immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Start up

  • Cowa receives 1 million francs from investors

    Cowa receives 1 million francs from investors

    In a first round of financing, Cowa Thermal Solutions AG has received over CHF 1 million from private investors and its own founders Remo Waser and Simon Maranda. According to an article on the startupticker.ch portal, the young company based in Lucerne’s Technopark wants to use the fresh capital to market its heating storage system for heat pumps on a larger scale.

    The cleantech start-up is developing a heating storage system with capsules that contain environmentally friendly salts as a phase change material. A tank filled with the capsules can absorb three times more energy than a conventional water tank for heat pumps. According to the information, this makes a heating system less dependent on mains electricity. In addition, unlike batteries or rechargeable batteries, it does not use lithium.

    The storage tank filled with Cowa capsules has been available from the building technology company Meier Tobler since April of this year. According to startupticker.ch, the additional costs for the Cowa product compared to conventional storage systems are quickly balanced out due to the energy density and longevity of 20 years.

    In addition to further scaling on the domestic market, the company would like to expand to Germany soon. Initial talks with potential sales partners have already taken place.

  • Baloise presents its ecosystem for innovations

    Baloise presents its ecosystem for innovations

    The Baloise Group has been modernizing and expanding its core business as part of its Simply Safe strategy since 2017. According to a statement from the insurer, working methods have been modernized internally, scope for design expanded and hierarchies dismantled, thereby increasing employee satisfaction overall.

    At the same time, an ecosystem of innovations was built up. To this end, 7,500 ideas and start-ups were tested in the Baloise Open Innovation Funnel. The Basler Insurance Group has invested a total of 50 million francs annually in the most promising initiatives. Around 30 investments are in the scaling phase. As the largest investment, FRIDAY is already one of the most popular digital insurers in Germany and was able to expand to France in 2021. FRIDAY sales are likely to rise to over 50 million francs this year, with a target of 150 million francs in 2025.

    In the home sector, Baloise has invested in eight initiatives, five in Switzerland and three in Belgium. The total turnover is over 10 million francs, the aim for 2025 is 100 million francs. In the area of mobility, the nine initiatives should generate a total of up to CHF 10 million in sales in 2021. In 2025, sales are also expected to rise to 100 million.

    Gert De Winter is now initiating the second phase of Simply Safe. “Our ambition is to have our investment measures valued at CHF 1 billion by 2025 and to secure a business volume contribution of CHF 350 million through the new initiatives,” the CEO of Baloise is quoted as saying in the press release.

    At the same time, progress in the area of innovation should be made more visible. The innovations are presented narrative on the newly launched “ Baloise Innovation – Connecting the Dots ” website.

  • Smino earns 3.1 million francs

    Smino earns 3.1 million francs

    Smino has won over a number of investors with its platform for digital building planning (Building Information Modeling / BIM). The start-up from the St.GallenBodenseeArea has successfully completed a series A financing round and raised CHF 3.1 million, according to a press release .

    Smino is an offer from BBC Systems AG. The platform acts as a data hub for construction projects. This platform is now to be further developed. “The smino team impressed us and our partners with its comprehensive software solution for construction project management”, Manfred Heid is quoted in the message, managing partner of the investor BitStone Capital. “We are very pleased to support the team together with our co-investors as they expand into new markets and develop into a digital project assistant.”

    BitStone Capital led the financing round. Other investors are EquityPitcher Ventures, Swiss Startup Capital, Session VC, Swiss Immo Lab, AXEPT Business Software AG and Conreal. “Smino has managed to generate rapid growth and become a key player in the construction industry,” says Guy Giuffredi from Swiss Startup Capital. “Now the expansion is pending and we are convinced that the excellently positioned team will master this quickly and successfully.”

    This expansion is to be realized first in Switzerland and Europe. In the future, smino also wants to rely on applications with artificial intelligence, as co-founder Sandor Balogh calls it. “The Series A round enables us to expand our market leadership in Switzerland and expand internationally. A further branch will be set up in Germany specifically for the European region. “

  • Forster and ConReal Swiss join forces

    Forster and ConReal Swiss join forces

    Forster enters into a strategic partnership with the technology start-up ConReal Swiss AG . For this purpose, the kitchen builder is getting into the start-up company for the digitization of the construction and real estate industry from Winterthur through its investment company e-comm Beteiligungen AG, based in Baar, according to a media release. The companies do not disclose the investment amount.

    The collaboration will initially focus on household appliances. Existing partners from the trade are to be offered new services. In addition, the partnership supports the “ongoing development of the digital marketplace” for interior design.

    “With this partnership, we are able to combine Forster’s competencies and market knowledge with ConReal’s digitization capabilities in order to create a better offer and a unique shopping experience for both tradespeople and end consumers,” said Joachim Wallishauser, Managing Director of e-comm, quoted in the press release.

  • Credit Suisse sees good opportunities for proptechs

    Credit Suisse sees good opportunities for proptechs

    The corona pandemic has also posed challenges for the proptech industry, as a new report from Credit Suisse shows. Globally, for example, 25 percent less risk capital has flowed into such start-ups. However, the reluctance to invest has not left any major mark on the industry. Almost 80 percent of Proptechs were able to increase their number of employees in the past twelve months. Only 3 percent reported a decrease in the workforce. In addition, 87 percent expect a further increase in staff in the next twelve months.

    Furthermore, only around 10 percent of proptechs suffered a setback in sales. In contrast, 80 percent were able to increase their sales during the Corona crisis. According to the report, the industry is aiming to double sales in 2021. In 2022 and 2023, too, higher sales growth is expected than in 2020.

    Credit Suisse also looks at the Swiss proptech industry in the study. Accordingly, the number of proptechs active in Switzerland also increased last year. With over 320 companies, Switzerland has an extremely high density of proptechs in an international comparison, it is said.

    However, the bank also points out that many proptechs with similar business models appear in the market. She assumes that not all companies will be able to position themselves successfully. Credit Suisse sees the quality of the management team and the scalability of the business model as the most important success factors of a Poptech.

  • PropTech: The 3 most important Success Drivers

    PropTech: The 3 most important Success Drivers

    According to the Gartner Hype Cycle, every new technology is initially subject to high or exaggerated expectations. After a “cycle of disappointment” follows a “phase of enlightenment”, from which solutions then arise at a realistically increasing level of productivity. Data science, robots and drones, virtual and augmented reality or artificial intelligence are just a few of these basic technologies. The blockchain is one of the last technological hype triggers. We will see promising developments and use cases in these areas over the next few years.

    The challenge for a PropTech company is to develop a successful business model or product or service with the corresponding problem-solving potential and scalability from one of these basic technologies. In this context one often hears terms like SaaS or DSaaS. “Software as a Service” (SaaS) is a cloud service model in which applications and data are located in the cloud and thus on the PropTech provider's servers. With “Data Science as a Service” (DSaaS), the data supplied to the cloud is processed by the provider, analyzed using an algorithm and fed back to the customer as findings.

    But this is only one side of the coin. The established companies in the real estate industry must also recognize the added value of these products and services and be prepared to pay for them. The driver for real estate entrepreneurs will certainly be the cost and efficiency side, but also or above all the needs of their customers. Anyone who aligns their business model to a megatrend – such as sustainability, big data or future work – is fundamentally not wrong here.

    You can find out more about successful business models here:
    https://proptechmarket.net/loesungen

  • Enerdrape wins with climate panels for buildings

    Enerdrape wins with climate panels for buildings

    Enerdrape has 150, 000 francs under the support of Venture Kick obtained as from a message stating. The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ) is developing a sustainable solution for air conditioning in buildings. The start-up's system consists of modular panels that are installed indoors. These use the existing thermal energy and waste heat to heat and cool the building.

    According to Enerdrape, heating and cooling buildings alone are responsible for around 40 percent of CO2 emissions in Europe. According to the start-up, sustainable alternatives often require a complex installation process and are also expensive. In contrast, the solution from Enerdrape is cheap and easy to implement. The company's panels are particularly intended for installation in underground garages and commercial buildings. In Europe, Enerdrape sees a potential market of CHF 40 million here.

    The Venture Kick funding initiative supports young companies from the idea to the establishment of a company. The Venture Kick Foundation mandated the institute for young companies , which is represented in Schlieren ZH, St.Gallen and Lausanne, to carry out the initiative.

  • Westhive is planning a new location in Zug

    Westhive is planning a new location in Zug

    The Metall Zug Group wants to create "a new piece of the city for an industrial ecosystem" on the V-Zug site. Additional industrial companies, start-ups, technology-related service providers, training facilities and apartments are also to be located on the so-called Tech Cluster Zug.

    The Zurich coworking provider Westhive also wants to be present on the area. According to a media release , he will open a new location there in late summer 2022. Members are to be offered flexible workplaces, conference rooms, a coffee bar, a team kitchen and a fitness area. Overall, the Zug location will cover an area of more than 2000 square meters.

    "We are very pleased that we have found such a suitable location in Zug", Bruno Rambaldi, co-founder of Westhive, is quoted as saying. "And with Metall Zug we have an ideal partner for the implementation."

    According to David Carnier, who is responsible for the Westhive project on the part of Tech Cluster Zug AG, Westhive's flexible workplaces fit well into the concept of the Tech Cluster Zug.

  • Construction trader HGC takes a stake in Urdorf start-up

    Construction trader HGC takes a stake in Urdorf start-up

    The trading cooperative of the Swiss Builders' Association ( HGC ) participates in Cloudworks AG , based in Urdorf. The company operates the PropTech start-up umbaumanager.ch, which was founded in 2019. The digital platform carries out the entire conversion process in digital form, according to the media release on the partnership. She leads the homeowner through the entire process of the construction project, from the first cost estimate, through the obtaining of offers, the award of contracts and construction management to any defect management.

    Umbaumanager.ch has been working with a network of qualified craftsmen and suppliers since the start. The HGC was one of the first partners of umbaumanager.ch and is now participating in the operating company Cloudworks, according to the announcement. "With the network and know-how of HGC as a service provider for everything to do with construction, our platform can be expanded further," the founders of Cloudworks AG and developers of umbaumanager.ch, Faton Mati and Christian Vogt, are quoted as saying:

    The HG Commerciale cooperative, founded in 1899, supplies the Swiss construction industry with materials. "We at HGC are further expanding our digital competence with our participation and can thus offer our craft customers a clear added value", Martin Tobler, CEO of HGC, is quoted in the announcement. The HGC has around 800 employees.

  • Technopark Winterthur opens start-up meeting point

    Technopark Winterthur opens start-up meeting point

    Technopark Winterthur has completed the renovation of its 1000 square meter ground floor. The start-up meeting point, which was redesigned for around CHF 2 million, was opened to the public on Friday. It now offers spaces for networking, coworking, working groups and events.

    All conference, seminar and meeting rooms that were previously distributed in the building were moved to the ground floor, as was the coworking space called Workeria. According to a media release , new and significantly larger event spaces have been gained. This once again significantly increases the attractiveness for potential organizers. The offer for coworkers and for informal networking has now been significantly upgraded thanks to an inspiring interior design and acoustic measures. In addition, a bistro takes care of food, drinks and catering from morning to evening.

    "We discussed the plan for the renovation in detail with many stakeholders and optimized it several times – now it is a reality," says Managing Director Thomas Schumann. "I am convinced that the Technopark will further strengthen the business location and make it even better known beyond the region."

  • Implenia relies on virtual reality for Lokstadt-Areal

    Implenia relies on virtual reality for Lokstadt-Areal

    Implenia uses the advantages of virtual reality (VR) at the Lokstadt site in Winterthur. This is made possible thanks to a solution from the Zurich start-up Hegias . Right from the start, users were able to immerse themselves in the virtual plaster model of the area and walk through it from different perspectives.

    Thanks to the solution, concerns of monument conservationists could also be quickly dispelled, writes Hegias in a press release. They initially had reservations about a new hotel, which should have shipping containers as a room. When the concept could be experienced virtually, they were convinced that the “valuable building fabric” would be preserved and that the halls would not be crammed full.

    In addition, the VR solution is also useful for marketing real estate, according to the announcement. The spatial understanding and the experience of the residential property are essential drivers in the purchase decision. Implenia has already bought a license for the Hegias software. Now she wants to expand the use of the software.

    "What was missing so far for the breakthrough of VR was user-friendly software that users can use anywhere without installation and without relevant programming knowledge," Anita Eckardt, head of the Specialties Division at Implenia and member of the management board, is quoted in the press release. "The start-up Hegias made this possible with the intuitively operable solution for VR applications – a real quantum leap."

  • Trusttechnology equips Turin with pavilions

    Trusttechnology equips Turin with pavilions

    Turin, the capital of Piedmont, has ordered 50 of its pavilions from the Ticino start-up Trusttechnology. The aim is to equip the bars and restaurants in the so-called Murazzi buildings along the banks of the Po. A report on startupticker.ch provides information on this.

    These transparent protective structures fold up automatically when required, powered by batteries, and then only take up about one square meter of space. This corresponds to the city's flood protocol: when the water level rises in the arcades and boathouses on the west bank of the Po, they can be quickly stowed away by the staff present. Their installation is planned as soon as the catering industry is allowed to reopen after the corona lockdown.

    According to the announcement, the entrepreneurial journey of the now 47-year-old owner Tiziano Pili led from an advanced semester at the University of Applied Sciences South Switzerland and the Venturelab via the Tecnopolo of the Agire Foundation in Manno TI, where he founded his company. In 2014, Pili received an international patent and then the Swiss Made certification. As a finalist in the StartCup Ticino competition, he was finally accepted into the USI Startup Center of the University of Italian Switzerland .

    "I believe that the solution I have designed will radically change the market for temporary protective structures outdoors," says Pili. "The ink on the contract is not dry yet, as I am already finalizing the contract negotiations with a large company near Asti that would also like to invest in this solution."

  • Siloxene offers "miracle material" for the chemical industry

    Siloxene offers "miracle material" for the chemical industry

    After a successful research career at the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ), Matthias Koebel founded his own start-up called Siloxene. With this he wants to market a multifunctional material component that he discovered and researched during his time at Empa.

    In a press release , Empa describes the development as a “miracle material” for the chemical industry. Specifically, it is a silicon-based, molecular hybrid building material that is only about a nanometer in size. The material can be used to improve the properties of adhesives, coatings or fillers depending on the product and customer requirements. For example, coatings can be made more scratch-resistant or adhesives can have a shorter curing time. Empa also compares the material with the gene scissors Crispr / Cas, which was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine. This can be used to cure genetic diseases.

    With its new start-up, which is based in Dübendorf, Koebel is primarily aimed at companies in the plastics processing, adhesive or sealant production and the building materials industry. "The regulatory hurdles are not so high here and we can relatively easily optimize their products and processes with the companies," he explains in the press release.

    Koebel is currently concentrating on expanding its research and development department and on customer acquisition. He first wants to have his macromolecule produced by a contract manufacturer. "In the long term, however, I would like to set up my own production," he emphasizes.

  • Zühlke supports Adtrac with targeted outdoor advertising

    Zühlke supports Adtrac with targeted outdoor advertising

    Zühlke supports the Zurich start-up Adtrac . The aim of the cooperation is the development of a platform for the targeted control, changing content and tracking of digital outdoor advertising until it is ready for the market. According to a press release, the innovation service provider from Schlieren has been at Adtrac's side right from the start with advice and support for further development. This should make the platform ready for the market in a few months.

    According to the media release, the idea of Adtrac is to transfer the advantages of the digital world into the classic principle of outdoor advertising. The sensors of the advertising displays should be used to play the most relevant content for the target group in front of the displays. This means that the offer on the advertising space can be adapted precisely for these viewers and their interests based on data about the respective target group. And the customer can follow the progress of his campaign online. According to Adtrac, the web-based campaign tool is used for this. Advertisers can use it to plan their campaigns themselves at any time, follow them live, optimize them and create evaluations.

    "Thanks to Zühlke's expertise and the flexible and agile cooperation, we are now there with a market-ready and convincing product," Benjamin Wey, CEO of Adtrac, is quoted as saying. Adtrac was created as a joint venture between Advertima , Fortimo and SPAR , all based in St.Gallen.

    After the initial launch on the market, the platform is to be continuously developed and supplemented with new functions.

  • Tilbago simplifies handling of credit reports

    Tilbago simplifies handling of credit reports

    The Lucerne start-up Tilbago specializes in digital debt collection solutions. Now, according to a media release, it has launched a new product called Tilbago CredRep. This is a holistic, digital solution for obtaining credit information. According to Oliver Wolf, Chief Operating Officer at Tilbago, it is a "service that customers wanted and that we have implemented with modern technical possibilities".

    Tilbago CredRep is aimed at operators of real estate portals, loan portals or providers of software solutions. Tilbago CredRep can implement these in their existing platforms and make them available to their customers. Customers can then order extracts from the debt enforcement register completely digitally.

    Another advantage of Tilbago CredRep is that the so-called CreditTrust certificate is also integrated into the solution. In contrast to the excerpt from the debt enforcement register, the CreditTrust certificate is not limited to the register of a single office, but rather contains "all information available throughout Switzerland", it says.

    Tilbago developed the new solution together with the PFLab, PostFinance's innovation laboratory. PostFinance is also one of Tilbago's investors. "As an innovation participation of PostFinance, the PFLab supports tilbago in the market development of existing products and services and in the development of new offers," explains Sergio Consonni from the PFLab.

    Thanks to the connection to PostFinance, Tilbago has already won its first customer. Private individuals can now order their digital debt collection register excerpts on the Swiss Post website.

  • Mobiliar's craftsmen platform is online for Zurich and Aarau

    Mobiliar's craftsmen platform is online for Zurich and Aarau

    The Mobiliar subsidiary Buildigo has been bringing together craftsmen and clients in Zurich and Aargau on its digital platform since Monday. According to a media release from the insurance company, the focus is on the quality of the service partners and digital processing from the inquiry to payment. This service can be used by both private individuals and SMEs.

    The start-up Buildigo has been active in French-speaking Switzerland since 2017. Since the summer of 2020, it has been supplementing Mobiliar's services for everything to do with living. Your new trade platform on the Internet is starting in the regions of Zurich and Aarau with a selected range of the most relevant industries. The offer will be gradually expanded in the coming months.