CHF 100'000 for Adaptyv Bio and Hexem

Adaptyv Bio: an easier way to engineer proteins using an automated cloud lab

Epalinges-based Adaptyv Bio has taken protein engineering to a whole new level. Acting as a high-tech protein foundry, the start-up speeds up the design process for proteins. 

As of today, protein engineering remains a long, very tedious, and expensive task as labs and companies lack the automation and data integration to perform repeatable, scalable protein testing. This is where Adaptyv Bio works its magic: taking advantage of its automated wet lab the company builds a solution for rapid experimental validation of newly designed proteins, while also drastically reducing the costs per protein.
Combined with artificial intelligence, this new technology will make it easier for protein designers to engineer new proteins for a variety of applications, such as designed antibodies, novel enzymes or alternative materials.

The Tech Seed loan from FIT will enable Adaptyv to verify the commercial validity of its antibody screening platform and roll out access to the platform at the end of this year.

Hexem produces biogas from wastewater cleaning

Hexem has developed a novel wastewater technology, which produces biogas from industrial waste streams. Its technology uses electrical currents in a bioreactor to clean up contaminated water and produce biogas out of it.
 Nowadays, cleaning industrial wastewater costs enormous amounts of money. Yet, wastewater is an untapped resource containing nutrients and energy alike. Full energy recovery would make wastewater treatment not only energy-neutral but also profitable. And that’s what Hexem enables.

The startup’s main users are in the food and beverage industry such as dairies, breweries, wineries and other producers of high strength wastewater like biofuel refineries. With Hexem’s bioreactor installed, they will be able to significantly reduce their water treatment cost and produce clean energy, which can then be reused directly.

In the upcoming months, Hexem will build an industrial demonstrator in its container workshop in Port-Valais, thanks to the FIT Tech Seed loan. After ensuring the technical feasibility, this demonstrator will be transferred to an industrial site in Valais.

(Press release)