Led · Seed · Jan 2024

Deeplight develops innovative lasers based on hybrid photonic integrated circuit technology in collaboration with EPFL's Laboratory of Photonic Integrated Circuits and Quantum Measurements. Its lasers claim the highest spectral purity on the market, enabling optical detection applications with much greater sensitivity. Target applications include satellite-to-satellite telecommunications, LiDAR remote sensing for automotive use, and greenhouse gas detection. Deeplight has signed licensing and collaboration agreements with EPFL and holds development contracts with leading industrial companies. The company received a CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan from FIT to strengthen the robustness of its lasers and achieve key milestones. Immediate plans funded by the loan include obtaining relevant laser certifications and concluding contracts with its first customers.

Led · Seed · Oct 2023

Beyond Scroll builds novel oil-free compressors based on a patent-pending spinning scroll technology to compress hydrogen and other gases at low pressure without contamination. Its compressors aim to lower the energy needed for green hydrogen production and make hydrogen more cost-competitive. Target applications include hydrogen distribution, hydrogen refuelling stations, compressed energy storage systems and green hydrogen production installations. The startup also positions its technology for off-grid energy production and storage, carbon sequestration, e-mobility and aerospace. With FIT support, Beyond Scroll plans to build its own manufacturing facilities and advance its flagship hydrogen-tailored product toward pilot deployments. First pilots are planned for 2024.

Led · Debt Financing · Oct 2022

Saporo offers an identity security platform that lets enterprises see their hybrid identity fabric the way attackers do. Leveraging graph databases and graph theory, the software analyzes millions to billions of potential attack paths across on-prem Active Directory, Entra ID, AWS, Okta and other directories, then surfaces the smallest set of changes that delivers the biggest risk reduction. Continuous monitoring enforces segregation of duties and alignment with frameworks such as ANSSI and MITRE so environments don’t drift back into unsafe states. Large customers reportedly eliminate about 80 % of risky paths within the first year, and the startup posts customer retention above 140 %. Adoption is strong in regulated sectors like financial services, healthcare, government, manufacturing and technology. With new capital, Saporo will expand R&D, sales and marketing through 2026, strengthen one-click remediation, and add coverage for Google Workspace/Cloud and GitHub. The company also intends to deepen its footprint in France, Switzerland, Benelux, Germany and Italy while selectively entering the U.S. market.

Led · Debt Financing · May 2021

Isochronic develops a new type of software-driven industrial robot that enables simultaneous part transfer operations using a novel kinematic. Its system centers on a linear transfer beam that expands pick & place distances and multiple sliders with pick heads that operate in parallel to increase throughput. The design emphasizes space savings and modularity for industrial customers. The company employs 14 people and is based in Denges (Vaud). Isochronic will use the CHF2 million seed proceeds for product development and to execute its first industrial installations. The company plans to reveal its technology to the industry at the Automatica trade show in Munich (June 21–24). Dr. Melvin Haas is CEO and founder. Isochronic develops a previously unknown modular and expandable mechanical kinematic that allows industrial robots to transport several parts simultaneously, increasing throughput for pick-and-place applications. The technology aims to reduce energy consumption and operating costs compared with current systems that handle parts individually and sequentially. Target sectors include food packaging (a market of more than CHF 7 billion), pharmaceutical, medical and electronic product handling, as well as quality inspection, palletizing and assembly. The company plans to advance product development and pursue several new patents in collaboration with partners supporting expansive R&D activities. Isochronic will realize its first customer projects with existing pilot customers in the coming months. The founding team comprises Dr. Melvin Haas (CEO), Dr. Albrecht Lindner (CTO) and Pierre-Alain Buchs (Chief Engineer). Isochronic builds an industrial robot based on a novel, patented kinematic that allows a single robot to transport parts in parallel, greatly accelerating common pick-and-place applications. The architecture expands the working envelope and part transfer distance while reducing moving masses, floor space requirements, energy consumption and the number of robots needed for equivalent throughput. The company targets uses in food, medical, pharmaceutical and microtechnology production where fragile or contamination‑sensitive parts require individual handling. Isochronic was founded by Dr. Melvin Haas (Founder and CEO and original inventor), Dr. Albrecht Lindner (VP Software & Controls) and Pierre-Alain Buchs (VP Hardware), and the team grew quickly to include expertise in software, high-speed motion control, electrical engineering and IP development. The startup has received multiple awards and support, including prizes from ECAL’s Innovation-by-Design Challenge, the City of Renens and the PERL innovation prize (Lausanne Region), and collaborates with academic and industrial partners HEIG-VD, ETML and EPFL. Financially, Isochronic has obtained backing from Venture Kick, Innosuisse Core Coaching, several research and technology development grants, and a CHF 100,000 loan from FIT to continue development, manufacture, assembly and commissioning of its robot for pilot customers.

Led · Debt Financing · Mar 2021

Founded in May 2020 at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, Alithea Genomics builds technologies that dramatically lower the cost and increase the throughput of RNA sequencing. Its flagship BRB-seq and DRUG-seq platforms can prepare up to 1,536 RNA samples in a single tube, with DRUG-seq eliminating the need for RNA isolation altogether. These kits allow pharmaceutical and research customers to run primary drug screens, exploratory toxicology studies, and large-scale biomarker discovery projects that were previously cost-prohibitive. The company is now commercializing the 1,536-well MERCURIUS DRUG-seq kit while also developing new RNA-seq technologies and proprietary transcriptomic data assets to support AI/ML research. Alithea’s solutions target the growing demand for “big RNA data,” aiming to be the foundational data engine for next-generation therapeutics. Recent leadership changes elevated Chairman Frederik Decouttere to CEO, enabling co-founder Riccardo Dainese to focus on market expansion as CCO. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed, but the fresh seed capital underpins the firm’s push toward broad commercialization and further R&D.