February saw consolidation in the healthtech sector, with two acquisitions. Hamilton Medical has completed the acquisition of Biel-based STIMIT AG. Its integration into the Hamilton Group will now proceed gradually with the goal of strategically combining competencies and fostering joint growth. In Basel, umbrella group Swiss Rockets has acquired U.S. life sciences company Complete Genomics, adding sequencing capabilities that will support its work in targeted cancer therapies and the development of next-generation vaccines.
Global health and logistics company Axmed, founded by Sofia Radley-Searle, has received a $6 million grant from the Gates Foundation. Axmed will use this funding to scale its sourcing and distribution platform for essential medicines across Africa. Meanwhile, biotech startup InVirtuoLabs and partners have been awarded a €2.3 million Eurostars grant to identify and validate three to five lead small molecules for neurodegenerative movement disorders. The project leans on InVirtuoLabs’ Virtual Cell Models, an AI-based simulations of diseased cells designed to predict responses to drug candidates. InVirtuoLab received another vote of confidence from Lugano-based pharmaceutical company Helsinn, who entered into an R&D agreement with the company, giving it access to its proprietary library of structurally diverse compounds. In Bern, Besso is tackling the tricky subject of international trade. Its AI-powered software helps firms interpret free trade agreements and spot tariff-saving opportunities. The company secured a CHF 60,000 grant from the Bern cantonal economic development agency to deepen the platform’s capabilities.
The Fondation pour l’Innovation Technologique (FIT) allocated several loans this month to female founders. Carewell develops software that helps tackle staffing issues in the healthcare sector; it has now secured a CHF 200,000 Digital Growth loan from FIT to continue its digital platform development. FIT support also went to KnowThee. Its first product, LeaderInsight, pulls together personnel data and uses AI to extract insights for individuals, teams and organizations. A CHF 50,000 Digital Seed loan will help finalize the prototype, scheduled for launch in March 2026. Cleantech company Enerdrape, founded by Margaux Peltier, continues to attract institutional confidence for its geothermal panels that capture and reuse energy from underground spaces, with 5 projects already installed across Switzerland and France. FIT is supporting the company with a CHF 400,000 Tech Growth loan to strengthen its team, expand into new markets and further enrich its product portfolio with digital tools.
This month also featured a cleantech arc in sustainable clothing. Lausanne-based Babuuk, founded in 2013 and known for its durable sheep-wool footwear, has launched a pre-funding round. With over CHF 300,000 raised from 160 investors, the company is well on its way to reaching its CHF 500,000 funding target. On the other side of Switzerland, CLIMATEX innovates with durable yet dissolvable sewing thread that makes clothing easier to take apart and recycle. The Schwyz-based company has secured over CHF 3 million in a financing round led by Collateral Good.
Scientific milestones, national and international growth
February also brought momentum on the clinical and scientific front, with several healthtech startups reaching key milestones. iOnctura, published a high-impact paper reinforcing the potential of its lead asset roginolisib, a novel allosteric modulator of PI3Kδ. Meanwhile, Polaroid Therapeutics received CE marking for its first product, POLTX_Fiber, a Class IIb antimicrobial wound dressing.
In femtech, Aspivix published post-market evidence for carevix, its soft-suction cervical device designed as a gentler alternative to the traditional tenaculum in procedures such as IUD insertion. A newly published multicentre study analyzing over 1,000 IUD procedures confirmed the device’s safety and efficacy. Concurrently, FimmCyte, which is developing new treatments for endometriosis, entered a research collaboration and option-to-license agreement with Hungarian pharmaceutical company Richter to advance work on its lead clinical candidate FMC2.
Further east, Terapet has begun marketing its proton therapy device Qualyscan, a next-generation radiotherapy which targets tumors while minimizing radiation to surrounding healthy tissue, through Anzai Medical in Japan, one of the key particle therapy markets globally. The company recently announced that it is also entering the South Korean market, where MediinHealthcare will act as its local distributor.
Closer to home, Zürich-based startup Arcarius led by co-founder Isis Kratz launched its first product this month, following a successful pilot phase. The company’s AI agent can fully automate recurring accounting tasks, and the first customers have already signed up.
Awards and start-up accelerators
Cleantech startup Oxyle, founded by Fajer Mushtaq, won the coveted Green Business Award, which emphasizes pairing ecological impact with economic viability. The company’s core technology removes and permanently breaks down PFAS, the “forever chemicals” that accumulate in groundwater, drinking water and the human body.
NovoViz was named one of inVISION’s Top 10 Innovations of 2026. Founded in 2024 in Neuchâtel by ex-EPFL researcher Andrada Muntean, the company develops computational single-photon imaging technology and scalable single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensors. The company also secured international exposure: NovoViz—alongside two other female-led ventures, Loxo and MATIS—was selected to join the Venture Leaders Technology 2026 program.
Two start-up accelerators welcomed female founders this past month. The Sitem Startup Club welcomed eight startups into its MedTech Booster Program, with Novonexile among the new cohort. The company is developing NovoOSS, a fully resorbable bone graft substitute for dental and oral surgery. The European Innovation Council’s (EIC) accelerator recently selected four Swiss startups, three of which are female-founded—Pregnolia, DePoly and Neutrality. Each is eligible to receive blended finance, combining grants and equity.
Finally, Zürich will be further strengthened as a deep-tech startup hub as of April 2026: Japanese company DIC plans to establish a startup investment management subsidiary there. Locally-grown and female-led Emerald Technology Ventures will act as its strategic venture partner—adding a new channel of support for founders in the “physical AI” space.
Upcoming events
March is Women’s History Month and also hosts International Women’s Day on Sunday the 8th. Here are the upcoming events that celebrate women in the start-up world throughout March:
- Women’s Day Limmattal on the 5th of March 2026 in Schlieren (DE).
- Female Founders – Im Gespräch mit Gründerinnen on the 16th of March 2026 in Luzern (DE).
- Meet me at the upcoming FE+MALE Biennal on 17th of March 2026 in Zürich (EN). I’m especially looking forward to meeting founders that take diversity seriously, I’m curious to hear how that has impacted their work.
