Dear reader
The latest State of European Tech Report once again provides numerous insights – from the latest developments in the current financing crisis to the performance of European countries in areas such as deeptech and AI to the untapped growth potential of European start-ups. The report always has surprises in store; for example, Switzerland is among the top three countries in Europe in terms of the growth of invested capital over the last 10 years..
This result is all the more remarkable as the analysis excluded biotech investments, which represent a real strength of Switzerland. However, a lot has also happened in ICT in recent years: not only is the high level of dynamism remarkable, but also the diversity in this sector, as this week’s financing rounds once again demonstrate. ETH Zurich start-up Calvin Risk has secured CHF 3.5 million: its platform for AI governance and risk management allows preventive pre-assessments and provides real-time insights. Zitadel has raised CHF 8 million: the platform comprises a comprehensive suite of tools for multi-tenant, authentication, authorisation, and user management for modern IT systems.
Digt, which has grown by bootstrapping to date, achieving mid-eight-figure revenues and profitability, has closed a financing round of CHF 3.7 million. It intends to use the new funds to grow internationally with proprietary platforms such as Brands for Employees and Brands for Students. LAK3, a blockchain start-up with the aim of creating the first universal crypto currency for water, has also attracted CHF 11 million from investors.
There were also further transactions in other sectors: two women-led companies, diagnostics start-up Oncobit and cleantech B’Zeos, completed financing rounds. And Canadian company Myant took over two Swiss start-ups that develop deeptech innovations for functional clothing: Nanoleq and Osmotex.
There was much cheering this week: Oxyle and Roboa came out on top at the Swiss Technology Award, and the founders of REEcover secured the Spark Award. These two well-known awards were presented for the first time as part of the new Open-i conference. The Tech for Impact Awards, which are now under the management of BlueLion Accelerator, named Aidonic and Unbound Potential as winners. Finally, Grensol, another cleantech company, secured CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick.
Next week, the Sustainability Collider and a SICTIC investor day will take place in Lausanne. I would also like to point out the deadlines for the Tenity Incubation programme and First Ventures. The registration period for the Swiss Economic Award has also started.
Have a good weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch