 2019 by real estate service provider Avobis , Hypothekarbank Lenzburg and Gebäudeversicherung Bern . The Berner Kantonalbank ( BEKB ) is now joining Swiss Immo Lab as the fourth partner, the BEKB informs in a message .

    The partners want to hold the Swiss Immo Lab AG in equal shares, is further explained in the announcement. The four companies invested a total of 8 million francs in the investment company. Within two years, they are to be invested in start-ups that are active in the markets for digital marketplaces, real estate management, construction, building materials, analysis software and intelligent cities, writes the BEKB.

    "With this platform we want to accelerate innovation in construction and real estate", Armin Brun, CEO of BEKB, is quoted in the press release. This year, Swiss Immo Lab has already participated in the developer of software for real estate analysis, Archilyse, and the Lausanne-based manufacturer of solar modules, Insolight.