Dexterous Endoscopes: Empowering doctors to achieve optimal patient outcomes
Millions of endoscopic procedures are performed annually using rigid or flexible instruments to access internal sites. Rigid endoscopes cannot bend into confined spaces. Flexible ones reach further but lack the force and precision for effective tissue dissection. Surgeons are therefore forced to choose between reach, precision, and control.
Dexterous Endoscopes has developed a variable-stiffness scope engineered to overcome existing limitations. Its ability to switch between rigid and soft modes on command is key. In the soft state, the scope can safely navigate complex organ anatomy to the target zone. In the rigid state, it resists buckling. It provides additional stability, enabling concentrated force with instruments passed through the working channel for high-quality tissue dissection or delivering greater stability for laser surgeries.
The Venture Kick funding will support preclinical trials, demonstration of the technology, and advancement of business development activities.

latentfusion.ai: Optimizing protein-based therapeutics to unlock innovative treatments
97% of all protein-based therapeutics fail before approval, after millions of US dollars and a large effort have been invested into their development. Up to 50% of those failures could be avoided with optimized protein candidates.
latentfusion.ai provides AI-driven protein optimization, helping biotech partners fix critical issues in lead candidates. This accelerates research, boosts licensing potential, and avoids dead-end projects. Most importantly, it increases the chances of life-changing treatments reaching patients.
latentfusion.ai was founded by CEO Elias Hagmann, with a background in computer science from ETH Zürich, and CSO Dieter Schiegg, with a background in Biochemistry from the University of Zürich. Together, they bring over 25 years of experience in the biotech industry.  The core market consists of 3,000+ therapeutic biotech companies that currently spend over USD12 billion on protein lead optimization.
The Venture Kick funds will be used to reach potential customers, establish strategic partnerships, and accelerate market entry.

LightSeeds: Reducing Solar Installation Costs with Lightweight, Low-Carbon Technology
LightSeeds addresses a major barrier to solar adoption: the high cost and complexity of installing traditional photovoltaic systems, especially on infrastructure like roads and railways. Their solution replaces heavy, fragile glass panels with lightweight, rigid, and recyclable modules that cut total installed costs by 20% and halve the carbon footprint.
Founded in 2024 by Laure-Emmanuelle Perret and Pierrick Duvoisin, LightSeeds brings together 30+ years of expertise in photovoltaics, industrial design, and public-private innovation. With patents pending and pilot installations realised, the startup targets a USD 46M market (SOM) in Europe and Switzerland until 2027 with a scalable licensing model.
The Venture Kick Stage I funds will support industrialization, strengthen the team, and accelerate market entry through new strategic partnerships and field deployments.
 

Additional Links
Behind the Jury: Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member Jim Pulcrano Behind the Jury: Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member Dr. Bettina Ernst

RetinAI develops innovative software that collects, processes, and analyzes large-scale retinal images and biomarker datasets. Its flagship platform, RetinAI Discovery, FDA-cleared and CE-marked, uses AI models to support the diagnosis and monitoring of eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. By providing actionable insights, RetinAI helps healthcare professionals make more informed and timely decisions in patient management.

From the very beginning, the Medtech company's goal has been to harness the power of data and AI to transform patient care. This next chapter with EssilorLuxottica allows it to take that mission further—scaling its impact globally and strengthening its contribution to the future of patient care.

Beyond clinical applications, RetinAI collaborates with pharmaceutical companies and research organizations to accelerate drug development and clinical studies. Its AI-driven platform leverages real-world evidence to streamline workflows across clinical, research, and pharmaceutical domains.

Being acquired by EssilorLuxottica enables RetinAI to scale its technology globally, integrating its AI-powered solutions into a leading eyecare ecosystem. The move highlights RetinAI’s role in redefining eye health through advanced data, machine learning, and retinal imaging.

RetinAI has been ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups, won Venture Kick, and participated in Venture Leaders Life Sciences and Venture Leaders China.


RetinAI team

Additional Links
RetinAI's profile on Venture Kick

The first closing of Neology Hydrogen’s funding round brings in CHF 1.7 million in equity commitments from Swiss and international backers. The round is led by the investment group of serial entrepreneur Roland Bartholet, with contributions from Kickfund, CoreAngels Climate, and ongoing support from Venture Kick alongside a network of early angel investors. Public co-financing includes a CHF 250,000 matching grant from the City of Zurich, while additional non-dilutive support is being explored in Vaud.

This funding will accelerate the rollout of Neology’s 50 kW Ammonia Power Generator (APG) units, expected to enter the market between late 2026 and early 2027. These off-grid systems are designed to replace diesel-powered machinery in sectors such as ports, mining, and agriculture, reducing emissions while maintaining reliable power supply.

Having been ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups and a Venture Kick winner, Neology is securing green ammonia supplies for field deployments through established European partners starting in 2025, ensuring a sustainable fuel source for its zero-emission technology. By combining innovative power generation with renewable fuel, Neology Hydrogen aims to provide industries with practical solutions for transitioning away from fossil fuels.


Neology Hydrogen Team

Additional Links
Neology wins CHF 150,000 to develop novel solution for carbon-free energy supply Neology Hydrogen's profile on Venture Kick

Eldian Biomed: Injectable Microcushions for Damaged Joints
Osteoarthritis (OA) affects over 500 million people and is a leading cause of disability. Current treatments offer only temporary relief and fail to stop disease progression, underscoring the need for disease-modifying solutions.
Eldian Biomed, a spin-off from the University of Bern, is developing CloudLi—a patented microcushion technology of lipid nanoparticles crosslinked with peptide linkers, targeting both inflammation and cartilage wear. In animal models, CloudLi showed marked improvements in joint structure and well-being. The team is led by Gregor Bordon, supported by the research infrastructure of the University of Bern, including the labs of Prof. Paola Luciani and Prof. Jean Louis Reymond. The OA therapy market is projected to reach USD 17B by launch, with CloudLi addressing a USD 1–1.4B segment for non-end-stage knee OA in Europe and the US.
Venture Kick funding will support trademark filings, website setup, and presence at key investor conferences ahead of a 2026 raise.

NanoZymeX: Delivering enzyme therapies precisely where they are needed
NanoZymeX is a health startup project developing a new therapy for rare genetic conditions known as lysosomal storage diseases. Their innovative approach uses lipid-based nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic enzymes directly into cells, helping the body break down harmful substances more effectively. Current treatments for lysosomal storage diseases often struggle to get the needed enzymes into the right parts of the body, especially inside cells where they’re needed most. As a result, patients face frequent, high-dose infusions with limited efficacy and high risk of immune responses. 
The startup project is led by Boris Sevarika and Margarita C. Dinamarca, based at the University of Basel within the Nanopharmaceutical and Regulatory Science Group of Professor Scott McNeil. The team is developing a lipid nanoparticle-based enzyme delivery platform that encapsulates therapeutic enzymes and delivers them to the place in the body where they are needed. The first target is Pompe disease, a rare neuromuscular disorder with a global market exceeding USD 2 billion, but the platform is adaptable to a broad range of enzyme-driven indications in rare and metabolic diseases. This next-generation treatment aims to improve the lives of patients with these often-overlooked and difficult-to-treat disorders.
With Venture Kick support, the NanoZymeX team will refine its business model, conduct structured interviews with stakeholders to validate the solution, and expand its network of key opinion leaders in enzyme therapy and lysosomal storage disorders. These activities will position the project for incorporation and fundraising, laying a strong foundation for future growth.

OOVIE Studios: Interactive AI Movies that Change Every time you Watch them, Powered by Live Music and Human Interaction
Classical music struggles to engage younger and broader audiences, who seek more immersive, multimedia formats than traditional concerts.
Incorporated in May 2025 in Lugano by five co-founders – CEO Riccardo Acciarino, COO Marco Seco, CTO Ignacio Palladino, CAO & Sales Manager Giulio Casagrande, and CMO Lorenzo Ramon – OOVIE Studios transforms the visions of the musicians into interactive AI movies, crafted by world-renowned AI artists. The narrative changes every time automatically following the nuances of music and audience input. OOVIE bridges several markets with common needs, adapting its format for both the musical and corporate world. After launching its first immersive brand experience with EssilorLuxottica – EA7, the startup will premiere its launch tour with Grammy-winning violinist Maxim Vengerov during the Venice Film Festival, at the Trieste Festival, and Teatro Piccolo “Strehler” in Milan.
They will use the Venture Kick funds to organize a private client roadshow, register the trademark, and cover key team travel expenses for the launch tour.

beMarrow: Bridging the Gap Between Preclinical and Clinical Outcomes for Hematological Disorders
One of the main challenges in hematopoietic drug development is the lack of reliable in vitro models that accurately predict drug efficacy and toxicity, thereby slowing the progress of effective new therapies. Mostly used conventional cultures do not sustain hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell function over time, and stromal feeder systems lack the architectural complexity needed to mimic drug resistance. This limits the assessment of therapeutic response and safety, especially for long-term studies, and leads to higher rates of late-stage drug failure.
Initiated by Dr. Dilara Perver at Prof. Dr. Viola Vogel’s Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology at ETH Zürich, beMarrow develops customizable three-dimensional bone marrow microphysiological systems (BM-MPS) that more closely reflect the complexity of human bone marrow in health, disease, and during combinatorial advanced therapies. With a current focus on the most common leukemia in adults, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MS), the model systems were developed to integrate seamlessly with standard laboratory workflows, making adoption straightforward and enabling the generation of scalable, multi-model, human-relevant data. beMarrow addresses a global preclinical testing market valued at over CHF 5 billion in 2023, with demand rising as regulatory bodies mandate non-animal methodologies and functional, bidirectional assays.
Venture Kick funding will support Dr. Dilara Perver in her early business development efforts.

CAPTAIM - Apheryon: Next-generation liquid biopsy of cancer
Most cancer patients still lack access to personalized vaccines because traditional biopsies are invasive, risky, or unfeasible. This exclusion limits precision oncology and leaves a large patient segment without tailored therapeutic options.
Founded by scientists and clinicians from ETH Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Apheryon AG is developing CAPTAIM as its main product, a next-generation liquid biopsy using cytapheresis and microfluidics to isolate millions of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). CAPTAIM enables full-scale tumor profiling for all patients, including those without tumor lesions accessible to classical biopsies or surgery. Targeting the USD 12B liquid biopsy market, it expands eligibility for cancer vaccines and precision therapies, offering a breakthrough diagnostic bridge between oncology clinics and pharma.
The Venture Kick funds will cover incorporation costs for Apheryon AG, including expert legal support from a leading Swiss firm to draft the shareholders’ agreement, along with notary fees and overhead—securing cofounder alignment and a solid launch framework.

deRISC: Systemic risk intelligence for pharmaceutical supply chains
Pharmaceutical supply chains are fragile and opaque. Local shocks such as factory shutdowns, transport bottlenecks, or trade restrictions cascade globally, leading to medicine shortages and costly disruptions. Yet today’s tools overlook the systemic interdependencies that determine how risks spread.
Founded by ETH Zurich researchers Dr. Georges Andres, Dr. Giona Casiraghi, and Dr. Luca Verginer, deRISC provides a new generation of systemic risk intelligence for pharmaceutical supply chains. Its innovation lies in combining a global map of medicines, manufacturers, and production pathways with proprietary systemic risk models. This enables the simulation of disruption cascades, the detection of hidden risks, and the quantification of systemic vulnerabilities. By focusing on pharma-specific interdependencies and enabling decentralized, federated resilience estimation, deRISC offers the industry a collaborative platform to anticipate shortages and strengthen supply security. Positioned within the rapidly growing supply chain risk management and digital intelligence market (>CHF 10B), deRISC aims to become the new standard for resilience in pharma.
The Venture Kick funds will support the development of deRISC’s business model and the advancement of pilot projects with industry partners.

LearningLevels: A digital learning platform leveraging gamification and social interaction to enhance students’ engagement
An emerging trend in schools is independent study hours for students. The reason is an influx of students, thus a lack of space in schools and less time from teachers per student. Students are confronted and overwhelmed with work but rarely provided with direction.
At the same time, the teachers are overworked and can hardly track their students’ progress, provide them with material, and handle all administrative tasks at once.
From a small idea, Nils Marti and Niko Mojado began implementing a habit tracker, which soon evolved into a full-fledged learning platform after Jessica Bärtschi and Julian Mojado were onboarded. The initial goal remains unchanged: to make learning more engaging for students and to ease the lives of teachers. By providing teachers with the ability to easily structure their material into courses with tangible goals in the form of experience points for students. The global K-12 EdTech market represents a USD 30–70 billion opportunity, driven by over 1.5 billion students worldwide and rapidly growing demand for digital learning solutions.
The Venture Kick funds will help LearningLevels expand its content, strengthen its platform for teachers and students, and accelerate its growth into new schools and markets.

Mentis: Agentic platform for next-gen silicon design
More than 80% of chips fail first silicon due to a spec-to-verification gap. Ambiguous or changing specifications are never fully verified, leading to costly bugs, re-spins,  and billions lost annually.
The founders are experienced ASIC and FPGA engineers now building an AI-driven platform that transforms specifications into verifiable artifacts. Their solution automatically generates assertions, coverage points, and functional models directly from specifications and links them with code and tests in a traceable graph-based system. The spec-driven approach reduces re-spins by 60% and addresses a USD 10B+ inefficiency in the USD 200B semiconductor R&D market.
Mentis team will use the Venture Kick funds to engage directly with leading semiconductor companies and research centers across Europe. 

 

HemostOD is working on a platform that enables the ex vivo production of universal, off-the-shelf human blood platelets, addressing the global need for reliable and safe platelet supply. With the newly secured CHF 4.3 million, the company will move closer to regulatory readiness while proving the scalability of its manufacturing process.

The financing will allow HemostOD to launch a commercial-scale pilot production line, demonstrating that its platelet manufacturing technology can be translated from laboratory scale to industrial application. In parallel, the company plans to hold a pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These steps will enable the company to validate its approach on a larger scale and align with regulatory requirements for future clinical development.

The Biotech startup has won Venture Kick and participated in Venture Leaders Biotech. “With the support of Venture Kick and Venturelab, we improved our pitch and strengthened our interactions with investors,” highlighted Co-Founder and CEO Faouzi Khechana.


HemostOD's CEO (Faouzi Khechana), CSO (Nicoletta Sorvillo), and CTO (Elodie Dahan)

Additional Links
HemostOD's profile on Venture Kick

A brief introduction of Jim Pulcrano
Jim Pulcrano is an engineer by training who, many years ago, recognized that he was not particularly suited for a traditional engineering role. After spending five years working for a French multinational in the USA and Africa, he discovered a preference for collaborating with small teams. This realization led him to pursue an MBA, relocate to Switzerland, and embark on his first of seven startups, three of which he co-founded. He also initiated the IMD Startup Competition, made numerous visits to Silicon Valley, and now directs IMD programs for scaleups and venture capitalists.

Additional Links
Behind the Jury: Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member Dr. Bettina Ernst Behind the Jury: Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member Christer Bergstroem Behind the Jury: Perspectives from the Venture Kick Jury Member David Kurmann Behind the Jury: Perspectives from the Venture Kick Jury Member Luca Bolliger

The ETH spin-off FenX is developing a mineral foam designed to replace conventional mineral wools and EPS panels in construction. FenX’s panels, often described as “stones made of ~98% air,” combine low weight with high performance. They are non-combustible, cost-competitive, and made using circular inputs through a low-energy process suitable for both façades and interior applications.

FenX operates an asset-light model, supplying foaming additives and technology licenses to construction insulation manufacturers. The first customer, Çimsa, is commissioning an industrial production line in Spain, aiming for initial output by the end of 2025.

The new funding will allow FenX to industrialize its mineral foam technology, expand strategic partnerships, and launch additional product lines. Beyond insulation panels, the startup is exploring broader applications, from semi-structural materials to carbon sequestration, using its mineral foam platform to deliver high performance with minimal resources. With its first factory underway in Spain, FenX is positioning itself for international growth through collaborations with leading construction materials companies.

The Cleantech startup has been ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups, has won Venture Kick, and participated in Venture Leaders Cleantech.


FenX team

Additional Links
FenX profile on Venture Kick

A brief introduction of Dr. Bettina Ernst
Dr. Bettina Ernst serves on the boards of several early-stage biotech companies and the Swiss Biotech Association. She is also a member of the Innovation Council of Innosuisse and an expert for the Lichtsteiner Foundation. Before pursuing her entrepreneurial and investment activities, Dr. Ernst worked in fundamental immunology research in the US and Europe for 10 years. She has co-founded three biotech companies.

What brought you to the Venture Kick jury, and what has kept you engaged over the years?
What drew me to Venture Kick in the first place was the unique chance to accompany startups on a year-long journey. Watching how a team and its project evolve over those 12 months—how ideas mature, challenges are tackled, and founders grow—is incredibly rewarding and keeps me engaged year after year.

What makes the Venture Kick program stand out in the Swiss startup ecosystem?
For me, Venture Kick stands out because of its professionalism and structure. It is exceptionally well-managed, and the jury is composed of highly experienced individuals. Combined with the fact that only top-quality startups are selected, this creates a unique and very high-caliber platform.

What do you enjoy most when interacting with founders during the jury sessions?
I love the energy in the room. Founders come with so much passion and determination—it’s contagious. In many ways, these sessions feel like a window into the future, as only the most innovative business opportunities are selected for the program.

In your opinion, what are the three key success factors a startup should fulfill?
At the core, it always comes down to three things: a strong and committed team, a technology that is truly superior, and a market where there is both a clear need and real opportunity.

Which global developments do you believe offer the most opportunities for Swiss startups today?
I believe every global challenge brings with it opportunities. Even in difficult or uncertain times, there is always space for innovation and fresh solutions—Swiss startups are well-positioned to seize those moments.

What are some of the most pressing challenges that Swiss founders face today?
Without a doubt: funding. This is particularly true in life sciences, where companies face financing challenges at every stage—from the earliest startup phase all the way through scale-up.

What keeps you optimistic about the next generation of startups?
What makes me optimistic is the extraordinary talent and creativity coming out of our universities. The level of innovation we see from young founders is very encouraging—it’s a strong signal for the future.

If you could add one thing to the Swiss startup ecosystem, what would it be?
I would wish for more venture capital firms to be based in Switzerland, especially those with a deep commitment to biotech. Having stronger local investors would make a big difference for founders here.
 

Additional Links
Behind the Jury: Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member Christer Bergstroem Behind the Jury: Perspectives from the Venture Kick Jury Member David Kurmann Behind the Jury: Perspectives from the Venture Kick Jury Member Luca Bolliger

viboo develops software that enables buildings to operate more energy-efficiently without requiring major interventions. The platform delivers measurable energy savings and contributes to the decarbonization of existing building stock. With the fresh funding, viboo will expand its offering from a pure energy management tool into a comprehensive building management solution. Planned additions include market-relevant services such as individual heating cost billing.

The company traces its roots to world-class research at Empa and ETH Zurich, as well as leading laboratories for building automation at RWTH Aachen and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Its founders and team have been recognized with several awards, including a BRIDGE fellowship, all Venture Kick stages, the Gebert Rüf Foundation’s Innobooster, the Swiss GreenTech Startup Battle, the Empa Innovation Award, and an ETH Medal.

The Proptech startup has been ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups, has won Venture Kick, and participated in Venture Leaders Technology.


viboo team

Additional Links
viboo's profile on Venture Kick