The annual Female Innovation Forum was held for the eighth time in a new location, featuring more than 250 female entrepreneurs, business professionals, mentors, and investors who gathered to be inspired and build meaningful connections. Alongside impulse workshops and keynote speeches the event hosted the Female Innovator of the Year Award and Recognition Award to celebrate women with innovative business ideas that have contributed to the Swiss Economy. The Female Innovator of the Year Award went to Giovanna Dipascuale, co-founder of HeroSupport. The startup’s product, VENUS SHELL, is a patient-specific 3D-printed, immobilization shell for breast radiotherapy in a prone position. This not only enhances treatment efficacy and minimizes side effects, it also improves patient comfort and quality of life. Lara Gervaise, CEO and co-founder of Virtuosis AI won the Recognition Award for her impact fighting mental issues through its AI platform that detects early signs of stress or psychological strain in employees.
By awarding companies such as HeroSupport, the jury of the Female Innovator of Year Award recognised the growing need for visibility for Femtech solutions tailored to women needs. More Swiss startups have set a mark in this field, offering solutions such as CareVix, a the world’s first clinically proven suction-based cervical stabilizer as a less painful alternative to the traditional tenaculum used for intrauterine device (IUD) placement and other transcervical procedures. Aspivix, the company behind this innovation, has introduced carevix to physicians in Southern California and New York. Amarastesia, developer of CerAMvix, atraumatic and minimally invasive cervical dilator and uterine access device, is still in its very early stage. The company is among the contestants of the HealthTech Award competition which will be awarded during the Startup Nights 2025.Molesense has been awarded CHF 150’000 from venture kick to advance its molecular wearable for maternity care. The device aims to continuously and non-invasively monitor key biochemical markers in high-risk pregnancies.
Capital increase to fuel further growth
Fresh funding was injected into Art Recognition, developer of an AI art authentication platform. The startup garnered the attention of Luxembourg based Fund, Apla Star, which invested USD 1 million in the startup to support further growth. Bewy, co-founded by Katrin Leupp, is also using AI for processes and property management. The startup completed its pre-seed round to support its expansion across the Germany speaking region.
Biotech startup Suisselle led by Marianna Astakhova also secured an equity investment from Sihuan Pharmaceutical, which in 2022 previously obtained the exclusive distribution rights for Suisselle’s CELLBOOSTER skin booster in China. The company’s booster products, including CELLBOOSTER series skin booster utilize the patented “CHAC technology”, making it the first stabilized complex booster to obtain CE certification.
The support ecosystem in the western part of Switzerland continues to financially support female-led businesses. Undae Science by Shanaz Diessler has been granted CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan from FIT to advance the technical development of the Noctae prototype towards a first marketable product while Isa Dupont who developed the StudentsPool app received a CHF 20,000 Digital Grant. The app connects, in a simple and intuitive way, the urgent needs of institutions for qualified staff with the skills and availability of a large community of health and social care students
Another form of transaction took place through acquisitions. Ophelia Snyder and her co-founder Hany Rashwan founded 21shares in 2018 and grew it into a global leader in digital asset ETPs, managing over $11 billion in assets across 55 listed products. The company has been acquired by FalconX, a leading institutional digital asset prime brokerage, making it one of the most significant ETP industry transactions in recent years. In life sciences, ExcellGene, a family-owned ExcellGene and sister company Magellan Biologics & Consulting has been acquired by Global private equity healthcare specialist ARCHIMED. Co-founder Maria Wurm will lead ARCHIMED as group CEO.
Further milestones were achieved through product launches. Yumame’s healthy, tasty, and sustainable plant-based food portfolio is based on fungi and fermentation. These vegetarian food options are currently available in Coop retail stores across Switzerland. Despoina Mitsiogianni, and her co-founder Lampros Mitsiogiannis founded software startup LiNK and developed ESTIA, an AI-powered app designed to help students and young professionals around the world find compatible roommates. ESTIA is now off to a good start with early adopters such as Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College.
Awards & Exposure
‘Top 100 Women in AI + Data in Switzerland’ is a report by the Greater Zurich Area and the ETH AI Center featuring 100 women in AI from different walks of life from fundamental research, startups, and large companies. The list has an impressive line-up of female-led startups. Sallea, led by Nicole Kleger, obtained support from Migros Pionierfonds to facilitate the development of its Scaffolds. Rea Sodero, co-founder and CEO of Planlabs was selected to join the gensuisse coaching program. Planlabs developed an AI-supported platform that automates 3D planning, shortens planning times in the build industry and ensures regulatory compliance.
The upcoming Bio-Europe conference for the biotech sector will host several Swiss startups under the SWISS Pavilion including those by female entrepreneurs such as Enantios, MetaLead Therapeutics among others. Luya Foods is among the finalists of the inaugural Swiss Future Awards, which recognize start-ups and SMEs with groundbreaking solutions that enable a sustainable future. Luya is transforming tofu by-products into high-protein, organic foods using an innovative fermentation process. Meanwhile Alessia Cesarini of Gota Energy from Ticino, secured the Grand Prix Möbius Suisse 2025 prize for this year’s dedicated theme ‘digital and climate’ for her approach to producing non-fossil gasoline from biomass origins.
Role models create impact for startups
Ski-star Lara Gut-Beharmi is currently at the intersection of sports and business, acting as an investor and ambassador of KA-EX, the clinically dietary supplement for faster regeneration. Her engagement goes beyond investing and providing consultation to promoting the brand. Most recently she announced wearing the brand on a helmet for increased exposure.
Textile authentication solutions provider, Haelixa has appointed Anne-Laure Descours, former Chief Sourcing Officer of PUMA to its board of directors to help advance its mission to achieve transparency and trust in the fashion and textile industries, scaling physical traceability and authentication solutions for recycled and premium fibers, and finished products. Daria Reich, the former co-founder and CEO of Agrinorm has been selected to lead the newly founded company SentiaNova by Food Founders Studio. The company transforms chickpeas, peas, faba beans, into clean-tasting protein ingredients that enable ingredient producers and food manufacturers to create tasty and sustainable plant-based products. And Danijela Karelse is the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), has joined ecoRobotix to fuel the growth of its AI-based ultra-high precision spraying technology for crop care.
Call for participation
Impact Hub Zurich and Impact Hub Ticino in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Office for Gender Equality (EBG) are conducting a survey and are seeking more than 100 female founders in Switzerland to share their experiences in raising capital through various channels.
Upcoming events
If you are in Lausanne, join the IFJ event on 11 November where Giselle Rufer, founder of Delance, shares her journey being in the watchmaking industry. Fine more events in the Startupticker calendar and explore the ecosystem directory to find upcoming award deadlines and other offers.
