Swiss start-up Resilient is successfully completing an ambitious Innosuisse project with Philip Morris. Launched two years ago, the study involved 300 employees in Switzerland and Italy. Strengthened by this success and having made a name for itself recently at the highly competitive Garmin Health Awards 2024 in Prague, the start-up co-founded by Max Grossenbacher is preparing to enter the market in 2025.
Based at La Forge in Lausanne, Resilient is moving fast. Two years ago, the startup led by cofounder Max Grossenbacher started an ambitious CHF 1.7 million Innosuisse project, in collaboration with research partner SUPSI. The project brought together three institutions: MeDiTech for biomedical processing, ISIN for software development and IDSIA for the development of its conversational agent. As CEO and cofounder explains to Startupticker.ch, the aim was to study how a conversational agent, combined with multi-source data, can help employees manage work-related stress, prevent burnout and improve overall well-being. Philip Morris International joined the project as an implementation partner, integrating 300 employees spread across Switzerland and Italy, and psy-bern AG, one of Switzerland's largest psychiatric practices and a partner in this first project, is also actively involved. Recently, the startup requested a short extension to the project to finalize data integration and analysis
Resilient is designed to improve employee wellbeing and prevent burnout through real-time coaching. The platform is trained by psychiatrists and psychotherapists, and what sets it apart is its ability to integrate multiple data points to capture relevant insights beyond verbal communication. This approach allows the company to compensate for the absence of non-verbal cues, delivering a uniquely tailored and responsive coaching experience informed by advancements in occupational health. Additionally, the startup offers a fully anonymized and aggregate HR dashboard that uncovers and helps prevent systemic issues within organizations.
Initially, Resilient worked with psy-bern, Clienia, and Michel-Gruppe in its first Innosuisse project to develop its proprietary stress and recovery metrics. Currently, the Max Grossenbacher’s team is actively collaborating with psy-bern AG, who joined both its first and second Innosuisse projects. The startup also retains advisors from Michel-Gruppe. Since the WHO’s reclassification of burnout as an occupational phenomenon, the team is strategically focused on solutions designed for occupational health settings.
Market entry planned for 2025
Today, Resilient is in the midst of a fundraising round with a target of CHF 500,000, scheduled for early 2025. These funds will enable the startup to finalize its MVP and scale to market while gaining customer acceptance and impact. The CEO adds: “We are particularly interested in getting in touch with investors or funds that have strong networks with large companies, especially those with links to HR, occupational health or senior management.” Resilient core team consists of three founding members. The startup also welcomed a new CTO, who was instrumental in its first Innosuisse project, as well as an NLP researcher and an additional backend developer. Kadasolutions supports the company with mobile app and front-end development.
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The new Swiss Venture Capital Report was published on 26 January. It analyses 304 financing rounds closed in 2020 and includes further article such as an interview with Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, and a list of Swiss "soonicorns". 
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