Exclaim Robotics, which emerged from stealth with USD 4.95 million pre-seed co-led by Founderful and Playfair. Founded this year in Zurich by Helen Oleynikova, previously a robotics researcher at NVIDIA and ETH Zurich, it builds autonomous robots for repair work inside AI data centres — a job getting riskier as racks move to 800 volts DC.
A femtech business idea also attracted venture capital. KOVE Medical, a University of Zurich spin-off, has closed a CHF 1.6 million seed round to advance into the clinical phase. The company aims to address pre-term births following a Fetoscopy - a minimal invasive surgery that enables treating life-threatening conditions before the baby's birth. Kove’s implantable medical device closes the defect created by the insertion of the surgical instruments at the end of the fetal surgery, stabilizing the membrane, preventing associated complications.
Several startups have been actively fundraising via crowdfunding platform Oomnium and succeeded in reaching their target. ETH spinoff rrreefs, dedicated to rebuilding and regenerating coral reefs using 3D clay bricks assembled on waterbeds, has raised CHF 887,000. Its founders Marie Griesmar, Ulrike Pfreundt and Hanna Kuhfuss aim to break even by 2027. Traveltech company Oazo Homes, co-founded by Wemakeit co-founder Rea Eggli and Cédric Tribolet to offer curated, exclusive vacation rentals to select guests as an alternative to well-known international platforms, has raised just over a quarter of a million Swiss francs from 36 business angels in a private bridge funding round. The round will be extended to Oomnium, allowing more investors to participate. The sleep diagnostics startup UNDAE Science, founded by neuroscientists Shanaz Diessler and Aurélie Stephan, has already secured 70 percent of its targeted funding from strategic investors. The funding will support the further development of Noctae, a contactless device that measures sleep at home across several nights instead of one night in a lab.
Foldcast, founded by CEO Fabio Amicarelli and CSO Ena Lloret-Fritschi, has also increased its capital reserves with CHF 150’000 from Venture Kick to advance its recyclable paper moulds to help reduce concrete waste.
Ensysce Biosciences, a clinical-stage company developing a new class of highly novel opioids for the treatment of severe pain, has acquired Zug-based Cy Biopharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focussed on novel neuroplastogenic therapies for severe chronic pain disorders. The acquisition is structured as a stock-for-stock merger. Ensyce is led by CEO Lynn Kirkpatrick.
Debuts and growth milestones
Besides being able to attract investors, a company’s success is also measured by how many milestones it has reached. Following years of research and development, Noriware by Jessica Farda has launched its seaweed-based packaging film Norifresh in 300 Volg grocery stores across Switzerland. The successful pilot saw blueberries packed on the existing lines of Volg's packing partners, paving the way for further pilots in 2026.
Less than two months following the launch of their software platform, Hamerly, Elaine Holl and Bianca Müller have already attracted 50 construction companies in Europe that use the s platform as a digital construction log, for defect management, or coordinating subcontractors. For Zelsius, its success comes after a year of intensive use and testing its platform for recording emissions and calculating a CO₂ balance. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts spin-off has doubled its customer base and now generates six-figure revenue – a large portion of which comes from recurring annual services. The startup has recently expanded the platform to SMEs in additional sectors.
Meanwhile, Coople has rebuilt the technical foundation of its flexible staffing platform in less than a year, using AI in its own development work to speed delivery. Since August it has onboarded all newly registered companies directly to the new system. The rebuild comes as the Zurich company concentrates on its home market, having closed its UK operations on 1 January. Since Logmind’s latest funding round in 2025, the EPFL spinoff led by Ketevani Zaridze has come a long way, working with organizations across different industries but also hiring a Chief Commercial Officer and launching a new generation of its AI platform for IT operational intelligence.
In the Biotech space, Vandria, a clinical-stage biotech founded in 2021 as a spin-out of Amazentis, presented new data from the multiple-ascending-dose part of its Phase 1 study of VNA-318, a brain-penetrant small molecule designed to restore mitochondrial function and reduce chronic neuroinflammation. vVardis attracted a major partner from the UK after signing a deal with Bupa Dental Care to distribute the startup's early tooth decay treatments across 380 centers in the UK and Ireland. This move strengthens the company’s market share in the UK market.
Financial Services Regulatory Authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the emirate's international financial centre has granted Bitcoin Suisse Group’s subsidiary, BTCS (Middle East) Ltd. Financial Services Permission. Ceyda Majcen, CEO and Chief Strategy Officer of BTCS ME, is leading the Group's expansion in the Middle East, bringing extensive and long-standing senior leadership experience across the Group.
Awards and support to boost startup growth
Ten startups developing solutions for clean energy, sustainable materials, industrial decarbonization, and climate resilience will join the Swiss National Startup Team 2026. The startups will travel to Munich in November to accelerate their growth and expand their international presence. Female-founded kuafu is part of the delegation. Founded in 2025, Kuafu offers grid-edge orchestration software that helps grid operators manage congestion and improve grid stability by coordinating distributed resources such as electric vehicles, batteries, and heat pumps in buildings. REECOVER was crowned the winner of the Rocket Day + Impact Award 2026. The two runner ups are also female-led ETH Spinoff startups - Riverkin is developing a Water Data Ecosystem featuring smart sensors to monitor water quality and quantity across entire watersheds while CellX is forced on combating contamination in waterbodies using naturally occurring bacteria that break down PFAS. Imply, founded by Anna Luisa Schaffgotsch to develop a minimally invasive, needle-based device for continuous hormone monitoring has been selected by the German Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIN-D). The team will receive up to €1.5 million in Stage 1 to develop sensors for hormone control.
Role models
Ulrike Maria Grimm is now a permanent member of the executive team at Muttenz (BL)-based Opterion Health, assuming the role of Chief Development Officer, head of project management and regulatory. Grimm has worked with the startup since 2020, moving from an advisory role. Prior she held senior positions at Merck KGaA, Fresenius Biotech, Vifor Pharma and Pro2S. The clinical-stage company is developing OPT101, a non-glucose-based osmotic agent for peritoneal dialysis. The first patient was enrolled in its Phase 1 SPARC trial in February.
Call for applications and upcoming events
The registration phase for the SEF.WomenAward 2027 is open until 11 October. Sought for are female innovators with an outstanding track-record in entrepreneurship for the categories "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" and "Entrepreneur/CEO of the Year".
The annual Female innovation Forum organised by Ladies Drive is around the corner, taking place on 21 October at blue Cinema Abaton in Zurich. The event provides a platform for more than 300 female founders, investors, policy makers and enthusiasts to network, gain fresh insights and explore business opportunities. The nomination round for the coveted Female Innovator of the Year Award and the Recognition Award is already underway. Secure your ticket to experience the award ceremony.
