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Tag: Venture Kick

  • 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.”

  • 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.

  • 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.