ETH Zurich is a breeding ground for innovation, as demonstrated by the number of spin-offs established every year. Among the 37 new spin-offs established in 2024, female-led spin-offs account for 14 percent. While this remains proportionally low, there is a growing number of mixed-gender founding teams.
When it comes to performance, January has started off well for several female-led ETH spin-offs, including qCella, which closed its CHF 1.3 million pre-seed round to advance developments for its heating mats and expand the team and Oxyle, shose funding also made waves. This was not only because of the $16 million raised, but also because of the company’s mission to eliminate forever chemicals, also known as PFAS. Their breakthrough technology is the world’s first economical and permanent solution capable of destroying PFAS molecules, with over 99% elimination rates, while consuming at least 15 times less energy than alternative destruction methods. Further funding news came from EBAMed, a Geneva-based company developing a guidance system for the non-invasive treatment of heart arrhythmias through proton therapy. Led by CEO Marina Izzo, the company has secured an additional EUR 1.6 million, bringing its Series A round to EUR 16 million.
Vanarix, founded by Vannary Tieng, Alessandra, and Eric Gertsel, received Orphan Drug Designation for its bioengineered cartilage mini-implants called Cartibeads, developed for the treatment of articular cartilage damage using cartilage cells from donors. This approval for knee injuries sets the company on track to launch and accelerate its clinical trials in the US. Two additional biotech companies made positive clinical progress with their treatments: Muvon Therapeutics, with its novel platform for the regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue targeting stress urinary incontinence, and iOnctura, which is developing new treatments with precision oral small molecules that target cancers in novel ways.
In an effort to improve access to critical maternal, newborn, and child health medicines in East and West Africa, Axmed (co-founded by Sofia Radley-Searle and Emmanuel Akpakwu) joined forces with three major procurer-providers. This partnership marks the start of a new journey for the B2B marketplace platform that optimizes the procurement process for healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), revolutionizing access to medicines.
Healthy living, healthy aging
Everskin, co-founded by Larissa Zengerling, Saskia Rohrbach, and Moritz Döring, has launched a platform that relies on data and the latest dermatological research to help customers achieve visibly better skin and slow down the aging process over the long term. While Everskin proposes new ways to tackle aging, Sabine Reber, founder of AMESCO, has adapted the membrane filter technology used in the de-alcoholization of beer to wine, resulting in the first de-alcoholized Swiss wines available on the market. Meanwhile, FoodFor Labs co-founders Teresa Cramer and Franziska Kuenburg are commercializing a new drink based on a science-driven formula that supports cognitive performance and mental well-being. Since launching last year, the startup has already sold more than 1,000 shots to approximately 100 customers.
With all beginnings come ends, as recently reported by founder Martina Hofer, who sold her two companies, Unimon and Uniqtech, to GWF after over 500 successful projects. These ranged from implementing and servicing modern measurement technologies for monitoring water quality parameters to developing data-based strategies to support customers in improving efficiency and safety. The acquisition of Yokoy by the Barcelona-based company Travelperk made headlines. Founded in 2019 and co-founded by Melanie Gabriel, Yokoy grew into a leading spend management platform in Europe, providing AI-powered expense, invoice, and card payment processing solutions.
Awards and honors
Xemperia and Santella founders have big ambitions in the life sciences space—each was recognized with CHF 25,000 at the Yposmed Innovation Award ceremony. Xemperia is developing a new approach to enable early detection of breast cancer, while Santella specializes in the development of innovative vaccines to reduce the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry. In Davos, ellexx, a digital platform dedicated to financial education and empowerment for women and addressing the gender investment gap, was awarded the SFTL — SwissFinTechLadies start-up prize during the World Economic Forum.
Two female-led startups have made it into the four-month Digital Health accelerator initiated by the Digital Health Centre Bülach (DHC) and Tenity. Citus, by Bettina Thumm (CEO & Co-Founder), delivers data-driven technology to advance personalized skincare, while smilamind, by Polina Veltmann, develops an AI-driven remote monitoring tool that helps psychotherapists prioritize young patients‘ needs with real-time insights.
Upcoming events to network with female leaders
- Collective gathering, 13 May 2025, Bern
- Innosuisse powered Female Founders event, 23.05.2025, Lausanne.